How does 2009 4x4 Work?
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Junior User
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How does 2009 4x4 Work?
Hello All.
I was wondering if anyone can enlighted my as to how the 2009 Ford F150 4x4 system works?
Why is it that I can switch on the fly in 4Hi but have to put it in neutral to shift to 4 low? Is 4LO really the only time that all 4 wheels are spinning?
Does putting it in 4LO act like vehicles that are AWD (ala subaru).
I have searched by couldnt find really anything.
Thanks for the help!
P.S. I know somewhat about the suction disengagment etc etc. Just wondering about he different between 4 hi and 4 lo and which tires are getting power. Thanks!
I was wondering if anyone can enlighted my as to how the 2009 Ford F150 4x4 system works?
Why is it that I can switch on the fly in 4Hi but have to put it in neutral to shift to 4 low? Is 4LO really the only time that all 4 wheels are spinning?
Does putting it in 4LO act like vehicles that are AWD (ala subaru).
I have searched by couldnt find really anything.
Thanks for the help!
P.S. I know somewhat about the suction disengagment etc etc. Just wondering about he different between 4 hi and 4 lo and which tires are getting power. Thanks!
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Houston, Tx
4 low is a very low gearing of the power which requires a neutral environment to engage into. If it were done while the truck were moving, the truck would grind its way to a slow speed regardless of how fast you were going. Both 4 low and 4 high are 50% power to the rear, 50% power to the front. If equipped with 4Auto, that is more of an AWD set-up where the system only activates when needed and can distribute accordingly. For higher speed four wheeling (mud, sand, snow), 4 wheel high is where you want to be. For loose, rocky terrain where you are going slow and encountering elevation changes, 4 low is needed.
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4hi can be used for driven in wet roads and loose gravel/dirt/ice/snow tracks and roads but i wouldn't use it on dry tarmac. Even wet roads ain't a great place to use 4hi. 4 low does have to be engaged by stopping truck and putting in to neutral but you will have a lot more TQ for getting out of sticky situations but should never be used for normal highway driving. I had to get my truck out of some mud with my trailer on a slope that was very steep and i didn't even need to use 4lo as 4hi worked so well. I cant see many times i would have to use 4lo my self but it's handy to have. Also the 4wd systems on these trucks are nothing like Scubby's,Audi's AWD type systems. They can run on dry roads with no problems.
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Thanks for the replies! So what you are saying is for a towing/hauling/off road truck the way Ford does it now is the best. If they wanted to add a "yuppie" version then they would throw a 4Auto in for those cruising on the asphault times. Nice. It would be cool if they added that 3rd 4x4 section. That way we could optimize tire wear and yet be confident cruisin.
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Thanks for the replies! So what you are saying is for a towing/hauling/off road truck the way Ford does it now is the best. If they wanted to add a "yuppie" version then they would throw a 4Auto in for those cruising on the asphault times. Nice. It would be cool if they added that 3rd 4x4 section. That way we could optimize tire wear and yet be confident cruisin.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
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You have to be in neutral to go into 4 low because the transfer case goes through neutral on it. If you are in gear, the transfer case will spin when it hits neutral before shifting into 4 low and grinding will result. Also, neutral helps take the load off the gears so it makes for easier shifting.
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Thanks for the replies! So what you are saying is for a towing/hauling/off road truck the way Ford does it now is the best. If they wanted to add a "yuppie" version then they would throw a 4Auto in for those cruising on the asphault times. Nice. It would be cool if they added that 3rd 4x4 section. That way we could optimize tire wear and yet be confident cruisin.
I also wouldn't mind having a 4x4 Auto setting on the **** like pretty much every other full size truck/suv has. It would be nice for driving on partially snow covered roads where 4HI is overkill and 2wd can leave you sliding.
Like Bsimmer said, you more than likely will never use 4LO unless you are in a sticky situation pulling a trailer or hauling a large load. That's about the only time I have ever needed it in a truck, but when you do need it, it's priceless. Hence, I've never been a fan of trucks/suv's with AWD that doesn't have a low range.
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MMNC (SS)(Ret)
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: SE Georgia
AWD is coming eventually. It was available in the 06-08 F-150 Limited and the Harley Truck
they didn't put either model out for the 09 models for some reason...I'm betting they are waiting for the 6.2 or a Supercharged version of the 5.4 to be made available.
But the F-150 AWD is basically a Torque on Demand system. It senses wheel slip and applies power to the front axle as needed...but is primarily a rear-wheel driven setup.
they didn't put either model out for the 09 models for some reason...I'm betting they are waiting for the 6.2 or a Supercharged version of the 5.4 to be made available.
But the F-150 AWD is basically a Torque on Demand system. It senses wheel slip and applies power to the front axle as needed...but is primarily a rear-wheel driven setup.
However, the F-150 AWD can be "locked" into 4x4Hi. Not 100%, but I believe the 4x4Lo is NOT available.
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From: Dayton, TX
in 4-lo these things are torque monsters. i have had to use it a couple times, once at the beach because i dug the rear of the truck down and had to use it to get out. and i couple times to pull other people out of mud holes.
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From: Houston, Tx
4 low is absolutely needed for example in the Texas Hill Country where slopes are rocky and steep. It enables you to keep the engine in proper RPM range while traveling slow up hill and travel slowly downhill without using brakes(uses gearing of 4 low) or to say pull a tree stump out, ect. It would be very hard on the engine/brakes without it. Also, our 2008 4wd expedition has 4 Auto (and 4Hi and 4low) and I am almost positive it has the same transfer case, so F150 should be an easy upgrade if Ford thought it was appropriate - not sure their reasoning, but I am sure there is one.
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Joined: May 2009
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From: Tracy, Ia.
If Fords awd system is like Chevys. I wouldn't want it in a truck. There is no true lock in the transfercase. Just a clutch pack like a limited slip differential, and they fail under heavy use. We have replaced several at my uncles shop.
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