4x4 problem Ram 2013+ 8-speed 44-44 transfer case

loveracing1988 · Jan 20, 2014

Well, I just got off the phone with Ram customer care. The guy confirmed that it is an "On Demand" System that will only send power to the front axle when it is required. I told him that it is blatant false advertising because the button I push says 4Wd lock, not give me 4x4 whenever you feel like it. He apologized and said that he was making note of all that I said so whoever gets feedback so they could possibly change this setup in the future. I told him that if I had known that this is how the 4x4 worked I would never have got the truck in the first place. My wife's 99 Explorer had a transfer case that acted the same way in 4x4 auto but when you put it in 4x4 high it actually locked front and rear together. How come 14 years later Ram can't figure that out??? It wouldn't bother me as much but if a tech from the dealer admits to having to replace a few, how many are actually getting replaced? I was all ready to order me an identical truck with the ecodiesel come next July, but if this same AWD system is still in the outdoorsman I will be going elsewhere. I could see putting it in the Laramie or Laramie longhorn where people might not notice, but when you market a truck like the outdoorsman to people who actually go offroad, why cripple the truck like this?

lswing · Jan 20, 2014

So they got rid of 4WD lock basically? My 2010 Laramie 5 speed, which goes off-road just fine, has full lock at 4 hi and low. 4 auto locks the front, but only adds power when slip detected.

Sounds like you have slipping diffs which can be awesome in bad weather, both my awd cars do, but not good for real off roading...

loveracing1988 · Jan 20, 2014

lswing said:
So they got rid of 4WD lock basically? My 2010 Laramie 5 speed, which goes off-road just fine, has full lock at 4 hi and low. 4 auto locks the front, but only adds power when slip detected.

Sounds like you have slipping diffs which can be awesome in bad weather, both my awd cars do, but not good for real off roading...

The way it has been explained to me yes. Four lock is pretty much no different than 4 auto. It makes no sense to me but the guy was gone for about 10 minutes researching it. I confirmed it by parking against a snow bank in 4 low and looking under the truck. The rear tires were spinning, the front prop was not. Between that and the traction control I forgot to disable ahead of time almost got me stuck this last Saturday.
My only hope is that more people complain about it and they will change the design for the 2015 model year.

smiley · Jan 21, 2014

4x4 problem Ram 2013 8-speed

I guess I have 09 it could be different but mine works as follows. 4wd auto powers rear mostly but when it slips sends power upfront too. Kind of like have locking hubs locked but 4wd not shifted into until it slips. Then when I put in 4wd lock it makes it so the rear and the front are engaged but as with most 4wd it really only uses one front wheel as it is open and both in rear since I have auburn in back. I am pretty sure you guys are getting wrong info but like I said mine could be different since it is 09. It is not like AWD on a Durango at least by feel because it seems to be 100% rear in auto until it slips. I think Durango is more like 60 rear and 40 front in AWD and the same as Ram in 4wd lock.

$miley

Selcher · Jan 21, 2014

This can't be right... why have 4 Auto at all then? 4 Lock has to be locked up front... you know it when turning in a parking lot slowly with pavement... If this is true on 2014 model 4x4's across the board, this would seriously be a deal breaker for me...

smiley · Jan 21, 2014

I don't think it is reality. I bet it is same transfer case as before and everything. The only difference from mine is brand and type of axle and the 8 speed they would not make a 4WD out of clutches alone. This is just my opinion but I know on mine that it will chatter all over in 4wd while parking and on dryer lot.

$miley

Selcher · Jan 21, 2014

Exactly how my 2010 performs... and when it's in 4 Wheel lock, there's no waiting for slipping and then a front tire locks in... a front tire is locked in with the back tires as should be in a 4 wheel drive in 4 Lock mode...

Selcher · Jan 21, 2014

I guess another test drive is in order to verify...

Selcher · Jan 21, 2014

The new 2014 RAM 1500 book says the following:

THE PART-TIME TRANSFER CASE. The Borg-Warner® transfer case available on the 2014 Ram 1500 is ideal for off-road, farm, industrial and leisure activities. It features two speeds with three operating ranges, plus neutral. It is electronically operated with instrument panel-mounted activation. Standard on Ram ST, SLT and Outdoorsman 4x4 models.

THE ON-DEMAND TRANSFER CASE. Long proven on Ram 1500 models, this two-speed transfer case offers four operating modes, plus the neutral position. It is electronically operated with instrument panel-mounted activation. The 4WD Auto Mode allows for all-weather operation --- with no driver input required. Standard on Ram Big Horn, Sport, Laramie, Laramie Longhorn and Laramie Limited 4x4 models.

