One Chevy feature I’ll miss - Auto 4wd

[Willie Mosher]

I had 1977 Dodge w 200 club cub
400 CI 727 transmission (NP 242?)
All wheel drive, as I recall it was few
Year back.

Hi 4 open differential transfer for case,

hi 4 lock differential transfer case,

neutral

low 4 Open differential transfer case

low 4 Lock differential transfer case

100 % sure had no 2wheel drive ,
The The only thing I missed about this
Truck, I put a 1968 440 CI it actually got better gas mileage, if you call 6 mpg better? I have no experience with new twist select knobs . You are right most
People No idea how four-wheel-drive
works. As for some School kids a 5 Selection transfer case would really
Cool. I see JEEP in the 2021 Rubicon
Is coming something like it.
Maybe the power wagon get it???
Willie

 

[Moparfanatic21]

That is exactly right and why most SUV style vehicles are going to full-time or automatic systems that don't require any driver input. I've lost track of the number of people stuck along the side of a road or in a parking lot in the snow with a 4wd vehicle that is still in 2wd because they don't know you have to somehow engage the 4wd, or they simply don't know how. Perfect example from last winter of a person I know that has owned the same SUV for 6-7 years. It has a lever on the floor to shift from 2wd to 4wd. They got slightly stuck in a parking lot and had to get the owner's manual out to figure out they had to pull the lever from 2wd to 4wd.......again, keep in mind they had been driving this vehicle for years. I've also seen people refuse to shift the vehicle into 4wd because they are scared or something. It was years ago but the main parking lot was full so people were pulling off in the wet grass to park. A lady in a newer 4wd Chevy pickup truck pulled off the side of the road facing downhill and couldn't back up (wet grass and empty bed). She was rocking the truck back and forth and making a big mess so I walked up to her and pointed at the little button on the dash (electronic shift) that said 4wd and told her to push it. She refused and acted snotty about....so I just walked away shaking my head.

That's why you everyone should read their owners manual. My girlfriend just got a 2010 Chevy Equinox and couldn't figure out how to turn the Hazards off. She found out by accident, so I told her read your owners manual. She gave me a look and said no I'll just figure it out. On another note it came up and said "Reduced Power zmode" so I have to look at it. I wanted her to get new so I would have to work on her junk lol

 

[2003F350]

That's why you everyone should read their owners manual. My girlfriend just got a 2010 Chevy Equinox and couldn't figure out how to turn the Hazards off. She found out by accident, so I told her read your owners manual. She gave me a look and said no I'll just figure it out. On another note it came up and said "Reduced Power zmode" so I have to look at it. I wanted her to get new so I would have to work on her junk lol

The first thing I've done with every vehicle I've purchased has been something my dad taught me - make time to go through the manual. If it didn't come with one, I bought/downloaded one. There's a LOT of info in there.

 

[62Blazer]

So are you saying the whole "keep it under 55 mph when in 4HI" doesn't apply to our trucks?

That was a rule beat into me at a young age by my old man. Mind you, this was while I was driving 1st Gen 4Runners and '85 4x4 SR5's.

There is no universal rule about limiting your speed to 55 mph in 4wd. Probably comes from the philosophy stated above that if you need to be in 4wd you probably shouldn't be running any faster than that. As I stated in my previous post if the road surfaces were alternating back and forth between clear and snowy I would just leave it in 4wd and may run up to 60-70 mph when it cleared off and then slowed down if it got snowy. If you are running down the freeway you don't want to have to constantly be shifting in and out of 4wd, and if you are running in 2wd and hit a slick spot it's too late to shift into 4wd. When driving down the freeway 4wd can help keep the truck straight and the back end starting to slide out, which can really be a problem in an empty pickup truck. I had a Toyota Tacoma back in the late 90's with manual front hubs and in the winter I would just leave them locked in most of the time so I just had to click the shifter in and out of 4wd.

 

[JS4024]

Have to consider the wear and tear on the drive train of a 2500 or above truck. Auto 4wd is available on the 1500’s but I have never seen it available on anything bigger. I use 4wd on my 2500 if I am in a situation where I “could get stuck”, pulling out a heavy trailer when it’s muddy or for straight line driving on a snow covered highway or road. The rotating parts on the front drive trains are too heavy and are not the CVJ’s they use on the 1500’s.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Absolutely not. I spent years in the automotive testing field specifically working with Chrysler (and then Fiat-Chrysler) doing powertrain durability testing. One of the normal test protocols had any 4wd vehicles running half of the time locked in 4wd. These tests were 30,000-50,000 miles in duration so they would run one cycle in 2wd, then one cycle in 4wd, and keep rotating. This test was 99% paved surfaces and each cycle consisted of multiple events including everything from miles of freeway style driving up to 80-90 mph to lock-to-lock turns and full throttle launches. All vehicles were loaded heavy, and this was everything from small SUV's to dually pickups. You rarely every saw any failures that could be directly related to running in 4wd. If you think driving on pavement in 4wd puts excessive stress on the drivetrain then you have never seen somebody use a Power Wagon hard off-road, especially in places like Moab that are all very grippy hard rock. I've ran my personal trucks on the freeway in 4wd for long periods of time if the roads are patchy.....for example you may go miles with perfectly clean and dry roads and then all of the sudden you hit a stretch of snow covered road. I've also ran probably a 100 miles pulling a heavy trailer doing the same thing.....you could run for 3-4 miles on a perfectly dry highway and then all of the sudden hit a section a mile long covered in snow. My last Chevy 2500HD had 150k miles and the only thing I ever had to do to any of the 4wd system was replace the fluid in the axles and transfer case a few times.

