Truck "Bucks" in 4 x 4 When Turning Sharply. Is this normal?

Zanardi

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Hello all.

I don't have much experience with 4 x 4. We got several inches of heavy wet snow last night. I was in a parking lot and made a fairly sharp turn. My steering wheel was not "pegged" to the limit but close. I had 4 x 4 H engaged.

With the wheel turned sharply the truck "bucked" or "lurched" very significantly as I drove in a tight circle. I was going very slow - at a creep. I tried it both left and right and same thing. I backed off on the steering wheel a bit and didn't turn quite as tight and it was fine. The parking lot is paved but with the wet icy snow there should have been plenty of slip.

Is this normal/typical for 4 x 4 when making super tight turns? I'm thinking with the various front end shafts and such at extreme angles it might just be torque build up in the front end?

Truck is 2019 XLT with about 13 K miles and otherwise runs like a top. Mode was 4H at the time.
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Bluestem

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This is normal, the wet snow probably offered enough traction or you were down to pavement. It's lurching and bucking because the front tires are trying to turn at the same speed because of the axle being locked together when in 4x4 instead of one tires spinning a bit faster than the other. Its hard on the steering and suspension though so be careful.
 

D Fresh

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Yep totally normal at slow parking lot type speeds. I usually switch back into 2wd when I enter a tight parking lot in the snow.

If this is happening while driving at road speeds it's a sign you've got enough traction to probably skip the 4wd.
 
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Zanardi

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Thanks guys. I figured this to be the case but just wanted to make sure.

I'm not an off roader but it seems it would be common to have to make super tight turns while in 4x4 mode. . I suppose if you're out in the middle of nowhere on a trail you do what you need to and if the truck takes a beating in the process so be it.

The good news is I should very seldom find myself making such tight turns in 4x4. I was mostly just playing around in the snow this morning to see how the truck handled in 4x4. I haven't had much chance to use it since I bought the truck late last year.

Everyone enjoy the New Year Holiday!
 


Dr. Zaius

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It's called driveline binding or driveline windup and is completely normal.

HERE is a pretty good article explaining it.
 

NickTheEnforcer

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Every manufacturer steers differently in 4x4 lock-to-lock steering. My '19 Ranger is not bad at all, my '09 Ram had a pronounced decrease in turn radius in 4x4 high that kinda sucked. I drove a Titan a friend had years ago that was pretty good...definitively was something i did NOT forget to try when I was test driving this truck in July when 4x4 was nearly the last thing a person would think of..
 

Rick - Saber

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I'm not an off roader but it seems it would be common to have to make super tight turns while in 4x4 mode. . I suppose if you're out in the middle of nowhere on a trail you do what you need to and if the truck takes a beating in the process so be it.

If you are out on a trail then it is the dirt, rocks or grass that gives way. That is different then contact between tire and pavement where they grab and bind. 4x4 is not the same thing as AWD, they are two different animals.
 

Jon S.

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Totally correct. AWD has some advantages much of being you don’t have to worry about the system, BUT if you are really want traction in adverse weather, a true 4WD can’t be beat. It’s always in 4WD when engaged. AWD waits until the system detects wheel slippage and then directs power to wheel with most traction(relying mostly on ABS system) with our trucks that are 4WD, especially with a low range + rear locker on FX4 system, pretty hard to get stuck. Not that you can’t lol. AWD is a reactive system like I said waiting for slipping, where a true 4WD is proactive. My wife’s VW Tiguan is AWD, they added a traction selection knob in 2018 with winter mode which is pretty good I must say. VW uses a Haldex system that can lock the transfer case basically into a 4WD mode, but it still can struggle.....I much rather true 4WD SYSTEMS. I have had 4 Jeep Grand Cherokees over the past 20 years and they were a tank in the snow....
 

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Mine does too. It's normal but doesn't feel healthy so I avoid Lock-to-Lock turns in 4wd if at all possible. Even if it means a multi point turn on a trail.
 

ch47dmechanic

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If you've got the ELD, I'd stick with that in slow speed areas before resorting to 4X4. Or if you don't, just turn 4X4 off as others have suggested.
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