4 auto selec track....

[Olympusreptiles]

So, this is new to me. Both my JK and jl just had 4 low and 4 hi. Simple, I didn't use 4 hi if I felt good driving over 45 or so. 4 low, I only used off road.

Jt has 4 auto. I guess I could just use it all the time, at any speed. (I won't). Also, it seems to shift from 4 auto to 4 high very easily, little worried about bumping it with my leg.

So who else has 4 auto, and how do you typically use it?

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[Garemlin]

Put it in 4A and keep it there. It will send power to the wheels that need it when they need it. Great for wet roads.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

It's designed for slippery roads. Such as snow, ice, mud.

I have it, glad I do for when we are in the snow county.

 

[Olympusreptiles]

Put it in 4A and keep it there. It will send power to the wheels that need it when they need it. Great for wet roads.

So no worries about speed? I thought about using it in just rain, or any wet to help prevent the truck from hydroplaning. It never has, but I have plenty of times in other rear wheel drive cars, and not my favorite thing. Just concerned about being in 4 wheel auto while doing 70.

 

[spectre6000]

I live in the mountains and canyons above Denver. I think it says in the manual it's for "conditions with variable traction" or something to that effect. When it snows up here, it doesn't always snow down in the flats. When it rains in the flats and snows up here, there's a narrow section on the way down that's just ice. You never know where it's going to be, and it's not easy to see. Hard won experience on the subject was gained when my wife hit such an icy section was in a particularly sharp corner, and she did a slow motion pirouette at all of 15mph and put the truck on its roof. Additionally, regardless of what it does in the flats, when it snows up here, it thaws at different rates in different places depending on what's in shadow and not. Also, the roads are super twisty. If you go off the road on one side, you're into a stone wall. If you go off the road on the other, you go down into a small ravine with a creek at the bottom. If you do either in a storm, it could be a long time before someone comes along. If you go in the downward direction, they likely won't see you. A few years back, an older guy in an old Ford went off in a storm into the creek. It was three days before things thawed enough for anyone to notice him down there. The result is pretty obvious.

If you have conventional full time 4wd, you're either constantly shifting in and out of 4hi, or you're in 4hi the whole time with all the expected drivetrain bind, axle hop, and understeer around any of those corners that are thawed enough for decent traction. It's doable, but not exactly fun. 4Auto, you just drop it in and go any time the roads are remotely questionable, and it sticks like glue. Pretty stinking great.

 

[Olympusreptiles]

It's designed for slippery roads. Such as snow, ice, mud.

I have it, glad I do for when we are in the snow county.

Yes, I will definitely vuse it in winter. Our roads get really patchy with snow thanks to wind. More curious about appropriate speed with system in to see if it can be used in rain/wet. I have gone hydroplaning in a vette a few too many times. Light truck bed over power wheels seems to be a possibility too but 4 auto would fix it.

 

[Kevin_D]

I thought about using it in just rain, or any wet to help prevent the truck from hydroplaning.

The 4 Auto setting is effectively the same as AWD: the transfer case has a clutch pack in it to allow for differences in driveshaft speeds.
And running in 4WD/AWD/2WD won't have any effect on hydroplaning: that's a function of tire-to-road surface contact, and is typically associated with driving too fast for conditions.

Kevin

 

[Olympusreptiles]

The 4 Auto setting is effectively the same as AWD: the transfer case has a clutch pack in it to allow for differences in driveshaft speeds.
And running in 4WD/AWD/2WD won't have any effect on hydroplaning: that's a function of tire-to-road surface contact, and is typically associated with driving too fast for conditions.

Kevin

Right, but, if the back shells go on top of water, the front can still help. It won't prevent, but can make the experience better. As far as to fast, I have done it at really low speeds, but obviously it wasn't dangerous. A light vehicle, really wide tires, is a really bad recipe to hydroplane. Obviously, tires on gladiator are not wide at all.

Still, question remains. Is there a top speed for 4 auto? I don't think there is, but not familiar with the system. Part time 4 I really never run over 50 (truth be told about 35, if weather dictates it is needed).

 

[Garemlin]

So no worries about speed? I thought about using it in just rain, or any wet to help prevent the truck from hydroplaning. It never has, but I have plenty of times in other rear wheel drive cars, and not my favorite thing. Just concerned about being in 4 wheel auto while doing 70.

None worries about speed. I don't see the benefit of Selec-trac while wheeling. But for wet or slippery roads it will do great. My Grand Cherokee had a similar set-up. I tried making it lose traction on wet roads and couldn't.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Right, but, if the back shells go on top of water, the front can still help. It won't prevent, but can make the experience better. As far as to fast, I have done it at really low speeds, but obviously it wasn't dangerous. A light vehicle, really wide tires, is a really bad recipe to hydroplane. Obviously, tires on gladiator are not wide at all.

