Parking brake is not enough for ice

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

NotSoFast

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2020
Posts
46
Reaction score
36
Location
Flagstaff
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.7 liter diesel
I parked the truck at the top of the driveway where there was the least snow and ice. Sometime during the night it did its own walkabout down the hill. Luckily the locked rear wheels accumulated some snow behind them, so the truck stopped when that snow hit a berm.
The truck is a 2020 2500 diesel.
You can see the track the truck left from its voyage.
My question is if putting it in 4WD or 4LOW would have locked the front wheels, which would have prevented the slide.
 

Attachments

  • 20230119_080920.jpg
    20230119_080920.jpg
    270.2 KB · Views: 69
  • 20230119_081026.jpg
    20230119_081026.jpg
    156.1 KB · Views: 67

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,700
Reaction score
16,708
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
yes, putting the transfer case in 4X4 can help lock one of the front wheels to keep it from spinning.
 

LouM

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Posts
548
Reaction score
563
Location
Greeenwich/Easton upstate NY
Ram Year
2015 Ram Ecodiesel crewcab old/ now 2019 Laramie Hemi
Engine
eco diesel old / now Hemi missing the eco's mileage
On your 3/4 ton the transfer case should stay engaged in 4wd with engine off.
The 1/2 tons with the transfer case with an "auto" mode will not stay in 4wd when the key is off.
 

RamDiver

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Posts
1,939
Reaction score
3,076
Location
Marlborough, Ontario, Canada
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi 5.7
yes, putting the transfer case in 4X4 can help lock one of the front wheels to keep it from spinning.

I could be mistaken but I thought when I shut off my Ram truck while in 4wd, after re-starting it was back in 2wd. My Tundra always maintained whatever condition existed prior to shutdown.

Does the electronic transfer case stay engaged in 4wd after you shut down the ignition?
.
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,700
Reaction score
16,708
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
Does the electronic transfer case stay engaged in 4x4 after you shut down the ignition?
As mentioned above, the HD trucks along with the 1500s that don't have the Auto 4X4 function will stay in 4X4.
 
OP
OP
N

NotSoFast

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2020
Posts
46
Reaction score
36
Location
Flagstaff
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.7 liter diesel
Thanks everybody for your help. In 4WD it looks like the front wheels will be in Park. That would have been enough to keep it from sliding, most likely. And if I had put it into 4LOW, that would have (I think) have also kept the front differential from letting the front wheels spin opposite each other. Maybe in Park they could spin one forward and one back as traction varied side to side. And yes, chocks would have been good. But it didn't move until long after I had walked away from it.
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,700
Reaction score
16,708
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
And if I had put it into 4LOW, that would have (I think) have also kept the front differential from letting the front wheels spin opposite each other.
4Low doesn't change anything with the front differential, all the Low range adds is further gear reduction to both axles. No need to use the Low range to lock the front wheels, the High range will do the same
 

LouM

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Posts
548
Reaction score
563
Location
Greeenwich/Easton upstate NY
Ram Year
2015 Ram Ecodiesel crewcab old/ now 2019 Laramie Hemi
Engine
eco diesel old / now Hemi missing the eco's mileage
Had a similar experience with my 2015 1500 the first winter I had it.
In 4wd lock pulled up the driveway 50 feet and stop to pickup a package.
Put the truck in Park, opened the door to step out, got about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way out
and all of a sudden the truck is sliding backwards, jump back in put the brakes on stop,
set the parking brake, release the brake pedal and away she goes again.
I'm thinking what the hel*, put the truck in drive move it ahead a foot or two, open the door
and it is holding with a slow slip and jerk backwards.
That was my first experiance with Rams t-case with the auto mode, I was not happy.
 

RamDiver

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Posts
1,939
Reaction score
3,076
Location
Marlborough, Ontario, Canada
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi 5.7
As mentioned above, the HD trucks along with the 1500s that don't have the Auto 4X4 function will stay in 4X4.