Thanks for reporting the robust Ram drivetrain development, @62Blazer

It's good to know the driveline isn't a weak link in undifferentiated axle driving on dry pavement, but the tires sure are. On HD trucks (where Borg Warner BW-46 solid chain drive transfer case is used), you can scrub the crap out of your tires running on dry pavement constantly. These ain't exactly cheap either @ $1,500 a set for load range E.

But we need the "part time" BW-46 transfer case for back road use and snow plowing - that's what the HD trucks are for, in addition to towing.

The 1500 grocery-getters offer Borg Warner BW-44 full time transfer case in many trims. This is a full time wet clutch case with the "Auto 4WD" selector in the cab. Obviously, using it too much will wear out the clutches as well.

Jus' sayin' - don't forget all the components in the drivetrain in a 4WD discussion.

 

[_zak]

Personally, I'm always going to say no to Auto 4WD, since in my experience it's is too unpredictable.

By the time 4WD kicks in when over steering in slippery conditions, the added traction of the front wheels suddenly gaining traction can *unpredictably* pull you in a unintended direction.

 

[Moparfanatic21]

The first thing I've done with every vehicle I've purchased has been something my dad taught me - make time to go through the manual. If it didn't come with one, I bought/downloaded one. There's a LOT of info in there.

Exactly and if she would have read it she would have known you had to hold the Hazard button for them to turn off

 

[Fergusontd]

My '17 Big Horn has 4 wheel auto, nice for wet or snowy roads

 

[olyelr]

My '17 Big Horn has 4 wheel auto, nice for wet or snowy roads

I have the same truck and cant stand it.

What drives me nuts is its basically in 2wd until slipping occurs, then it pops into 4 wheel and gains traction, then pops back to 2 wheel and starts slipping, then back to 4 for traction...fawk that. Too unpredictable for me. I just run it in 4 wheel lock if I need more traction that 2wheel. On dry roads you literally cant even tell its in 4 wheel lock. Smooth as can be...nothing like the power wagon anyway lol

 

[Sandevino]

I forget who said it but yes, toughen up princess.

4wd auto is great for for bee-bopping around city streets and interstates in inclement weather.

Anyone that works their truck in 4wd will burn up that wet clutch in a hurry.

I’ll keep my old skool floor shift transfer case.

 

[2003F350]

I forget who said it but yes, toughen up princess.

4wd auto is great for for bee-bopping around city streets and interstates in inclement weather.

Anyone that works their truck in 4wd will burn up that wet clutch in a hurry.

I’ll keep my old skool floor shift transfer case.

Every vehicle I've had the option on never saw serious off-road use. I think the most one ever saw was running down a 2-track getting to deer camp.

It isn't built for serious off-road use. But you're absolutely right, it's great for inclement weather.

 

[62Blazer]

I forget who said it but yes, toughen up princess.

4wd auto is great for for bee-bopping around city streets and interstates in inclement weather.

Anyone that works their truck in 4wd will burn up that wet clutch in a hurry.

I’ll keep my old skool floor shift transfer case.

While I believe the auto 4wd has some weakness compared to a traditional system, not sure I would make a comment that they will burn it up in a hurry. There are probably millions of auto 4wd trucks on the road but have only seen a few posts with people that have issues with them, and generally they are modified trucks that get used really hard. For typical or "normal" use you will probably never have an issue....if you want to put 35"+tires and do hard off-roading every weekend than maybe look at something else.

 

[Sandevino]

While I believe the auto 4wd has some weakness compared to a traditional system, not sure I would make a comment that they will burn it up in a hurry. There are probably millions of auto 4wd trucks on the road but have only seen a few posts with people that have issues with them, and generally they are modified trucks that get used really hard. For typical or "normal" use you will probably never have an issue....if you want to put 35"+tires and do hard off-roading every weekend than maybe look at something else.

Agreed - nothing will break if used as intended. It's the handful that operate outside the lines that cry foul.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Don't forget us snowplowers up here in the northern 1/3 of the continent.....lots of HD's with snow plows here. You can't have clutches getting bashed constantly going back and forth.

 

[olyelr]

I wonder how well the TRX awd system will hold up to 700hp and 35’s?

 

[392DevilDog]

I think the youtube guy everyone chose to write off did a great job showing how well built the TRX is.

He had no issues with it while playing in the field. When he decided to go Bob Chandler and crush the cars...he had an overheat warning. He let it cool...and then continued to have an insane amount of fun.

The clutches will overheat. They will cool off. You just have to learn to anticipate it and drive accordingly. Whether it is a v6 or the 702 horse Supercharged V8.

 

[62Blazer]

I wonder how well the TRX awd system will hold up to 700hp and 35’s?

I worked for years managing powertrain durability testing for a company that worked with Chrysler/Fiat/Jeep/whatever they were called at the time, including when they first came out with the Wrangler Rubicon. The testing all the "normal" vehicles go through is pretty tough and the specialty vehicles go through additional tests specific to what they are designed for. Just for powertrain durability they would run 30,000-60,000 miles of a repeating cycle of hard use, and they would be running dozens of the same model vehicles at the same time, and this is done for multiple build levels/generations of new vehicles before they are launched. There are early build levels of the models that won't be released for several years already being tested. It's not like they just randomly select drivetrain parts, throw them together under a truck, and pray that they hold up.

 

[Lucy Girl]

I miss my step bumper and that option.

Wow Ram to big now problem with the bumper. LOL

 

[Jesse Lackman]

So are you saying the whole "keep it under 55 mph when in 4HI" doesn't apply to our trucks?

That was a rule beat into me at a young age by my old man. Mind you, this was while I was driving 1st Gen 4Runners and '85 4x4 SR5's.

That's an old farts fable. I had our Power Wagon to 100 mph in 4WD on dry pavement a couple times when it was under 500 miles.