One Chevy feature I’ll miss - Auto 4wd

Airmousam · Jan 27, 2021

Gonna miss it more than I thought...was out in the snow yesterday and it was coming down pretty good. Sort of in between before there was 100% snow on the pavement..only had her a week and made the move to engage the auto...oppps forgot...I know....toughen up princess....

Al Handy · Jan 27, 2021

I have a Dakota, long story; paxton supercharger = blown engine, before I installed the paxton, I purchased a 242 transfer case for the Dakota so I would have the AWD option, never did get install it.

Like you I really miss a AWD option in the transfer case

thkbaron · Jan 27, 2021

I miss my step bumper and that option.

2003F350 · Jan 27, 2021

Having had a couple vehicles with auto 4x4, it'***** or miss with me if I miss it.

I enjoyed it in my '99 Jimmy and my wife's '07 Expedition. It worked flawlessly, and those were two of the most stable-feeling vehicles I've ever driven in snow/ice.

But her AWD Durango - I HATED it. I despised the AWD system in that thing, because it just...always felt like it was going to spin out. We ended up going down our road at about a 5° angle one day because the rear started to come around before the AWD kicked in...at like 10 mph. Maybe it was the tires on that thing (we bought it used and never did end up replacing the tires), maybe it was just the way the system worked...but it SUCKED.

Since we have her F150 and the 'Wagon...well, it's all or nothing, I guess. I can't say that I'm upset about it.

Gamedog · Jan 27, 2021

Toughen up princess...

jk

I happen to like the 4WD Lock via floor shift. Old school. Hell I'd be even more pumped if we had locking hubs on these, would be an homage to the olden days.

HEMIMANN · Jan 27, 2021

Well, like most things, that can be overrated. The "Auto 4WD" is nothing more than the all wet clutch drive Borg Warner BW-44 Transfer Case.

Might be convenient for us average Joes bopping around the north country, but not for the snowplow guys that burn 'em up. They want the old Borg Warner BW-46 chain drive "part time" Transfer Case, like I have in my HD2500. No clutches to wear out under high transient loads moving back and forth with a snow plow.

CVX20 · Jan 27, 2021

Never have been and never will be a fan of AUTO 4WD.

62Blazer · Jan 27, 2021

My dad really likes the auto 4wd option in his Chevy 1500 trucks. He's had 3-4 of these trucks since the early 2000's and all had well over 100,000 miles on them with no issues. Granted he wasn't snowplowing or doing heavy 4 wheeling in them, but he used it all the time even in heavy rain. He mainly liked the fact you could take off from a start without spinning out on wet or snowy roads, and in the winter didn't have to worry about shifting in and out of 4wd if you hit a patch or snow or something. For example, in the winter the main road is completely clear and dry but you need to turn down a back road that is snow covered.

Airmousam · Jan 27, 2021

Sometime when Im feeling cute, I'd use in heavy rain too...certainly not for plowing

thkbaron · Jan 27, 2021

Umm manual hubs. No. Now auto ones that look like manual ones. That would be cool

Gamedog · Jan 27, 2021

thkbaron said:
Umm manual hubs. No. Now auto ones that look like manual ones. That would be cool

Haha yeah I meant auto locking hubs. Would be sweet.

Airmousam · Jan 27, 2021

Had nothing but problems with my Ford hubs (Excursion) hated those!

avantiguy · Jan 27, 2021

Gamedog said:
Toughen up princess...

jk

I happen to like the 4WD Lock via floor shift. Old school. Hell I'd be even more pumped if we had locking hubs on these, would be an homage to the olden days.

Nothing like stepping into mud 3 inches over the boots or sleet driven by 30 mph winds to engage the front hubs to raise the testosterone level. I'll take the auto engage setup thank you!

Gamedog · Jan 27, 2021

Airmousam said:
Had nothing but problems with my Ford...

You could have stopped at "Ford" and we all would have understood lol

The_reaper_33 · Jan 27, 2021

I had auto 4wd on my ram 1500 when I stripped the splines on my front diff, Before taking it apart I read a lot online to give me an idea on the pulpit to me issue. I thought it was the auto 4wd because those clutch’s seem to be a weak point and burn up as someone mentioned before. Also had my 1500 stuck in 4wd low coming out of the bush towing my 18’ enclosed trailer after a hunting trip.... it’s cool when they work it sucks when they break I’m a big fan of the floor shifter on my powerwagon

Airmousam · Jan 27, 2021

Gamedog said:
You could have stopped at "Ford" and we all would have understood lol

Thats a hard no...the Excursion (F-250 platform) was a pile....wife had a new 05 mountaineer, equally a pile...never again

2003F350 · Jan 27, 2021

Airmousam said:
Thats a hard no...the Excursion (F-250 platform) was a pile....wife had a new 05 mountaineer, equally a pile...never again

I gotta admit...I had 3 different Super Duties and never had major problems with any of them up until the end. Sure, the vacuum-powered manu-matic hubs weren't awesome but replacing them with quality Warn lockouts and plugging the vacuum lines fixed that problem on day one...

olyelr · Jan 27, 2021

My half ton ram has auto 4 wheel...I hate it.

I either run 2 wheel peel or 4 wheel lock. The auto 4 is a joke IMO.

62Blazer · Jan 27, 2021

avantiguy said:
Nothing like stepping into mud 3 inches over the boots or sleet driven by 30 mph winds to engage the front hubs to raise the testosterone level. I'll take the auto engage setup thank you!

Been there before! Manual locking hubs were the norm on 4wd vehicles when I was kid, and while there were very few new vehicles on the market with manual hubs when I started driving, the older vehicles with them were still very common on the farming community I was in. Between that and getting into off-roading I quickly learned to stop and lock in the hubs if I thought there was any chance at all of getting in a sticky situation.

Pudge · Jan 27, 2021

olyelr said:
My half ton ram has auto 4 wheel...I hate it.

I either run 2 wheel peel or 4 wheel lock. The auto 4 is a joke IMO.

Ditto

One Chevy feature I’ll miss - Auto 4wd

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