Why is Ram offering a 4x2 Rebel?

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2020PW

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Manual specifically states to not exceed 40MPH in 4Low. I don't have an auto/high. Just lock/low, and 2x.

Here’s your sign….. from the owners manual.

2WD
Rear-Wheel Drive High Range — This range is for normal street and highway driving on dry hard surfaced roads.

4WD LOCK
Four-Wheel Drive Lock High Range — This range maximizes torque to the front driveshaft, forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. Additional traction for loose, slippery road surfaces only.

4WD LOW
Four-Wheel Drive Low Range — This range provides low speed four-wheel drive. It maximizes torque to the front driveshaft, forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. This range provides additional traction and maximum pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Do not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).

NEUTRAL (N)
Neutral — This range disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from the powertrain. To be used for flat towing behind another vehicle. Refer to “Recreational Towing” in this section for further information.
 
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pacofortacos

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As other's have said, a lot of people buying the Rebel don't need 4x$, but they like the look. As someone with a Rebel, (bought with ~260 miles from the stealership, either about to, or just, broke 78k after ~5.5 years), My rebel has been in 4x4 mode ~4 times. Once when I got stuck helping a buddy clear his garage (Detached off the back yard, and it had just rained), once leaving an AirBNB in the mountains, misjudged the curve of the driveway, so got the Hemi/cab over the bend, and the ass was basically floating, once during some testing, as a buddy couldn't believe they would sell a 4x4 with only Low and Lock, and I think I got stuck one more time. So total 4x4 time in like 1700 engine hours might be 1 hour (had to go down the mountain the AirBNB was on in 4x, as other people were trying to leave too, and it was a one lane, so I couldn't stop to put it back in 2x mode until I could pull off somewhere.

Almost used it once or twice when the weather was meh, but the '18 rebel for some insane reason doesn't have 4HI/4Auto, so couldn't do highway speeds in 4x, and didn't "need" 4x mode.
As said you can go from 2WD to 4WD LOCK at any time and any legal speed.
4LOW is a different story - that is speed limited and mine likes to be moving ever so slightly to go into 4 LOW.

The reason the 18 Rebel doesn't have 4HI/4Auto is it has the better transfer case (for off roading) and doesn't have part time 4WD that the ones with 4HI/4Auto have.
 

PaleFlyer

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Here’s your sign….. from the owners manual.

2WD
Rear-Wheel Drive High Range — This range is for normal street and highway driving on dry hard surfaced roads.

4WD LOCK
Four-Wheel Drive Lock High Range — This range maximizes torque to the front driveshaft, forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. Additional traction for loose, slippery road surfaces only.

4WD LOW
Four-Wheel Drive Low Range — This range provides low speed four-wheel drive. It maximizes torque to the front driveshaft, forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. This range provides additional traction and maximum pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Do not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).

NEUTRAL (N)
Neutral — This range disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from the powertrain. To be used for flat towing behind another vehicle. Refer to “Recreational Towing” in this section for further information.
Well, that's about as clear as mud. What the heck is the difference between 4low and 4lock??? Other than the "This range provides additional traction and max pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Don't go fast". Unless I'm misreading, the first half of the explanation is the same, minus "lock" saying "high range" WTF that means...
 

Docwagon1776

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Well, that's about as clear as mud. What the heck is the difference between 4low and 4lock??? Other than the "This range provides additional traction and max pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Don't go fast". Unless I'm misreading, the first half of the explanation is the same, minus "lock" saying "high range" WTF that means...

The transfer case is a 2 speed. Like a transmission, it has different gear ratios. High (or Lock for Rams) is almost always a 1:1 ratio in any 4wd vehicle. Low could be somewhere around 2:1 or even as low as 4:1. For easy math, say the transfer case is 2:1. In 4lo the vehicle will now move half as fast at the same engine RPM and transmission gear as it would have in 4hi or 2hi due to that extra gear ratio.

See: https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1807-transfer-case-101-understanding-4x4-fundamentals/ if you still don't get it.
 

2020PW

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Well, that's about as clear as mud. What the heck is the difference between 4low and 4lock??? Other than the "This range provides additional traction and max pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Don't go fast". Unless I'm misreading, the first half of the explanation is the same, minus "lock" saying "high range" WTF that means...
 

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