Hi all,
I was on the highway during the first snow storm of the season and my truck was doing well at 50mph in two wheel drive, but then I lost the back end, and after saving it I switched the truck into four wheel drive high without my front wheels locked. The switch helped me out, but I wonder if I will damage my truck by doing this. I read my owners manual regarding this but didn't see any mention of this practice. Any comments would be welcome please.

 

if you have a switch on your dashboard then you have electronic shift on the fly. that means you have auto hubs. when you turn the switch it locks the hubs for you.

 

You are fine. ESOF or Electronic Shift On The Fly is made for this. Your hubs can either be in the auto position or the lock position. You will cause no damage. When weather turns bad for awhile just lock the hubs and use the switch whenever needed.

 

It's called "electronic shift on the fly" ESOF for a reason. You can shift at up to 55mph from 2wd to 4wd and your hubs should automatically lock on the front end.

No damage will occur to your system when you shift it on the fly, I just make sure I don't have my foot on the accelerator when I shift it. You don't need to manually lock your hubs unless your vacuum system fails or develops a leak and you don't feel the front hubs lock up.

 

Thank you both very much for the quick reply.

 

Hey you wern't on I-25 south from Denver were you? Kidding, I see you're in Vermont, but I saw an '08 F250 XL go ice skating today down the interstate this morning. He almost kissed the rail, then somehow snapped it back into the lane in a single swerve.

 

No that wasn't me. I was in Vermont last week on I89 south headed to work.

 

HEHE I prolly saw you go by....I was out up and down I25 pulling people out of the ditches.

 

I was the F250 that was frozen solid and kept pulling off every other exit. Bad idea to not dig out until 6am when I needed to gone by 7. I couldn't even get my washer fluid to flow until I was in Trinidad, and that SUCKED with all the splashback, hence stopping almost a dozen times to clean off. Bet you had a LOT of work today, people saw water on the road and just freaked out thinking it was all solid ice, jamming the brakes and switching lanes all over the world.

 

Don't forget. You can't shift on the fly into 4W Low. Must be stopped or under 5 MPH.
I remember there was a post asking if "You like your ESOF 4WD" I bet I now know your answer.

 

And then again if you have manual hubs don't go doin the 4wd thing unless dem babies are locked in ...At 55 you will hear a terrible noise in the transfer case trying to get the front axles up to speed. Yummy.



Dick

 

Oh it was a busy day....my wife thought I was nuts but I figured better to be ready cause I belong to a volunteer unit that helps out the county sheriff and local PD depts when they are swamped with calls. But it was fun too...got to pull out a couple of chevy's and dodges....only 1 Ford but it was a 2wd Ranger. The rest were cars.