4X4 Question

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

audiophile

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
1,090
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L
This is my first 4x4. 2016 1500 Outdoorsman w/17" LT265/70R17 tires.
My question is - I drove it today for awhile in 4wd mainly because I haven't really ran it in this mode much since I bought it (just over a month ago). When driving on gravel everything seemed normal, but when on pavement, while turning it seemed to almost bog down. (Not sure if I am describing this well enough)
I am curious if this is normal or something that needs to be looked at.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

zflat

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Posts
94
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2016
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Normal. And it's not good to drive on dry pavement in 4 wheel drive unless the Outdoorsman has some sort of 4auto feature.
 

WilliamS

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Posts
2,638
Reaction score
1,191
Location
Tampa FL
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I believe the outdoorsman does not have 4auto. So dry pavement a 4x4 is a not a good idea unless you are going straight. Lucky its shift on the fly so once you have momentum, put back in 2wd.

You have the 2wd, 4hi, 4 low. So no no to driving on pavement on 4x4 unless you want to bind/wear out some items.
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,700
Reaction score
16,708
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
You have a Part-Time transfer case, it is not meant to be driven on hard dry ground/pavement in 4x4. It's the Borg-Warner 44-45, you have just the Lock, Low and 2WD selection on the dash.
The "bogging down" was the drive-line binding up. The transfer case doesn't allow differentiation from front to rear. When you turn, all four wheels need to spin at different speeds, that's why you didn't notice the bogging on the gravel roads.
Probably nothing wrong with the transfer case, and it is the preferred when traversing loose sand, dirt, snow, mud, etc.
 
OP
OP
audiophile

audiophile

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
1,090
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L
That's kinda what I figured, thanks to all of you. Can't wait to put it in the dirt for the first time.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

Ratket

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Posts
3,571
Reaction score
1,300
Location
Arizona-
Ram Year
2018 1500
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I told my wife once I wanted to turn her over and play in the mud, but she wasn't as excited as I was.

Enjoy it!!
 

VA10

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Posts
102
Reaction score
29
Location
Virginia
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Normal. And it's not good to drive on dry pavement in 4 wheel drive unless the Outdoorsman has some sort of 4auto feature.

Outdoorsmans CAN have the auto transfer case (BW-44). BUT ONLY IF you get the 6'4'' bed....which Ram fails to tell you. I am not sure if that has changed for models after 2014 though.
 
OP
OP
audiophile

audiophile

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
1,090
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L
Outdoorsmans CAN have the auto transfer case (BW-44). BUT ONLY IF you get the 6'4'' bed....which Ram fails to tell you. I am not sure if that has changed for models after 2014 though.
Mine does have the 6'4" bed but not 4auto. Just 2, 4 low and 4 lock.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

BiGMERF

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2017
Posts
1,738
Reaction score
791
Location
Florida
Ram Year
2017 SLT 4x4
Engine
v6
i tried it on wet road and still had the same result... i probably woldnt use 4x4 on pavement unless it was a heavy heavy rain that involved some street flooding..

when you go through standing water , do you engage 4x4 ?
 
OP
OP
audiophile

audiophile

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
1,090
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L
2016.
75fdd4655ca733332088c669c9b2c04f.jpg


Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
audiophile

audiophile

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
1,090
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L
i tried it on wet road and still had the same result... i probably woldnt use 4x4 on pavement unless it was a heavy heavy rain that involved some street flooding..

when you go through standing water , do you engage 4x4 ?
Unfortunately we haven't had enough rain since I bought it to try. Gonna try and take it to the lake on my next day off and play a little.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

BiGMERF

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2017
Posts
1,738
Reaction score
791
Location
Florida
Ram Year
2017 SLT 4x4
Engine
v6
Unfortunately we haven't had enough rain since I bought it to try. Gonna try and take it to the lake on my next day off and play a little.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


wonder what others do... this is my first 4x4
 

VA10

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Posts
102
Reaction score
29
Location
Virginia
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Ah ok. They must of sorted out the long bed situation after 2014.

VERY BASIC of when to use 4x4. If you have only 2hi,4hi,4lo

2hi - everyday driving with turns. road conditions can be dry, wet, or muddy. NOTE* 2hi performance on none dry surfaces vary based on LSD options, traction control and tires.

