4 wheel drive

[michael speziale]

I drove 60 miles on dry highway at 65 mph in 4 wheel lock. Has that caused damage? What should I do?

 

[Dean2]

Take it out of 4 wheel drive. Best not to do what you did but it won't do any damage you can repair now. You either get away with Driveline windup or you get catastrophic failure.

 

[Grams]

YOu put unnecessary wear on your tires . Don’t do it again.

 

[62Blazer]

Put it back in 2wd and go on. Just pay attention next time. It's really not that big of a deal. I did automotive powertrain durability testing for years and we intentionally drove trucks locked in 4wd on dry asphalt or concrete roads at highway speeds for thousands of miles. It was very rare to see a failure that was caused by running in 4wd. Think about it.......people put their trucks in 4wd and go full throttle up rock slopes, mud bogs, etc... That is way more stressful on components then cruising down a road.

 

[crash68]

I drove 60 miles on dry highway at 65 mph in 4 wheel lock.

Does this truck have the "Auto 4X4" button also? If so you really have nothing to worry about. The front axle is driven in part by a clutch and the system engages the front drive when slippage is detected.
As others have stated probably not damaged caused.

 

[Magfan2]

Am I correct to assume that in mixed pavement conditions, 4WD Auto would be OK as used in the OP? (Last 20 years, pickup has been AWD)

 

[crash68]

@Magfan2 Auto 4X4 is exactly intended for mixed road conditions, it basically is an all wheel drive system (Full Time transfer case). The BW44 transfer case in the Gen4 trucks were known for the delay and lack of power transfer to the front wheels due in part that it engaged when wheel slippage was detected. This happens in Auto and Lock, don't think you could get up to 65 if the transfer case was in Low range.
If the truck doesn't have the Auto option, it has the BW44-45 which is a Part-Time transfer case. You'll know if your in 4X4 Lock on a dry surface and turn the front wheels too hard with this transfer case. You'll feel it in the steering wheel, the front end will hop, and you'll hear groaning coming from the drive line.

 

[michael speziale]

Thankyou. Much appreciated.

 

[Grams]

You can also slip under the truck and read the data-plate on the transfer case: BW 44-45 and BW 44-46 follows:

 

[Marshall]

4wd auto , or 4wd locked?
not the same thing.

 

[Hardracer]

Great info crash....I have to agree about not getting to 65 in 4lo.....really can't see that happening.
I've used 4 auto before in some of the nasty rains down here which tend to flood the roads for awhile..as I stated before in other comments it's pretty violent when the front engages to help out...at least on my truck it is.
Only for a split sec.but i can feel when it starts break loose and tend to lift my foot.

 

[suicideking]

4wd auto , or 4wd locked?
not the same thing.

Yes, huge difference. No lockers in my Ram. Though turned on my front locker in my Jeep once by accident when cleaning the inside. Couldn't back out of the driveway after that (couldn't turn). I was sitting there for a minute wondering how I broke something by washing it.

 

[62Blazer]

Yes, huge difference. No lockers in my Ram. Though turned on my front locker in my Jeep once by accident when cleaning the inside. Couldn't back out of the driveway after that (couldn't turn). I was sitting there for a minute wondering how I broke something by washing it.

When they say "4wd locked" that is not talking about lockers in the axles. 4wd auto means there is a clutch pack that varies power output to the front differential, which allows the front and rear wheels to "slip" between each other and keep it from binding up when driving on high traction surfaces. Basically the clutch engages at different levels depending on how much the rear tires are starting to slip or spin. In 4wd lock it just means that the front and rear differentials are solidly connected to each other and there is no clutch to allow slip between the front and rear. For the front or rear axle, if they are still an regular open differential you can still only have one tire spin on the axle.
Lockers in the axle are completely separate from the above. A locker in the front axle means that the left and right tires are solidly linked together so both sides would always spin.

 

[Marshall]

Great info crash....I have to agree about not getting to 65 in 4lo.....really can't see that happening.
I've used 4 auto before in some of the nasty rains down here which tend to flood the roads for awhile..as I stated before in other comments it's pretty violent when the front engages to help out...at least on my truck it is.
Only for a split sec.but i can feel when it starts break loose and tend to lift my foot.

On mine with 4wd AUTO, I can't feel anything when switching, unless you have the rears spinning when you switch, I may feel it if I switch with small it of slip at real slow, is in a drive way. It don't think it will switch if you are into the throttle much.
But I don't think I have switched it with bad slipping going on, but I switch it at town speeds before it starts to spin out.
I have had it on the HI way at hi way speeds in auto. but not locked.

On this truck I have never used low or locked I don't think,
I have on my 2010 , only problem I had was trying to get it out of low , took a bit of back and forth before it switch back to hi 2wd, could be it was stiff from not using low range?

 

[62Blazer]

On mine with 4wd AUTO, I can't feel anything when switching, unless you have the rears spinning when you switch, I may feel it if I switch with small it of slip at real slow, is in a drive way. It don't think it will switch if you are into the throttle much.
But I don't think I have switched it with bad slipping going on, but I switch it at town speeds before it starts to spin out.
I have had it on the HI way at hi way speeds in auto. but not locked.

On this truck I have never used low or locked I don't think,
I have on my 2010 , only problem I had was trying to get it out of low , took a bit of back and forth before it switch back to hi 2wd, could be it was stiff from not using low range?

Just to clarify:

4HI, 4 High, and 4 Lock are typically the same mode....just depends on what that particular model truck states on the selector, but they do the same thing. There is a solid engagement between the front and rear tires with no clutches or anything allowing slippage. But the overall gearing is the same as if in 2wd. Typically meant for consistently low traction surfaces like driving on a muddy or completely snow covered road. You need 4wd traction but don't need extra grunt or pulling power.

4 Auto, 4 full time, etc... also does not change the overall gearing, but the clutch or other device allows slippage between the front and rear wheels to prevent binding. This is typically meant for driving on varying surfaces, such as the road being clean and dry in spots and snow covered in other spots. Basically if you may need 4wd traction every now and then but don't want to have to constantly switch back and forth between 2wd and 4wd.

4L, 4 low, etc... means that you are engaging the low range ratio in the transfer case for more grunt, power, or slow speed crawling ability and control. There is also a solid engagement between the front and rear tires, with no clutch packs or anything to allow slippage or a change of speed. Low range typically is 2-3 times lower gearing than 4 HI or 4 auto and is quite noticeable.

 

[suicideking]

4L, 4 low, etc... means that you are engaging the low range ratio in the transfer case for more grunt, power, or slow speed crawling ability and control. There is also a solid engagement between the front and rear tires, with no clutch packs or anything to allow slippage or a change of speed. Low range typically is 2-3 times lower gearing than 4 HI or 4 auto and is quite noticeable.

For perspective on 4low: When my Jeep was a 6 speed manual, I was in 6th gear at about 15mph. Driving on the street you'd want to be in 4hi or 4 auto.

My wife's Ford Expedition is 4wd. I told her if she's driving on a day with heavy rain and feels it slipping, switch to 4 auto. 4 auto is like 4WD easy mode.