4wd L vs 4wd H

[mtsoxfan]

The locker will disengage at 20, unless your are still accelerating. I was at 50 mph today with locker, back off gas, disengages.

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[Motorpsychology]

Good info here, and just my own practice but I've always engaged 4H from a stop and not on the fly. Ocassionally at a low speed when traction is needed in a pinch.

Does anyone know if there is any maximum speed threshold at which 4H disengages? Or at what speed the locker will. (I know - read the owner's manual)

68mph. for the 4H
If you leave it in 4H, it will reengage again once you're below 68. There will be a msg in the center stack when it changes. It's seamless. It doesn't pull, shudder, grind, or anything else shifting from 2H to 4H on the fly or vice-versa.

It is a good Idea to let up some on the accelerator or coast when changing modes, like you do on a multi speed bicycle, but it will wait if there is a high load on the transfer case, like hard acceleration or pulling a trailer up a steep incline.

 

[Frenchy]

The 5G Rangers will disengage 4L to 4H at about 22 mph. It will remain in 4H until you come to a stop, then it will re-engage 4L, if still selected. The same is true going from 2H or 4H to 4L on the move. It won't engage 4L until you stop. 4H can be engaged up to 68mph/110kmh.

Except that you have to be stopped for it to shift into and out of 4LO. If it were to do this while moving there is a high chance the transfer case would blow up.

 

[ccasanova22]

I've always been under the impression 4 l is for less than ~10 mph. Any faster and you'll mess up your drivetrain... source - brother drove my dad's truck on the highway in the snow in 4l and it blew up

Wow, that thing must’ve been turning RPMs so high you couldn’t hear anything in the cab.

Yes, do not attempt to drive on the highway in 4Lo. However, if it’s packed snow on the highway and there’s no sign of pavement, go ahead and use 4Hi all day.

Just be aware, it doesn’t mean you can stop any better in 4WD. Do not take added stability as false comfort as the stopping distance will be the same.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Except that you have to be stopped for it to shift into and out of 4LO. If it were to do this while moving there is a high chance the transfer case would blow up.

The 5G Rangers will disengage 4L to 4H at about 22 mph. It will remain in 4H until you come to a stop, then it will re-engage 4L, if still selected. The same is true going from 2H or 4H to 4L on the move. It won't engage 4L until you stop. 4H can be engaged up to 68mph/110kmh.

That's what I said. Just to clarify, you can leave the twist knob in 4L, and at 20mph, it will disengage 4L, staying in 4H. When you want 4L again, you have to come to a complete stop. If you've left the knob in 4L, it will now reengage.

There will be messages in the driver display telling you what's going on and what to do next.

 

[bigalxc]

ithanks everyone

 

[AndyMedic]

I’ve never had my truck come out of 4L while moving. We regularly travel 25-30mph in 4L on some trails and it stays in 4L. Where is this mentioned in the owners manual. It can not just drop in and out while in motion for 4L

 

[AndyMedic]

The locking rear axle will engage and disengage as needed and depending on mode.

 

[ccasanova22]

It’s impossible to shift into 4L at speed so for those who have claimed (on this forum and others) that they’ve done it, either they are crazy or something is wrong with their truck.

It’s nearly mechanically impossible at speed especially at highway speeds.

 

[RangerPNW]

Good info here, and just my own practice but I've always engaged 4H from a stop and not on the fly. Ocassionally at a low speed when traction is needed in a pinch.

Does anyone know if there is any maximum speed threshold at which 4H disengages? Or at what speed the locker will. (I know - read the owner's manual)

Don't know about max speed, but i've played with launching the truck in 4wd before and hit at least 70 in 4H. Think the locker disengages around 25-30.

Also no issues jumping to 4H on the fly, i've done it many times.

 

[03svt]

Don't know about max speed, but i've played with launching the truck in 4wd before and hit at least 70 in 4H. Think the locker disengages around 25-30.

Also no issues jumping to 4H on the fly, i've done it many times.

Ha! Sounds like fun, the reason I was asking is because I may or may not have left it in 4H on the highway for a good bit of a trip after climbing out of a snow bank. I hadn’t realized otherwise I would have taken it out. It had just snowed, the roads still a slight wet mess but no need for 4 wheel really and I was worried about damage.

Anyhow this was a few years ago, I’ve had no problems since, and have changed the diff and transfer case fluids and didn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

 

[RangerPNW]

Ha! Sounds like fun, the reason I was asking is because I may or may not have left it in 4H on the highway for a good bit of a trip after climbing out of a snow bank. I hadn’t realized otherwise I would have taken it out. It had just snowed, the roads still a slight wet mess but no need for 4 wheel really and I was worried about damage.

Anyhow this was a few years ago, I’ve had no problems since, and have changed the diff and transfer case fluids and didn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Yeah as long as it was still wet you probably didn't hurt anything. Saw a lady in a Silverado the other day rolling around in a dry parking lot in 4h... I could hear everything binding and it was just killing me even tho I have zero love for chevy's

 

[03svt]

The locking rear axle will engage and disengage as needed and depending on mode.

This is what I was looking for, thanks. Pardon my laziness of not looking it up myself.

The more I learn of terrain modes the more I like sand; I take my truck in deep sand on the beach a lot and have the opportunity to get it up in speed. I’ve tried sand mode before but usually just go to 4H and maybe the locker sometimes but now from what I know about these modes and how they control the differentials and more, I plan on using them.

 

[JohnnyO]

4-Lo increases torque multiplication but on snow and ice you want less of that, not more.
Also engaging 4-Lo turns off the traction control, which in most situations you don't want.
Pulling someone out of a ditch is different but for normal driving in snow 4-Hi is better.
Old Fords were great in snow because if you put the ol' Cruise-O-Matic in Second you started out in Second, not First, and you'd spin the wheels a lot less, if at all. That might work in a Ranger if you put it in Sport Mode and toggle to Second gear but I don't know for sure, never tried it.

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