I've heard a story that if you use 4WD on pavement something like the truck shakes and acts all funky. I'm curious, does this happen or is it similar to how AWD works on pavement?

 

AWD has a center diff that allows different axle speeds-true 4WD does not. At best, you will get noise and shaking, most likely a blown u-joint, or possibly a blown t-case. Just avoid 4WD on pavement, unless you are crossing a road to get to another trail.

Jared

 

>AWD has a center diff that allows different axle speeds-true
>4WD does not. At best, you will get noise and shaking, most
>likely a blown u-joint, or possibly a blown t-case. Just
>avoid 4WD on pavement, unless you are crossing a road to get
>to another trail.
>
>Jared


What about in SNOW? Even small amounts? Isn't that still technically on pavement? Once they start salting / sanding - could it be risky?

 

Yes- In light snow, 4x4 can actually get you into trouble. All four wheels are trying to turn at the same speeed, so when you go to make a corner, the front end will drag towards the outside, and the rear will start to come around. You also have a greater chance of loosing control in a stop- in 4x2, if the rear wheels lock up, then the fronts are still turning, but in 4x4, all four wheels will lock, and you will slide off course. Just drive around with your hubs locked, and if you get stuck, put it in 4x4, and go.

Jared

 

Ford gears the front axle SLIGHTLY higher (for almost all 80-97) so that the front axle DOESN'T plow - it pulls you around corners. But that's the same reason that it'll stretch the t-case chain & cause funky handling on dry pavement. If the tires can slip a little & relieve the stress, then it's OK whether it's pavement or hard clay. The test is: try to spin your tires. If it takes A LOT of power, then it WOULD do damage & you don't need 4WD anyway. If they spin easily & just hiss when they do, then 4WD is OK and will probably help handling & safety.

 

What happens if I just leave my hubs locked but don't engage 4WD, doesn't that screw with the front axle or something? I've always heard to not do that. Cause when it snows around here there'll be some coverage, but certain spots remain untouched and on top of that the ice still stays in certin spots. So I'm curious as to what would happen if I drove around in 4x2 with hubs locked.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 08-Nov-02 AT 00:55 AM (EST)]Leaving the hubs locked just puts some additional drag on the drivetrain. The front axle doesn't care whether its being driven by the engine or its being driven by the tires spinning. The whole reason for the hubs being "unlockable" is to relieve the added drag of the front diff., axles, and driveshaft from the engine when they aren't actually being "driven" by it. Its just more bearings and shafts to have to push around and sap power from the truck. So in short, you may see some mpg loss with the hubs locked and the T-case in 2wd but it shouldn't hurt the truck. The proof of this is that the "Early Bronco" was available form the factory with full time front hubs. In other words, instead of having the lock mechanism, they were just big rings that were splined on the inside and outside surfaces. They dropped into the D44 hub, secured with a snap ring and a spring to hold them and the hubs were always locked. I only know this because my Brother has a '76 Bronco that had these hubs. he has since replaced them with Warn Premiums and we each keep one of the old "full-time" hubs in our trucks in the event of a hub failure on the trail. Nice thing about the D44, hubs didn't change in all that time.

 

Just a little extra wear on the moving parts, but that's the thing to do in those conditions. Just unlock when the season is over.

 

The factory gear ratios are all slightly different. 3.05 front/ 3.06 back, 3.54 front/ 3.55 back, 4.09 front/ 4.10 back. Thats mainly because dana manufactures axles for multiple car companies. This discrepancy will cause wear and tear on u-bolts and other parts because the tires aren't spinning at the same speeds. However, thats not the major thing - the difference is so slight that its comparable to the front and back tires having 1/8" difference in wear, which happens more than most people think.

 

nothing wrong with 4WD on pavement if it is wet or snow !

 

The gear ratios aren't what screw it up! Think about it- when you turn, do any wheels turn faster than others? Of course! That's why the differential was invented. Look at your tracks through soft dirt, snow etc- the rear tires follow a tighter track than the fronts do- that means the fronts are turning faster! So, without a diff. in the middle, the fronts are trying to speed up the rears, and the rears are trying to slow the fronts. The resultant slip can break axles, u-joints, transfer case chains, or cause you to loose control. Any 4x4 you see off the side of the road in a snowstorm, if you ask the driver if they were in 4x, they would most likely say yes.
Don't use 4x4 on the road, until you are stuck.

Jared

 

I don't know, it just seems dumb to have a a 4X4 that you can't use in snow! That's why I got it! I used to have a 1974 Dodge Ramcharger, it had full time 4WD so it was always in 4X4 on dry pavement, etc.

 

Anyway, when there is snow on he ground, I put it in 4WD. It keeps the rear end from coming around while cornering, and the drive feels more secure. As soon as the snow melts I take it out of 4X4. The reason I don't leave the hubs locked and use the t-case to go in and out of 4WD is that as most of you know, it usually just stays in 4WD anyway, until you unlock the hubs and reverse the truck.

 

When living in real snow country I'd usually leave the hubs locked from late November through March. Never had a problem with wear and 4x4 was always available with just a shift.

 

If I were to leave the hubs locked would I still have to stop and shift into 4WD or could I do it while just going down the road?