'24 Steering binding jerking in 4wd high in snow, far more than '16?

[etbrown4]

My '24 1500 steering jerks and binds on snow in 4wd high, when the steering wheel is turned just 3/4 turn.

I understand all 4wds have a greater steering radius in 4wd due to binding, but compared to my 2016, the radius in 4wd must be twice as great.

Do others experience what must be a far greater radius and inability to turn steering wheel more than 3/4 turn in 4wd?

 

[GTyankee]

are you driving straight, or in a curve when that happens

Is the road completely snow coated, or does it have some dry areas

 

[etbrown4]

Snow Covered.

After about 150,000 miles driving a '16 1500 with 4wd, the 24 seems way different on turning radius. I would think there would be many complaints on the '24s turning radius, unless my' 24 is off somehow.

Might it be related to the new style electric steering?

 

[BlueHemi1500]

In 4WD low or High - You need to make sure that the surface is not dry in the case of pavement. If the surface is gravel/dirt/loose you are safe. The actual 4WD system is designed with the conditions noted above. There will be binding because the components are locked and the front axle when turned will bind/hop/skip due to the different speeds of the front tires in the turn. A slower speed and wider arc are the answers. The different model years have different transfer cases/transmissions and the noted differences between the trucks have had/have.
So if the behavior is only noted in turns, most likely "normal/expected behavior" if occurring in a straight line then abnormal behavior. Do not use the 4WD on dry pavement. I usually test/exercise my various 4WD settings on gravel during rain to make sure the friction coefficients are the lowest values possible. I do this testing after/near every oil change interval to keep all the components lubricated and verify the systems/settings function, for when I need them.

BlueHemi1500

 

[etbrown4]

Could it be the 2019-25 1500 in 4wd on snow has a far greater turning radius than a 2016?

And the '19-25 1500 in 4wd on snow only allows a 3/4 turn of the steering wheel? Really? But that's the case with this poster's truck.

Unless my '24 is defective (which i doubt) then I would say it's not suitable for those living in snow country, if you often need to park in like a shopping center parking space.

 

[BlueHemi1500]

So the 2019-25 1500 in 4wd on snow has a far greater turning radius than a 2016?

And the '19-25 1500 in 4wd on snow only allows a 3/4 turn of the steering wheel? Really?

Unless my '24 is defective (which i doubt) then I would say it's not suitable for those living in snow country, if you often need to park in like a shopping center parking space.

Well, my personal experience, with Ram trucks is with my current 2020 Laramie, I have no direct ability to compare one truck vs. another truck(s). I am just making use of my personal experience/observations/life experiences.
I do have previous experience with 4x4,4X6,4x8 trucks in various applications from Fire/EMS vehicles/farm tractors/my previous P/U one of which was a 2500 HD Diesel with Crew Cab/8 ft bed. I have driven in many forms of weather/terrain/times of day with different combinations of weights and purposes that necessitated the use of the all-wheel/axle drive equipment.

I make no expressed warranties/claims, merely helping to explain/provide a solution to your posted difficulties, and I did not mean to insult/imply any other hidden meaning. I humbly submit my public apology to any person(s) that I may have offended in my previous post in this thread.

BlueHemi1500

 

[etbrown4]

No problem with your post bluehemi. Just attempting to determine what's up with my '24, and possibly what's up with all 19-25 4wd 1500s.

Unless my truck is defective, there have to be hundreds of thousands of 2019 and newer 1500 owners experiencing extremely hard to turn 4wd trucks.

So either my truck is the exception or all owners experience this. I hope it's just mine. However, it is so starkly different from my '16, it seems very likely that Ram made a change in how the steering or drive linkage works.

 

[RamDiver]

My '24 1500 steering jerks and binds on snow in 4wd high, when the steering wheel is turned just 3/4 turn.

I understand all 4wds have a greater steering radius in 4wd due to binding, but compared to my 2016, the radius in 4wd must be twice as great.

Do others experience what must be a far greater radius and inability to turn steering wheel more than 3/4 turn in 4wd?

If your truck is binding and jerking while turning in 4WD and it does not have this same behaviour in 2WD at the same turning radius, this is known as drive line wind-up. I learned it as drive line torsion.

Many YouTube videos explain this concept using different terms.

There are other considerations for comparing this behaviour to another truck besides the turning radius. Every tire has a different ability for traction and the same tire pressured differently will again have a different amount of traction.

The big tell here is your description of jerks and binds while turning and not while travelling in a straight line. That is a classic sign of drive line wind-up created by the abrupt release of tension being created on the front drive line that is trying to turn faster than the rear drive line but being forced mechanically to follow the same rotation as the rear.

