So I'm new to arctic conditions and snow that sticks around...

I'm used to going in to four wheel drive in sunny SoCal when I'm totally off the road.

Now here I am where there is a real winter and I drove around in 4 high today basically to see if she would complain. There are the melted paths where traffic has kept the road visible but you get to a less traveled section and it's suddenly all white.

There were no serious complaints, but there were a couple of fairly dry stretches it would have been better to be in 2h instead. However, if I'm not going to cause undue damage I might as well be in 4h before I need it.

My old F150, she complained if the hubs were locked and you were in 2 h and you pushed 50mph. Years back I had little nissan p/u I could cruise the freeway in heavy rains in 4h at 65mph no problem. The '97 psd I brought up to 60 on an open less traveled stretch of road covered in snow with no gripe, which reminded me of the old nissan.

I'd like to know without finding out the hard way if there is an out and out too fast in 4h under light slippage conditions, and then how little road slippage is ok to cruise at say 60 mph (they use kph up here, but I'll stick to what I know).

Is it bad to cruise the roads in 4h all winter long?

Highway speeds ?

-Marc

 

Dry roads are a no-no for anything extended ie: mile or more, as easy as these trucks go into and out of 4hi on the fly, just get used to doing it I'd say... as long as the wheels arn't slipping it'll go in at any speed.. as for top speed guess it depends on how well maintained the drive train is, I drove the entire state of Montana East to West on 90/94 one winter in a good snow storm and did 60 most of the way in 4 hi and never missed a beat!

 

I guess the "dry" part is what is getting me. In So Cal dry meant well dry. Here people seem to think if it isn't up to your armpits, it doesn't exist. It clearly isn't dry, but is it too dry I guess is the question. I think I'll know it when I feel it from experience but I'd prefer to avoid that.

Can you really shift into 4h on the fly?? I didn't get the luxury of an owners manual...

 

I wouldn't shift on the fly with auto hubs! but than I wouldn't own auto hubs! with manual hubs ( in the lock position ) the front drive shaft is spinning at the same speed as the rear drive line so if the road gets slippery just pull the transfer in to 4 high and keep going

 

You don't want to be in 4 when the pavement is bare and dry. That's just asking for something to bust free.

You may also want to kick it out if the pavement is only wet and you need to make a sharp turn. It will start bucking really bad if you leave it in 4 and turn sharp.

 

I quite understand the not staying in 4 when it's dry (SoCal previous life remember). And I know the feel of it when it is too dry. It's this new environment of a couple feet of snow to your left, couple feet of snow to your right, but the tire tracks in front of you on the pavement are sort of black, ie you can mostly see the asphalt. People around here seem to think this is dry, but obviously it's not the dry I grew up with.

As for the autohubs, auto trans, auto anything...well she was amazingly good deal and I'll have to live with it. But my experience with the auto hubs is you can keep them engaged as long as you don't drive in the opposite direction you engaged them in when you come out of 4. So if you engage them going forward, you can shift out of 4 and you can still feel them engaged until you back up a bit.

 

LOL Up here that is dry roads I have manual hubs and keep them locked pretty much all winter when the roads become all free of snow then I unlock the hubs just gotta be careful in parking lots not to turn too sharp.

I do 100kms an hour with it in 4x4 all the time and it is smooth never had a problem.

Ps have you went to see a senators game yet I would love to see a hockey game

 

Hey triskadek, welcome to the great white north, ya hoser! x2 what Waljon said.

 

When I was saying dry, I mean DRY. Wet with water is OK to run on, but it will buck. All manufacturers size the U-joints, splines, hubs and so on for barely able to handle the best traction out there. With bare dry pavement there just isn't the margin to take the continual bind. Put some water on it and traction drops 40-60% and that's plenty to save the components.

 

I'm still working on my "eh". Haven't been to a Sens game, just been on the road at the wrong time

I tracked down a pdf of the 1997 owner manual 4x4 addendum. Unfortunately it doesn't say when you can shift into 4h and what speeds you can stay in it, only said when not to use 4 high, which I already know.

Since I got some positive feedback on some similar cases I'll go with how it feels and my own experience and not be quite so worried about burning it all up in the process.

Thanks everyone!