Yup, just as you said. I tested power cycling the ignition & the 4wd stayed engaged.

I have no idea what happened a few weeks ago when I thought it didn't stay locked.
Could have been a brain fart or faulty memory. :cool:

For the OPer, with 4 wheels locked (4wd), you'd have twice the drag.

I know it's tough when you get home to a skating rink and difficult to resolve instantly. When I park outside and it's slick, I sometimes toss a piece of split log in front of the front wheels and kick it into place. It makes for a nice fat wheel chock. :cool:
.
 

GTyankee

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Nov 2, 2020
Posts
10,061
Reaction score
12,606
Location
El Cajon Calif. 92021
Ram Year
2016
Engine
3.0 ecodiesel
Ice is wet & always moving, even if it is the tiniest bit, it just needs a little grade

Another member had her or a friends car slide down a driveway, it stopped just as it reached the street, that was just the other day
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2021
Posts
52
Reaction score
21
Location
Usa
Ram Year
2015
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Pretty sure it unlocks when shut off and power is cut to the t-case. All these electronic dial/pushbutton 4wd systems use electronic controls, and the ones I've messed with go back to 2wd when power is cut, even if it turns it back on when you restart the vehicle.
 

RamDiver

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Posts
1,939
Reaction score
3,076
Location
Marlborough, Ontario, Canada
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Pretty sure it unlocks when shut off and power is cut to the t-case. All these electronic dial/pushbutton 4wd systems use electronic controls, and the ones I've messed with go back to 2wd when power is cut, even if it turns it back on when you restart the vehicle.

You should test your theory otherwise, it's just conjecture.

Yesterday afternoon, I tested to see if an ignition shutdown and restart would maintain the 4wd setting on my Ram or if I'd require to switch from 2wd to 4wd again.

As identified by crash68, the transfer case did stay in 4wd after a restart.

My previous truck, a Tundra with a dial setting for the transfer case, always stayed in 4wd regardless of restarting the ignition.

I would still prefer a lever action to change the transfer case state but those days are gone now like all those previous trucks I owned.
.
 

turkeybird56

Military Vet 1976-1996 Retired US Army
Military
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
18,759
Reaction score
42,957
Location
Central Texas
Ram Year
2019 Bighorn, 4 X 4, 3.21 rear, Bright Flame Red Pearl Coat, Mopar tonneau cover,Westin Bed rug
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Thanks everybody for your help. In 4WD it looks like the front wheels will be in Park. That would have been enough to keep it from sliding, most likely. And if I had put it into 4LOW, that would have (I think) have also kept the front differential from letting the front wheels spin opposite each other. Maybe in Park they could spin one forward and one back as traction varied side to side. And yes, chocks would have been good. But it didn't move until long after I had walked away from it.
On incline, straight ice, physics take's over. If U have a big incline like that and those conditions, do what we always were required to do on flightline: Chalk vehicle. May look stupid, but may save U a monster headache, just saying.
 

turkeybird56

Military Vet 1976-1996 Retired US Army
Military
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
18,759
Reaction score
42,957
Location
Central Texas
Ram Year
2019 Bighorn, 4 X 4, 3.21 rear, Bright Flame Red Pearl Coat, Mopar tonneau cover,Westin Bed rug
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Yup, just as you said. I tested power cycling the ignition & the 4wd stayed engaged.

I have no idea what happened a few weeks ago when I thought it didn't stay locked.
Could have been a brain fart or faulty memory. :cool:

For the OPer, with 4 wheels locked (4wd), you'd have twice the drag.

I know it's tough when you get home to a skating rink and difficult to resolve instantly. When I park outside and it's slick, I sometimes toss a piece of split log in front of the front wheels and kick it into place. It makes for a nice fat wheel chock. :cool:
.
100 %%% ditto. What I had to do to my 1970 Olds Cutlass 442 when I was stationed in upstate NY. Of course, 3 feet of snow on car may have helped also, LOL.
 
Top