Found a 2003 SCab FX4 with 37K on the ody for $21k. However, it has a manual shifter for the 4X4.

Are the advantages of shift on the fly 4X4 that great?

Thanks!

 

I'll be honest. I've never had the guts to engage 4WD on the fly. The front driveshaft has to come up to speed from a dead stop. That's got to be hard on the transfer case.

It's suppose to be OK below a certain speed. But for me, I'm going to come to a complete stop before engaging --High or Low range. So the manual shifter works for me...

 

The advanatage is you don't have to pull a lever. The diadvantage is that if you need to be towed, you have to be flat-bedded rather than go on a hook or dollie.

 

As long as you stay below the listed speed you are okay. I have had 6 4x4s,putting on about 500k miles with no problem with shift on the fly.

 

I suggest reading your manual....you can shift on the fly with the manual as well.

I agree shifting at higher speeds indicates you are probably driving to fast anyway, but it is nice to have available.........

 

Flip a coin: Potentially balky manual shifter, or potentially balky electric shifter?

 

Are you saying that with shift on the fly you have to be flat bedded but with the manual you don't?

Hmmmmm . . . sounds like the manual has an advantage in that area if I'm understanding you correctly.

 

That is what the owners manual says. The manual lever has a neutral position. The auto shift on the fly does not. To be towed with a manual lever, you put the tran and transfer case in neutral.

 

Hey mean bone
I have a 97 f150 with manual 4x4 shifting and i chose this because with all the electronics in my truck i feel better pulling a lever and feeling something working then pushing a botton and hopeing that it works, and with manual you just put it in Neutral and all the wheels are free.

 

With the manual shifter there is the neat feature of having a neutral postion for the transfer case. If your from the old school it will fit you just fine and still engages on the go.And this truck can be towed behind an RV even if its an automatic without anything special done to it.The only negative I can think of is a bit more drivetrain noise transfered to the cab,But very negligable..

 

I used to be an intern for both the National Parks Service and US Geological Survey. We had some Explorers that had the electronic shift 4x4 and had nothing but problems with them. One guy I worked with had to drive one back in the middle of the summer with the t-case in 4x4 hi 400 miles on the highway because it refused to shift out of 4x4. We had another one in the shop 4 times in one summer to replace the switch and other glitches with the electronic shift system.

Personally I think the electronic shifts are crap and would much rather have a good old mechanical conection to the t-case. I'd never buy a electronic shift. Just my two cents.

 

I have had two vehicles with shift on the fly. I can say I have had no problem with either. The last problem related to shifting in and out of 4 wheel drive, was with my 98. This had the manual lever. The problem was with a leaky vacuum line to the front diff.

 

I am in Federal Uniformed Law Enforcement out here in the high desert. I do a lot of offroading. We have Fords, Dodges, Jeeps and Chevys in our fleet. Some have the push button, some have the manual shift. I have seen many more problems with the electronic than the manual, plus the electronic (from what I hear) is more expensive to fix. I have noticed that the new vehicles we get mostly have the manual shift. I feel better when I get into one with the shifter. I hate it when I push the button in one of the Govt. vehicles and all it does is flash at me! (chevy!)

I have the manual shift in my '99 and in the past month have had the need to shift on the fly. Both times I was going downhill at about 40 mph when I noticed some ice. I still slipped a little but was able to lightly accelerate out of the slide. If I had not done that, I would have been head-on with other traffic or over about a 1500 foot drop. Shift on the fly is good with me! Oh yeah, going into to 4 low doesn't work, in my experience, with the shift on the fly. Gotta go to "P" or "N" for that. I guess my 2 cents is about 50 cents worth!

 

pretty much from the late '80's on up t-cases started getting "shift on the fly" where all you had to do was let out of the throttle, pull the lever and get back in the throttle to engage the t-case. it was like this mostly on manual hu equipped vehicles, because the front driveshaft was already spinning. In late model f-150's, you don't even have to let out of the throttle. simply pull the lever, and a set of clutches brings the front driveshaft to speed, then transfers power.

 

I love my shift-on-the-fly. I have about 100,000 miles on my '97 F-250 LD and never have had a problem. I use it all the time in the snow and mud. I've even flipped the switch by accident while doing 65 down the highway and no issues. I haven't had any issues with my wifes '91 Explorer either and it has over 230,000 miles on it. I'll must likely keep on buying shift-on-the-fly vehicles, or atleast automatic hubs. I hated having to get out and lock in the hubs on my '76 Chevy.