I'll try to find a video I've seen that explains and demonstrates this concept very well.

I've been driving 4WD trucks since the early '90s and using 4WD very regularly every winter because of where I live. Driving on snowy roads with intermittent or occasional traction can be tasking loading at times without an Auto setting on the transfer case.

I've never owned a vehicle with the Auto setting and because of this, I'm very selective about using 4WD on the highway. It has to have consistently poor traction to use 4WD or it has to be a straight road with zero curves.

Driving on a road with mixed conditions or intermittent traction only has 1 solution for those of us without the Auto setting. SLOW DOWN!

I admit, I hate to slow down but the rural highway I use almost nightly is one of those intermittent traction roads. When conditions are suitable, I use 4WD on the straighter sections but I have enough experience to know that feeling when the front drive line is getting loaded.

As I said, I hate to slow down, especially on a dead-quiet rural highway but, very often I know it's the only solution short of toggling rapidly between 4WD & 2WD because of the ever-changing traction conditions.

This video is a good theoretical explanation but, there's another video that uses models to demonstrate transmission wind-up.

AWD vs 4WD - What's The Difference?

What Are The Differences Between AWD & 4WD? Which Is Better?Best AWD Systems - https://youtu.be/jm-_NcjunucBest 4WD Systems - https://youtu.be/TotrUUuYOM4Sub...

www.youtube.com

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[Daw14]

So the 2019-25 1500 in 4wd on snow has a far greater turning radius than a 2016?

And the '19-25 1500 in 4wd on snow only allows a 3/4 turn of the steering wheel? Really?

Unless my '24 is defective (which i doubt) then I would say it's not suitable for those living in snow country, if you often need to park in like a shopping center parking space.

Maybe it’s time to stop at a dealer , or maybe better an independent shop. Let a mechanic inspect the front end , steering and suspension.
It might be easy for a mechanic who can see everything in person.

 

[RamDiver]

Maybe it’s time to stop at a dealer , or maybe better an independent shop. Let a mechanic inspect the front end , steering and suspension.
It might be easy for a mechanic who can see everything in person.

Almost guaranteed the response will be the classic 'no fault found'.
That may help the OP to look at other angles.
The description is very typical of a classic wind-up condition, that's just too difficult to ignore, IMHO.


I used to be a ski patroller at a resort in Quebec back in the '90s, about 80 minutes North of where I used to live in Ottawa. I would drive up every second Friday night and return on Sunday evening and got to experience one of the more entertaining regional highways in the area.

It was quite twisty with a few straight sections, and too few passing lanes. And it always had lots of snow, the provincial plows rarely managed to keep it clear and open for long.

While on this journey I was often in and out of 4WD, travelling between 50mph & 70mph.
I did my best to avoid that feeling of tight steering or wind-up but, it was almost inevitable.
It was often necessary to use 4WD for passing or lane changes because I was travelling too fast to manage those actions in those conditions with 2WD.

The straight stretches of that highway were short-lived and much of it was somewhat curved. Very regularly, you could feel the steering start to tighten up, which meant slowing down and going back to the 2WD setting. It was just to be expected and no big deal as long as you stayed attentive to the feeling on the steering.

A good test for the OP might be to find a location where this binding/jerking happens and try a few tests.

After experiencing these apparent phenomena, travel the same path in 4WD but, travelling at a slower rate. Does the truck still exhibit the same behaviour at a slower rate of travel?

I'm expecting that it will be the same but it might be a bit less obvious, faster was always more apparent to me. Now, travel the same path again in 2WD. Does the problem disappear? If not, then you have another issue to identify.

If the problem disappears travelling the same path while in 2WD, it's as I stated, a drive line wind-up condition which is standard for any 4WD without the Auto setting on the transfer case.

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[etbrown4]

I'm going slowly in 4wd. In parking lot on snow, it's like 1 mph.

I'd be curious if other 2019-2025 4wd owners can turn their steering wheel more than 3/4 turn. That's what is so different from my 16. Shouldn't need a mechanic for that.

 

[crash68]

I'd be curious if other 2019-2025 4wd owners can turn their steering wheel more than 3/4 turn. That's what is so different from my 16.

Was Auto 4X4 an option on both trucks? or just the '16?
There's an new transfer case under the Gen5 1500s that's supposed to lock up better in Lock 4X4 (high range). The Gen4 BW44-44 transfer case was notorious for allowing the front wheels to slip even in Lock 4X4.

 

[Hawkman]

I had a 2017 Rebel 4x4. I now have a 2024 Rebel 4X4. And the turning radius on the ‘24 is noticeably different than the ‘17. In both normal and 4X4.

