4WD

[Stony0604]

Sorry for such a rookie question...but I've never owned a truck before this.

I've always heard to never use 4WD low unless you're getting unstuck (which makes sense) and to never use 4WD high above 55 MPH. I just want to know why that's bad (for the not above 55 MPH part). Also, if i left the truck in 4WD Auto on the highway on a rainy day, would it still shift to 4WD at a speed above 55? If so, would that be bad?

 

[Billy James]

Sorry for such a rookie question...but I've never owned a truck before this.

I've always heard to never use 4WD low unless you're getting unstuck (which makes sense) and to never use 4WD high above 55 MPH. I just want to know why that's bad (for the not above 55 MPH part). Also, if i left the truck in 4WD Auto on the highway on a rainy day, would it still shift to 4WD at a speed above 55? If so, would that be bad?

4WD Low would be for getting out of a mud hole, rock climbing, pulling a stump, etc.. If you are in 4WD low; you probably couldn't get over 15 to 20 MPH without over-revving the engine. But really, its for going slow speeds with maximum torque (somewhere around 1 to 5 MPH). I never heard of the over 55 thing with 4WD high; I have gone over 55 in other 4WD trucks without a problem. The key to using 4WD at all is to never use it on dry pavement or surfaces that don't have some slip to them; you will definitely feel it and could damage your drive train. You can use 4WD auto anytime; it will determine the mode for you when it senses slip. If you are in doubt about the conditions and think you may need 4WD; then AUTO is a safe bet. AUTO is probably best for everyday driving when you need it (although 2WD should be used for dry roads). I will sometimes put it in AUTO during heavy rains with lots of puddling. I usually just use 4WD high on dirt/mud roads; not really because its needed, but just to give it a workout. I also use 4WD high at the boat ramp. Its a very rare occasion that I will use 4WD low. I haven't even used it in this truck yet. I used to use 4WD low in my Jeep at the boat ramp because the Jeep would struggle to pull the boat out of the water....that is not a problem with my RAM. With the other truck I had, I only used 4WD low to pull people out of mud holes or to climb steep muddy hills.

 

[CornTrucks]

4Auto should be safe all the time and for most of the situations you would want 4wd. I don’t think 4 Hi has a specific max speed, but I don’t like to use it on the interstate. I only use 4 Low for pulling irrigation center-pivot towers out when they are stuck, or helping pull the semi out if it is stuck.

To keep it simple, use 2wd as your default. Switch into 4 Auto if it is slick out (snow and ice), go into 4 Hi if you aren’t on a road, and 4 Low for short and slow pulling.

And don’t worry about it too much; using the “wrong” mode occasionally shouldn’t hurt anything.

 

[2019REBEL]

It's not so much for going over 55MPH in 4WD, it's that it may not engage above those speeds(2WD to 4WD). I just take my foot off the gas peddle and let it engage than you definitely can go over 55MPH.

 

[Stony0604]

Thanks guys!

 

[JJRamTX]

The over 55MPH was for the old manual floor shift lever type. You weren't supposed to shift the floor lever to 4WD High unless you were below 55MPH. Once engaged you could drive above 55.