In the features under Capability & Functionality, from the Big Horn model on up, it shows "Electronic shift-on-demand transfer case (4x4 models)"

It seems to me this isn't any different than the last several years?

loveracing1988 · Jan 21, 2014

smiley3303 said:
I guess I have 09 it could be different but mine works as follows. 4wd auto powers rear mostly but when it slips sends power upfront too. Kind of like have locking hubs locked but 4wd not shifted into until it slips. Then when I put in 4wd lock it makes it so the rear and the front are engaged but as with most 4wd it really only uses one front wheel as it is open and both in rear since I have auburn in back. I am pretty sure you guys are getting wrong info but like I said mine could be different since it is 09. It is not like AWD on a Durango at least by feel because it seems to be 100% rear in auto until it slips. I think Durango is more like 60 rear and 40 front in AWD and the same as Ram in 4wd lock.

$miley

You can think we are getting wrong info all you want, I know how mine works. I do have a 2013 though not a 2014. I ask every person with this transfer case to do what I described above. Put the transfer case in 4 low, put the rear tires on snow and hold the brake and lightly let up. Or put the front tires into a snowbank or a parking block. Doing any of those things I can get out of my truck and look underneath. With the rear tires spinning the front driveshaft is not spinning at all until you give it gas. When you let off the front driveshaft will stop spinning, but it requires a certain speed differential to send torque to the front axle.

lswing · Jan 21, 2014

Yep in 4wd hi/low I can't get close to parking on pavement, locks up something fierce. You try that yet?

Maybe your 4wd just doesn't lock and is broken?

loveracing1988 · Jan 21, 2014

Selcher said:
This can't be right... why have 4 Auto at all then? 4 Lock has to be locked up front... you know it when turning in a parking lot slowly with pavement... If this is true on 2014 model 4x4's across the board, this would seriously be a deal breaker for me...

That is exactly what I asked him, what is the difference between 4 auto and 4 lock. He couldn't tell me the difference. He just said that my concerns with the design are being put in the system.
I did just remember that the technician who worked on it said that this was a whole new transfer case for the 2013 model year. That might be why it is different for the people with 2009's and 2010's.

Selcher · Jan 23, 2014

So the 2013's and 2014's have this new transfer case that no longer has 4 Wheel Lock? Just 2 versions of 4 Wheel Auto?

Dafuq

danmp · Jan 23, 2014

Selcher said:
So the 2013's and 2014's have this new transfer case that no longer has 4 Wheel Lock? Just 2 versions of 4 Wheel Auto?

Dafuq

I have a canadian 2014 sxt 6 speed 5.7L and I have the 4 Wheel lock.

smiley · Jan 23, 2014

I am pretty sure the new ones lock someone should be able to look at their build and know what transfer case they have. There was two on past 4th gen the Auto 4wd one and the the standard 4wd one.

$miley

Hemi395 · Jan 23, 2014

I looked into this as I have the 4x4 auto transfer case. According to what I saw, Ram started putting in Borgwarner 44-44 transfer cases in the 2013+ Ram 1500s with the 4x4 auto feature. The part time 4x4 1500s are the Borgwarner 44-45 transfer cases. The bw 44-44 are supposedly "auto locking" in 4x4 hi lock and low lock.

http://www.allpar.com/model/ram/dodge/2013-ram-powertrain.html

Sent from my Galaxy S4

smiley · Jan 23, 2014

On older 4th gens. Auto is NV246 and normal is NV243 and easy to tell by looking to see if it has Auto4wd or not. I don't know on new ones what they are called.

$miley

Selcher · Jan 23, 2014

Hemi395 said:
I looked into this as I have the 4x4 auto transfer case. According to what I saw, Ram started putting in Borgwarner 44-44 transfer cases in the 2013+ Ram 1500s with the 4x4 auto feature. The part time 4x4 1500s are the Borgwarner 44-45 transfer cases. The bw 44-44 are supposedly "auto locking" in 4x4 hi lock and low lock.

http://www.allpar.com/model/ram/dod...on the same as it always has... hmmmm....

loveracing1988 · Jan 23, 2014

Selcher said:
From your link:

The part-time transfer case provides three operating ranges, 2HI (two-wheel drive), 4HI (four-wheel drive) and 4LO (low-range reduction four-wheel drive), and a neutral position. Operating mode may be switched between 2HI and 4HI while the vehicle is in motion, but the transmission must be in neutral to engage 4LO.

The on-demand transfer case provides four operating ranges: auto, 2HI, 4HI and 4LO. The auto range engages two- or four-wheel drive depending on road conditions. 2HI, 4HI and 4LO function the same as in the part-time transfer case.

So what the original poster is describing should NOT be happening... 4HI should function the same as it always has...

hmmmm....

Should is the key word. It doesn't. The key word there is on demand. It is on demand in every mode, all of the power to the front axle is routed through the clutch, not a mechanical lock.

Selcher · Jan 23, 2014

loveracing1988 said:
Should is the key word. It doesn't.

I'd love to hear from more folks with 2013's / 2014's to see how their trucks function as well...

4x4 problem Ram 2013+ 8-speed 44-44 transfer case

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