Total Newb question:

Ok, So I have owned my 99 F250 SD for a total of 4 days now, and I took it out to a local place last night so my son could ride his 4 day old PW50 we got him for his b-day.

Well after some good riding for him we loaded up and I decided I wanted to go play on the hills. Well, I wound up getting the truck high centered on this small hill and had to get yanked out by another guy in a chevy .

Anyways, it bent my running boards up slightly, and I am wondering if I may have damaged anything else in the process.

SO here's my questions:

1.) What should I check in this case?? Anything that should be done immediately following a high center incident?

2.) what is the exact process for enabling the 4by??
Do I:
Put the truck in park, and lock the hubs on the front wheels?? (What exactly does this do anyways??)
Then use the gear shift on the floor, and put the truck in 4L or 4H
Then put the truck in D

I ask because last night, I did the follwing:
Placed truck in P
Moved shifter to 4L
Got out, locked the front wheel hubs
Got in, put the truck in D - at which point the truck made a bit of a grinding noise like when you grind the gears in a manual transmission, this scared me so I put the truck back in P, shut the engine off, and started it back up, and placed in D again, at which point the truck did not make the grinding noise, it just went.

Sorry, hope this is not too confusing, thanks for all your help here.

-J

 

I normally locked the hubs first when I had manual hubs and I usually shifted when the transmission was in neutral, with the engine running.

 

Got it, so I should lock the hubs, then shift into 4WD, and go. I will try this. =)

Now going back to the high center part, is there anything I should check to ensure no major damage was done?

Also, is there a link or thread concerning 4WD techniques, I would really like to learn how to be a good 4WD'er.

Thanks,

 

I would look right across the middle of the truck, underneath. I'd crawl underneath and check it all out, but I think everything is above the frame rails for the most part and if you were resting on the running boards or frame there'd be little if any damage. If you slid off a boulder and smacked the t-case I'd be worried, but otherwise I'd just crawl underneath and check for "impact" marks. You might also check the exhaust, but if you don't have a new vibration or anything I think you're good to go.

There was a video that was pretty basic that I watched many years ago by Rick Russell. It had good basic information: http://4x4books.com/rr4wb.htm

Here's some links to articles and what-nots: http://www.4x4now.com/4wht.htm

A basic book on 'wheeling: http://4x4books.com/si4wd.htm

 

From what i hear HKusp(jason) would be the person to ask about high centering trucks!!!!!! Im sure he will have an input and go into detail explaining how his high centerd truck wasnt really high centered at all!!!!

 

Yeah, the running board on the drivers side is a little bent now. I would like to try and straighten it out of possible. Any tips on this?

Those are some good links, thank you for that. I gassed you up a lil!!

 

Sounds like good times... by chance you got a link?? Was there a thread started detailing this?? I'd like to know more. =)

Thanks,
-J

 

http://www.4x4now.com/4wht.htm

also there is a 4x4 off road forum on here. Go post the question "4WD techniques, I would really like to learn how to be a good 4WD'er."

I'm sure you'll get at least one answer

 

Just a hint but you can leave the hubs locked it while your ridin offroad. Not a good idea to always leave em locked in though. Also you can shift to four high while you are driving, I dont usually do this above 20. But to get to four low it really helps to put the truck into neutral to shift into this. If you have an older truck sometimes it helps to put the truck in gear and let off the clutch a little to get it to shift, especially if it is grinding.

 

But it WASN'T high centered. I ran on to a big boulder and got it underneath the runningboard. It made a horrendous noise, but I backed right off of it. If I was high centered, at least one wheel would have been off the ground. Maybe you boys in Tennessee call scraping the bottom of the runningboard high centering, but where I come from, it's just scraping the bottom of the runningboard.

 

You could start by reading the manual that came with the truck. You can download it all here:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenan...ls/default.asp

 

<b>Don't do this!!</b>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee8SNjJIChc