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4x4 Questions when to and when not to?

1K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  phmaris 
#1 ·
So i have never owned a 4x4 in my entire life.

I was wondering how to control the 4x4...

I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport

When can i put it in 4 HI?

When should I put it in 4 lo?

I once tested 4 lo on the regular roads and it didn't seem to want to shift into 2nd. Is that normal? Is the shift RPM range higher in 4 lo? P.s. I didn;t even go a block b4 I stopped and put back in regular drive.

What conditions is it "ok" to drive in 4hi or 4 lo. (Dry? Rain? Snow? Mud of course)

How can i prevent transfer case problems and drive terrain problems?

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOU TIME GUYS.
 
#9 ·
If you can slide while walking out the the jeep, I'd say there is enough snow.

About the never use 4lo on the road bit, that's only half true. 4lo can be used on the road, but not for road driving. Example: Pulling someone out of a ditch may require it, however, if you are going to tow them back to their house, do NOT do so in 4lo.

4lo is not limited to first gear, it's just a REALLY low gear in the transfer case, so even your highest transmission gear will feel like first.

The reason for not using 4wd in good conditions on road is that the front and the rear axles are locked together, and as soon as you start turning, will want to spin at different speeds, causing a lot of tension that needs to be let out somewhere. Usually a tire will let loose a bit, but it can snap gears and such in the drive train. Some vehicles have full time 4wd as an option (such as the jeep np242 transfercase), this separates the front and back axles and allows you to drive on road normally. Do not use 4wd on the road in good conditions unless you are sure you have full time 4wd.

Tips for getting out of 4lo (you will get stuck in it now and then): Find slippery ground, such as gravel or wet grass, and drive back and forth a few times. A rolling shift is what jeep recommends. Get going 5mph or so, put the transmission in N, and smoothly but firmly shift the transfer case to where you want it (2hi, 4hi, 4lo, etc). Then shift the transmission back into D. This usually works better than the classic back-up-20-feet-after-selecting thing that older trucks use.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
#11 ·
It's not a matter of how much snow, but how much traction. If there is no "slip" the drive train binds up when the front travels further in a turn than the rear. (You can usually feel it jerking and slipping, then you know it shouldn't be in 4wd) Only use 4hi on loose or slippery surfaces.

In 4 low you will have to shift a lot more often. It's mostly for hill climbs or crawling.
 
#12 ·
AWESOME. thanks guys for all the replys.
I was driving earlier in 4 hi while it was snowing and when turning the steering wheel was pulling.
It was whining pretty bad too. I guess it was still too dry. I will never drive in 4 hi again till i know for sure its slippery enough.

and 4 lo i only tried once to make sure it went into and it came out just fine i pulled over into a parking lot to stop and take it out.


Well that pretty much answered all my questions.

So when mudding and offroading if your in mud thats obviously slippery enough but if your crawling through dry forest you dont go in 4 hi?
 
#13 ·
So when mudding and offroading if your in mud thats obviously slippery enough but if your crawling through dry forest you dont go in 4 hi?
Depends on the dirt. If will allow you to slip a bit, then sure, 4wd is fine. I usually test by flooring it in 2wd. If it spins tire, it's loose enough. :) (I'm sure there are more technical ways of testing, but my way works)
 
#16 ·
I do the same in snow. Have not been off-road yet. Once forward motion is stopped by a spinning rear tire then I engage 4WD. or if I am in a hurry and spinning to much and moving slow as death. I could crawl along in 2WD but if I have 4WD what is the point. Then again I used to drive a Mercedes in the snow all the time with performance all seasons on it, low profile 17 inch. LOL! Got by just fine with it. Of course that had pseudo LSD so it was a hair nicer to drive. :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
#18 ·
It's never slippery enough for 4HI on the road. If the road is slippery and you lock the tcase, that is only going to cause one or both axles to break loose. I can't think of a single reason to use 4HI on ice or snow unless you're stuck.
 
#19 ·
We got another 1inch or so of snow here the other night in Chicago. When the Jeep was in 2WD and I came to a stop sign and took off, the rear tires spun like crazy and the *** end came out and it took me way TOO long to get up to speed safely.

So I chucked it in 4HI. Next stop I floored it, hit cruising speed very quickly with a slight spinning of all tires, and the whole time stayed in a perfect straight line and I had control the whole way. The other cars behind me (2WD), couldn't even come close to catching up.

THIS IS WHY I NOW OWN A 4WD JEEP!!
 
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