4LO Shift Pattern

[Frenchy]

Right so in 4lo at 2500 rpm it's really isn't making any more torque than a non turbo 2.3 would.
As far as gears, off road I don't think a regear is needed until 35s at least. If you are just in drive the truck actually starts in second and that still plenty low for 33s and even 34s. On road gears might help the trans hold 10th or 9th up small grades, or bring back a slight amount of fuel economy from the bigger tires.
I deal with building 4wd vehicles every day and it's the best midsize to not have to gear power and transmission wise.
I feel that once more gear sets become available we will see an issue of people over gearing their trucks and causing issues of gear bouncing on the highway.

So perhaps you don't have 33s on your truck? You probably don't have a to neither do you? I have both. Does the engine put out more torque than a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder? Absolutely it does. When you're putting it on your load you still have way more torque do to boost compared to a naturally-aspirated. Will you be at full Boost when putting under said load? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the conditions you are in at that time. Also just because you have low range does not I mean $35 okay on stock gears. These trucks came stock with 30in tires. Yes we may have a 10-speed transmission which is freaking awesome but that does not make up for the gears in the final drive. When these trucks are driving on the street most of the time a grevior will be necessary when going bigger than a 33 to drive the truck efficiently. There are conditions with my truck that 10th gear is not acceptable. And yes that is a 70 miles an hour. So just because you think we have a ten-speed and that automatically makes it to where you can run 35 be aware you are going to be incorrect because we do not have such short gearing for that. With that said once gearing becomes available it's down to the owner of the vehicle to do some checking with your speed calculator to find out what would be the most correct year set for their application.

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[Xwaz]

So perhaps you don't have 33s on your truck? You probably don't have a to neither do you? I have both. Does the engine put out more torque than a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder? Absolutely it does. When you're putting it on your load you still have way more torque do to boost compared to a naturally-aspirated. Will you be at full Boost when putting under said load? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the conditions you are in at that time. Also just because you have low range does not I mean $35 okay on stock gears. These trucks came stock with 30in tires. Yes we may have a 10-speed transmission which is freaking awesome but that does not make up for the gears in the final drive. When these trucks are driving on the street most of the time a grevior will be necessary when going bigger than a 33 to drive the truck efficiently. There are conditions with my truck that 10th gear is not acceptable. And yes that is a 70 miles an hour. So just because you think we have a ten-speed and that automatically makes it to where you can run 35 be aware you are going to be incorrect because we do not have such short gearing for that. With that said once gearing becomes available it's down to the owner of the vehicle to do some checking with your speed calculator to find out what would be the most correct year set for their application.

I do have 33s on my truck. I have also built a couple of other rangers on 33s for customers, so I am very familiar with the truck and the reaction to larger tires. I have also build a few dozen Tacomas around 33s and 35s. So I feel that I have a good understanding of how most midsized trucks react to larger tires and regears. (Having also personally regeared a couple of my own vehicles)
I am not disagreeing with you.
Short answer gears can be extremely helpful, but they the ranger hasn't proven to need them like the Tacomas have.
However, from my understanding of how these motors make boost it is directly related to the load on the engine, if you rev the vehicle slowly up to 4k rpm in neutral with manual load is can do so without really creating boost pressure because the required exhaust gasses to spin the turbo up to the point of making the peak boost for max torque just aren't there without a load on the engine.
As far as the transmission, do to the already low gears of 1st and 2nd, the increased speed of larger diameter tires off road is actually rather unnoticeable up until a much larger tire. However, increase tire diameter is actually a very small part of the reason that people need to regear their trucks. The biggest reason comes down to weight, whether added weight of bumpers, winches skids ect, or the rotation weight of larger LT tires, Stock tires are about 35Lbs roughly. I know my Maxxis RAZR ATs in a 285/70 weight in at 59LBS so a 24lbs increase per corner, now take that 96lbs increase and triple it. Because rotational mass is 3x more effecting on a system than stationary weight so the truck is seeing more of a 288lbs increase. This effects the acceleration, braking and anything that requires the changing of speed of rotation. Hence the reason why when you regear a truck you really don't notice it off road, but you feel it on the highway the the ability to pass people up a hill.
Yes gearing a Ranger to 4.10s for 33s would correct the increase in tire size, it wouldn't meet the increase of weight, jump to 4.56 and you are now over geared, causing the 10th at 75 or 80 mpg to be getting close to 3000rpm negating any fuel economy gain by reduction in driveline stress.