4hi - driving around in poor road conditions with minimal amount of turns. Or on off road surfaces. Turning is ok to do as long as all 4 wheels on a loose or slick surface. examples - loose gravel, sand, mud, snow, ice.

4hi is also usable on dry pavement AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT TURNING. example - pulling a boat up a boat ramp.

4lo - similar to 4hi BUT this holds the truck in much lower gear ratios. this is ideal for getting the most amount of torque at lower speeds. example - pulling a fallen tree or stuck vehicle while your 4 wheels on are a slick surface.


If you were to have the auto transfer case this all still technically applies except with turning. the auto tc is another animal.
 

dproctor

Junior Member
Joined
May 29, 2017
Posts
13
Reaction score
10
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.4 Hemi
I don't mean to but in here at all. But since I am my father's son....
I generally stay in 2 wheel drive all the time. The exception is coming out our driveway.. loose gravel on an incline I always switch it on so that I do not spin and rut up the drive. But back to the question at hand. There will be times you KNOW you better put it in 4wd, but most of the time just leave it in 2wd and then use 4wd to get out of the places that shouldn't have been anyway.

Snow and Ice, along with deep slick mud is where you will need 4wd, then you will be thankful to have it.

I do use it around the farm almost daily. But it is because I am too lazy to walk some of the places I have to go! Don't worry when you need it you will know. Bt use it sparingly. It is not for going down the road, or driving around town. Sometimes I use mine for 10 feet and take it out, sometimes a quarter mile.....

Most part for me 2wd as long as it goes...... then 4wd to get back out!
 

Devin1349

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2016
Posts
936
Reaction score
295
Ram Year
2011
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I use 4H when im driving up in the mountains to fight the mud snow loose dirt, 4L for going up slick inclines or pulling someone out of a ditch
 

Skerj

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Posts
92
Reaction score
36
Location
FL, from MI
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L Hemi
i tried it on wet road and still had the same result... i probably woldnt use 4x4 on pavement unless it was a heavy heavy rain that involved some street flooding..

when you go through standing water , do you engage 4x4 ?

No need. 4WD doesn't matter if you're hydroplaning, and not necessary if you're not. Yeah it's probably enough traction loss to keep your transfer case from binding, but if you're losing traction in 2WD in wet conditions that's an error on the right foot. Offroad and snow/ice is when it's effective and helpful.
 

ColdCase

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Posts
672
Reaction score
210
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7
Actually 4WD does help quite a bit with hydroplaning if you stay on the throttle (and you have the right kind of transfer case). With power being delivered to the tires, they continue spinning, ejecting water, and pulling you through instead of stopping, acting like a wave/body board, and restarting to spin with a thump when hydroplaning stops. Very effective when driving through slush piles between lanes, but you do have to stay on the throttle just enough to keep the tires spinning. 4WD may help you control and recover from hydroplaning but isn't going to prevent it.

If not hydroplaning, and driving through standing water, you never know whats under that water. It may be prudent to use 4WD just in case.
 
Last edited:

Skerj

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Posts
92
Reaction score
36
Location
FL, from MI
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7L Hemi
Actually 4WD does help quite a bit with hydroplaning if you stay on the throttle (and you have the right kind of transfer case). With power being delivered to the tires, they continue spinning, ejecting water, and pulling you through instead of stopping, acting like a wave/body board, and restarting to spin with a thump when hydroplaning stops. Very effective when driving through slush piles between lanes, but you do have to stay on the throttle just enough to keep the tires spinning. 4WD may help you control and recover from hydroplaning but isn't going to prevent it.

If not hydroplaning, and driving through standing water, you never know whats under that water. It may be prudent to use 4WD just in case.

Can you elaborate, I'm not seeing how that would help, as 1, the tires continue to turn while hydroplaning whether you're on the gas pedal or not, and 2, that is suggesting that a loss of traction, by spinning the wheels, is needed to regain traction?

Slush is also a completely different animal than rain, but my overall point is snowy and icy roads can be navigated with RWD vehicles. To need 4WD on paved roads in rain says the driver is going much faster or using way more throttle than they should be.
 
Top