One of the first things I noticed when backing into my driveway the first time. The same stopping and turning points didn’t work for the ‘24. I had to relearn where and what this truck needed in order to park in the same space.

So IMHO the turning radius between the GEN 3 and GEN 4 is different.

 

[RamDiver]

I'm going slowly in 4wd. In parking lot on snow, it's like 1 mph.

I'd be curious if other 2019-2025 4wd owners can turn their steering wheel more than 3/4 turn. That's what is so different from my 16. Shouldn't need a mechanic for that.

OK, so, apply the same tests I outlined above and prove it isn't a wind-up condition.

While the minimum turning radius might be different from your previous ride, ignoring your own observations isn't helping you to sort this out. Try the tests.

BTW, the conditions in a parking lot would have to be very slippy with deep snow or slush and near zero traction before I'd be using 4WD.

Maybe, the tires on your current truck can provide better traction than your former.

Which make, model and size of tires are on your current truck?

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[crash68]

I had a 2017 Rebel 4x4. I now have a 2024 Rebel 4X4. And the turning radius on the ‘24 is noticeably different than the ‘17. In both normal and 4X4.

One of the first things I noticed when backing into my driveway the first time. The same stopping and turning points didn’t work for the ‘24. I had to relearn where and what this truck needed in order to park in the same space.

The added 4" of wheelbase between
the Gen4 and Gen5 (both CrewCab w/5.7 bed) increases the turning diameter by almost 2 feet. The extra length is in part to redesigned cab. There's 9" difference between the CrewCab w/5.7 bed verses the 6.4' bed, it's almost like driving two different vehicles.

 

[MD Sledhead]

The added 4" of wheelbase between
the Gen4 and Gen5 (both CrewCab w/5.7 bed) increases the turning diameter by almost 2 feet. The extra length is in part to redesigned cab. There's 9" difference between the CrewCab w/5.7 bed verses the 6.4' bed, it's almost like driving two different vehicles.

The 6'4" Crew Cab is similar to parking a school bus. Gen 4 was the same.

I use 4x4 a lot. I had a 2014 and 2024 - I haven't observed any difference in behavior. But the consistency of the snow/ice conditions and the tire grip (type of tire and tread depth) can make a huge difference. You're not comparing apples to apples.

If it's jerking like that, you probably shouldn't be locked in 4x4... try the 4 auto.

 

[crash68]

The 6'4" Crew Cab is similar to parking a school bus. Gen 4 was the same.

It's not that bad, I've drove a school bus, limo and RV that were just over 50' long. The school bus is actually easier to maneuver than if your towing a 32' overall trailer behind the truck(which makes the combo as long as a school bus).
A CrewCab w/8' feels a little closer to driving a school bus, even more so when towing a 32' trailer behind.

 

[etbrown4]

Crash68 helped a lot by letting us know about the longer gen5 wheelbase, so that's part of it.

Md sledman notices no difference between his gen 4 and gen 5.

Op and Hawkman report a large difference in turning radius between 2016/17 and 2024.

Question for md sledman: In 4wd, slowly rolling on snow or even loose gravel, can you turn your steering wheel more than 3/4 turn without feeling the bind?

 

[etbrown4]

Anyone besides Hawkman and OP who's experienced 4wd steering bind up in a 5th gen on snow or ice or loose gravel, with just a 3/4 turn of the steering wheel?

 

[Hardracer]

Although iam no expert by any means in 4wheel snow type stuff.iam gonna chime in and share my .02 here...if your comparing 2 diff models being in 4 wheel drive and your thinking/noticing something is way off with turning or binding(I'm assuming you mean like chirping of the wheels in 4low)...I would think ram would have noted a different turning radius over the 2 diff.models myself.that being said and I didnt really pay attention to truck lengths in the 2 models you specified there would/could be a diff.radius as another has said already.im just a southern boy down here and never experienced a snow situation for 4wheeling but do have a really good concept of offroad wheeling In sand situations down here....by your symptoms I'd say you got a problem going on. Maybe the newer steering settup I dont know and although I cant offer a remedy other than taking it in to the stealership and do some serious complaining,whether they find an issue or not I would be hollering in thier ears something is not right and unsafe repeatedly....something just doesnt sound right by what your describing.
Bluehemi,ramdiver,hawkman,sledhead all have valid points on the issue you descibe,you should consider their inputs solid info.i agree with all of them.
Hope you get this figured out and share it with us in the future.
You have valid questions in the 2 posts above me that should be addressed.
Sorry I couldnt be of more help...I also agree with you about the part that others should've complained more if this was an issue also.