I still don't think I will gear my truck with the 33s, I might do a tune eventually if I ever feel the need to change how the power is delivered.

 

[seanellaz]

One thing that has always bugged my about my Ranger is the shift pattern in 4LO. When the truck is in 4LO and Drive, is shifts as if it's in sport mode. Holding the RPMs till around 3000 before shifting to the next gear, while in the rocks and steep climbs this is fine when you are just cruising down the trail and it's sitting at 2500rpm for no reason.
I Have tried all the different terrain modes trying to get it to shift normally in 4LO but haven't gotten anything to bring it down. It shifts unlike any other vehicle I have wheeled or owned. Being somewhere is the realm of 3 dozen different trucks and 4x4s.

Has anyone found this to be the case as well? Or found a setting that stops this stupid shifting.

PFA

Sport Mode. You have MUCH more control over up and down shifting. Ya it will refuse to upshift until RMP are a little hier, but you can get a feel for it and time your shifts.

 

[seanellaz]

So perhaps you don't have 33s on your truck? You probably don't have a to neither do you? I have both. Does the engine put out more torque than a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder? Absolutely it does. When you're putting it on your load you still have way more torque do to boost compared to a naturally-aspirated. Will you be at full Boost when putting under said load? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the conditions you are in at that time. Also just because you have low range does not I mean $35 okay on stock gears. These trucks came stock with 30in tires. Yes we may have a 10-speed transmission which is freaking awesome but that does not make up for the gears in the final drive. When these trucks are driving on the street most of the time a grevior will be necessary when going bigger than a 33 to drive the truck efficiently. There are conditions with my truck that 10th gear is not acceptable. And yes that is a 70 miles an hour. So just because you think we have a ten-speed and that automatically makes it to where you can run 35 be aware you are going to be incorrect because we do not have such short gearing for that. With that said once gearing becomes available it's down to the owner of the vehicle to do some checking with your speed calculator to find out what would be the most correct year set for their application.

I pulled a little overland trailer from Tucson To Austin Tx with 34" tires on my truck. I kind of like that the tranny dropped into 9th or 8th gear going upgrades (8th for passing uphill). On Flat stretches I was in 10th most of the time, purring like a kitten. I do have an Injen intake and a 3" Flowmaster Catback Exhaust Wrapped in fiberglass and painted w/ hi heat paint. I think that gives me more tug per RPM. This @ 75 / 80 Mph.

 

[Groo]

Groo here
Do you have trailer tow package ,, if so use 4 hi and tow / haul....

 

[Squatchranger]

So perhaps you don't have 33s on your truck? You probably don't have a to neither do you? I have both. Does the engine put out more torque than a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder? Absolutely it does. When you're putting it on your load you still have way more torque do to boost compared to a naturally-aspirated. Will you be at full Boost when putting under said load? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the conditions you are in at that time. Also just because you have low range does not I mean $35 okay on stock gears. These trucks came stock with 30in tires. Yes we may have a 10-speed transmission which is freaking awesome but that does not make up for the gears in the final drive. When these trucks are driving on the street most of the time a grevior will be necessary when going bigger than a 33 to drive the truck efficiently. There are conditions with my truck that 10th gear is not acceptable. And yes that is a 70 miles an hour. So just because you think we have a ten-speed and that automatically makes it to where you can run 35 be aware you are going to be incorrect because we do not have such short gearing for that. With that said once gearing becomes available it's down to the owner of the vehicle to do some checking with your speed calculator to find out what would be the most correct year set for their application.

