4x4 is it working right?
Thread Starter
|
5th Wheeling
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 49
Likes: 2
4x4 is it working right?
Hey,
Got some snow here. Got stuck, noticed when in four wheel drive only the front passenger side and rear passenger side was pulling. Is that normal? Or should both fronts be pulling?
Thanks
2011 f350 dually 6.7
Got some snow here. Got stuck, noticed when in four wheel drive only the front passenger side and rear passenger side was pulling. Is that normal? Or should both fronts be pulling?
Thanks
2011 f350 dually 6.7
Last edited by motorcycleemporium; Feb 18, 2015 at 07:18 AM. Reason: forgot something
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 10,107
Likes: 96
From: Hempstead, TX
Your front is an open diff, so whichever wheel has the most traction will sit virtually still while the other just spins away. On the rear, if you have the ELD, try pulling out the 4x4 **** to lock the rear and both wheels will pull as long as you are below 25 mph. Otherwise, you either have an open rear diff which will behave the same way mentioned previously about the front, or if you have a limited slip, it will try to pull from both side of the rear, but still not as effective as a locker.
Senior User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
4 x 4
Your front is an open diff, so whichever wheel has the most traction will sit virtually still while the other just spins away. On the rear, if you have the ELD, try pulling out the 4x4 **** to lock the rear and both wheels will pull as long as you are below 25 mph. Otherwise, you either have an open rear diff which will behave the same way mentioned previously about the front, or if you have a limited slip, it will try to pull from both side of the rear, but still not as effective as a locker.
Good answer. But I also am aware that sometimes with the auto hubs on the 4 x4 won't engage. That didn't happen here as the one front tire engaged. I lock my hubs when cold and engage the rear lock, ELD. Also I had to have the front hubs replaced as they seized. Expensive so make sure you give those hubs some turns every so often or you might need to get them replaced.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20,167
Likes: 15,997
From: Wisconsin
The rear axles won't "lock" unless you have an electronic rear diff and you engage it and the wheel spin is under 20 mph. The front diff is open and will put power to the path of least resistance (provided your hubs are locked or are working in auto), meaning the wheel that needs the power won't get it most likely. Darren put an electronic front locking diff in his truck and he really loves it. It's not cheap though. On the bright side there is nothing wrong with your 4wd truck that is actually 3wd, lol. I have a 3wd truck too!
Edit: it's good to engage/disengage those hubs frequently so they stay working and free.
Edit: it's good to engage/disengage those hubs frequently so they stay working and free.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 5
From: Rusty, Maine
Good answer. But I also am aware that sometimes with the auto hubs on the 4 x4 won't engage. That didn't happen here as the one front tire engaged. I lock my hubs when cold and engage the rear lock, ELD. Also I had to have the front hubs replaced as they seized. Expensive so make sure you give those hubs some turns every so often or you might need to get them replaced.
So it sounds to me like everything is operating as it should if the OP has an open diff in the rear.
Trending Topics
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,180
Likes: 83
From: Georgia
He has a dually that doesn't have a ELD! Ford does not have the greatest rear locking differential in the duallies. More of a limited slip. A downfall of a 4x4 dually. The answer is a Detroit TruTrac. That is what will go in mine when something happens to this one.
You can try to 'fool' the rear into locking up by putting a little pressure on the brake pedal to make the rear diff engage.
You can try to 'fool' the rear into locking up by putting a little pressure on the brake pedal to make the rear diff engage.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Yeah I agree. All is working properly with yours.
Just a hair off topic but when I put my ride in 4 wheel high I get a terrible clunk sound and the truck jerks. It is anything but smooth. So I have tried it in N and in D while moving like 3 mph. When in neutral I get the clunk as soon as I put it in D. So it doesn't seem to matter. Is this normal cause it sure doesn't sound or feel normal. It is a 2012 6.7L with the electronic shift *** and diff lock
Just a hair off topic but when I put my ride in 4 wheel high I get a terrible clunk sound and the truck jerks. It is anything but smooth. So I have tried it in N and in D while moving like 3 mph. When in neutral I get the clunk as soon as I put it in D. So it doesn't seem to matter. Is this normal cause it sure doesn't sound or feel normal. It is a 2012 6.7L with the electronic shift *** and diff lock
Senior User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
4x4
Yeah I agree. All is working properly with yours.
Just a hair off topic but when I put my ride in 4 wheel high I get a terrible clunk sound and the truck jerks. It is anything but smooth. So I have tried it in N and in D while moving like 3 mph. When in neutral I get the clunk as soon as I put it in D. So it doesn't seem to matter. Is this normal cause it sure doesn't sound or feel normal. It is a 2012 6.7L with the electronic shift *** and diff lock
Just a hair off topic but when I put my ride in 4 wheel high I get a terrible clunk sound and the truck jerks. It is anything but smooth. So I have tried it in N and in D while moving like 3 mph. When in neutral I get the clunk as soon as I put it in D. So it doesn't seem to matter. Is this normal cause it sure doesn't sound or feel normal. It is a 2012 6.7L with the electronic shift *** and diff lock
You have the electronic locking rear differential that only engages below 20 mph. Otherwise it is an open-ended diff. No relation to the clunking sound when shifting from 2H to 4H. When shifting it is shift on the fly so you could be highway speed for example and do the shift. Not so for 4x4 low. As for the clunking it just does it. Mine not so much really but you can hear it engage. If it is a really loud clunk you may want to just ask your Ford dealer. It is not the smoothest shift and you do hear it. PS Remember to lock your hubs every so often to lube the hubs, otherwise, if left in auto all the time they could seize and that is about $800 to replace. That happened to me so now I turn the hubs every month or more.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 613
Likes: 1
You might also find it beneficial to disable advancetrac (press and hold the dash button) when driving on the ice and snow covered roads as traction control tends to screw things up when on the slippery stuff (fishtails when starting from a stop).
Reminds me of my old Mercury Marauder.... Couldn't disable TC and would fishtail to the right every damn time I started from a stop on the snow.
Reminds me of my old Mercury Marauder.... Couldn't disable TC and would fishtail to the right every damn time I started from a stop on the snow.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 11
From: Greenwood, SC
I've found that the clunk is louder if I have spinning rear wheel at the time of engagement into 4 wd.
So, maybe when you turn the fwd on see if you can do it before your rears start losing traction?
I think I'm wrong but I swear it, my 2008 truck had a limited slip rear end and if I was in bad mud I could leave it in D, get out and walk around the truck only to find that 1 rear wheel is spinning and the other three were dead still. I don't know how it's possible but from then on I will never rely on a LS rear end.
So, maybe when you turn the fwd on see if you can do it before your rears start losing traction?
I think I'm wrong but I swear it, my 2008 truck had a limited slip rear end and if I was in bad mud I could leave it in D, get out and walk around the truck only to find that 1 rear wheel is spinning and the other three were dead still. I don't know how it's possible but from then on I will never rely on a LS rear end.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 613
Likes: 1
I've found that the clunk is louder if I have spinning rear wheel at the time of engagement into 4 wd. So, maybe when you turn the fwd on see if you can do it before your rears start losing traction? I think I'm wrong but I swear it, my 2008 truck had a limited slip rear end and if I was in bad mud I could leave it in D, get out and walk around the truck only to find that 1 rear wheel is spinning and the other three were dead still. I don't know how it's possible but from then on I will never rely on a LS rear end.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post