Dude i have 35x12.5s stock gearing and i have full use of all 10 gears including on the highway and my mpg only dropped by 2

 

[CB750F]

After 1.5 yrs of having the truck I decided to try 4LO.
First, I have tried 4Hi & the locker, no issues.
Back to 4LO, stop, neutral, 'ok', drive, yes rpms go up 3k, not sure, did not look but sounded
about right.
My question is, when it goes into next gear, I got quite a "hit" , twice, cuz I tried again...
So, this normal?
I guess maybe I should have shifted manually as opposed to letting the truck do it.
& 4LO , why go 'fast', it should be used for crawling.
@Frenchy You seem to be informed

 

[Squatchranger]

One thing that has always bugged my about my Ranger is the shift pattern in 4LO. When the truck is in 4LO and Drive, is shifts as if it's in sport mode. Holding the RPMs till around 3000 before shifting to the next gear, while in the rocks and steep climbs this is fine when you are just cruising down the trail and it's sitting at 2500rpm for no reason.
I Have tried all the different terrain modes trying to get it to shift normally in 4LO but haven't gotten anything to bring it down. It shifts unlike any other vehicle I have wheeled or owned. Being somewhere is the realm of 3 dozen different trucks and 4x4s.

Has anyone found this to be the case as well? Or found a setting that stops this stupid shifting.

PFA

So it does that to keep you in the powerband and maximize available torque and power unless you need 4 lo you shouldn't be in it and you should never use it to just putter about trails that is a waste of gas and causes unneeded wear. 4 hi is what you should be in and only 4 lo and the locker when you need them

 

[Squatchranger]

I have figured that out, it's just for most of the wheeling I do, it's easiest to engine brake in 4lo but it's annoying to stop and shift between hi and low for each obstacle.
Just weird how the Ranger is the only one programmed this way.

You can still engine brake in 4 hi and 2 hi tow mode sorta does it but if u just use sport and downshift manually then easy money and you dont have to stop put it in neutral wait 5 seconds then set off

 

[Squatchranger]

After 1.5 yrs of having the truck I decided to try 4LO.
First, I have tried 4Hi & the locker, no issues.
Back to 4LO, stop, neutral, 'ok', drive, yes rpms go up 3k, not sure, did not look but sounded
about right.
My question is, when it goes into next gear, I got quite a "hit" , twice, cuz I tried again...
So, this normal?
I guess maybe I should have shifted manually as opposed to letting the truck do it.
& 4LO , why go 'fast', it should be used for crawling.
@Frenchy You seem to be informed

so low uses a different set of gears in the transfer case to give much more torque due to the ratios of the gears so yeah it does feel very very different than regular 2 and 4 hi there may be some weird noises or lurches due to that but there is no reason to not let the computer do its thing unless you need the engine braking and yes it is only for uses when you need it otherwise you should use 4 hi or 2 hi

 

[Squatchranger]

After 1.5 yrs of having the truck I decided to try 4LO.
First, I have tried 4Hi & the locker, no issues.
Back to 4LO, stop, neutral, 'ok', drive, yes rpms go up 3k, not sure, did not look but sounded
about right.
My question is, when it goes into next gear, I got quite a "hit" , twice, cuz I tried again...
So, this normal?
I guess maybe I should have shifted manually as opposed to letting the truck do it.
& 4LO , why go 'fast', it should be used for crawling.
@Frenchy You seem to be informed

Also another factor is you should go through the various modes to keep the transfer case lubed up and in good order you may have had something sticking slightly from not using it ford recommends going in the various modes and driving around a bit I believe every 6 months I know plenty of folks who have a 4wd never use it and the transfer case literally doesnt work at all beyond staying in 2wd

 

[CB750F]

Also another factor is you should go through the various modes to keep the transfer case lubed up and in good order you may have had something sticking slightly from not using it ford recommends going in the various modes and driving around a bit I believe every 6 months I know plenty of folks who have a 4wd never use it and the transfer case literally doesnt work at all beyond staying in 2wd

Yup, that's why I tried 4lo, every time I see a dirt road, I 'test'. Not often enough....
Use it or lose it.

 

[Frenchy]

In reality it all depends on the vehicle to when and how often 4LO will be needed. For my 1993 Pathfinder I have to use 4LO a majority of the time OffRoad. The Ranger I didnt need to use 4LO much at all. When I did I simply let the computer do the work.

 

[canyonslicker]

I say load the bed up with a few hundred pounds of your choice and it does make a difference.. really…

 

[Squatchranger]

Yup, that's why I tried 4lo, every time I see a dirt road, I 'test'. Not often enough....
Use it or lose it.

Yeah if nothing else you can tell your wife or family or whatever you need to go offroading with your buddies cause its part of the recommended upkeep it even says so in the manual lol

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