Still, question remains. Is there a top speed for 4 auto? I don't think there is, but not familiar with the system. Part time 4 I really never run over 50 (truth be told about 35, if weather dictates it is needed).

Had similar with my Silverado - it had an auto setting on the transfer case dial. Start to lose traction you could feel it pull you through.

You don't necessarily have to be going fast for hydroplaning to happen. I've had it happen more than once while going UNDER the speed limit in rain. Sometimes old highways have worn or depressed areas from traffic where water stands in a very heavy rain (and rain at a rate of 4-5" an hour isn't unheard of here) - I recall going 50 on I235 in Des Moines, slower than prevailing traffic where the speed limit was 60 - and suddenly I was on water and starting to go sideways but my wife's WK2 pulled through fine. Probably a combination of traction and traction/stability control. It was spooky as heck but I was very happy to be in a JEEP with that sort of system.

 

[Olympusreptiles]

Had similar with my Silverado - it had an auto setting on the transfer case dial. Start to lose traction you could feel it pull you through.

You don't necessarily have to be going fast for hydroplaning to happen. I've had it happen more than once while going UNDER the speed limit in rain. Sometimes old highways have worn or depressed areas from traffic where water stands in a very heavy rain (and rain at a rate of 4-5" an hour isn't unheard of here) - I recall going 50 on I235 in Des Moines, slower than prevailing traffic where the speed limit was 60 - and suddenly I was on water and starting to go sideways but my wife's WK2 pulled through fine. Probably a combination of traction and traction/stability control. It was spooky as heck but I was very happy to be in a JEEP with that sort of system.

Living in northern Kansas, I understand all to well the weather you are talking about!! And yes, I have hydroplaned at low speeds like that. Once, on some tires that were getting bad my ol vette had to get off the interstate. My choice was drive so slow I was a hazard, or skate the back like water skis. That is one reason I am excited for this system. Just was checking speed limitations as I don't want to damage it.

I also drive through Iowa fairly often. Once through a hell of an ice storm going to Minnesota lol.

 

[Olympusreptiles]

None worries about speed. I don't see the benefit of Selec-trac while wheeling. But for wet or slippery roads it will do great. My Grand Cherokee had a similar set-up. I tried making it lose traction on wet roads and couldn't.

Perfect! Dining wet raining roads, just set it on, forget it, and keep trucking. I can live without a little mpg for piece of mind.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Perfect! Dining wet raining roads, just set it on, forget it, and keep trucking. I can live without a little mpg for piece of mind.

Back in 1980 model year (1979) when AMC released the first Eagle, it was all wheel drive. Then to meet CAFE standards they decided to put in the FAD and allow you to take it out of 4x4 mode sometime in the 81 model year.
That lasted until about 85 when AMC research showed that taking it out of 4 wheel drive and disconnecting the right front axle they saved almost 1 mpg. Future Eagles were full time 4 wheel drive again.
I know - these are different engines, different weight and shape vehicles, technology has changed a lot - but then that tells me that you may not lose much in the way of mpg with it in automatic mode. That's because for one thing - it's not fully driving all wheels all the time - it senses and acts accordingly. I left my Chevy in automatic mode most of the time - and saw very little difference.

You also don't need worn tires to hydroplane. That seems to be the catch-phrase everyone uses when discussing hydroplaning - oh, you must have had worn tires. NO. Even new tires can hydroplane in the right conditions. My wife has never taken tires past about half-life because she trades so often - usually under 30,000 miles, last time she had 13,000 on her Jeep. I've only had to replace tires due to wear on 2 or 3 vehicles and those were my fun cars. Generally those get replaced due to age more than wear. We just don't drive on worn tires. My wife won't put up with it and I'm too OCD - once I see signs of wear, they go by-by.

 

[Olympusreptiles]

Back in 1980 model year (1979) when AMC released the first Eagle, it was all wheel drive. Then to meet CAFE standards they decided to put in the FAD and allow you to take it out of 4x4 mode sometime in the 81 model year.
That lasted until about 85 when AMC research showed that taking it out of 4 wheel drive and disconnecting the right front axle they saved almost 1 mpg. Future Eagles were full time 4 wheel drive again.
I know - these are different engines, different weight and shape vehicles, technology has changed a lot - but then that tells me that you may not lose much in the way of mpg with it in automatic mode. That's because for one thing - it's not fully driving all wheels all the time - it senses and acts accordingly. I left my Chevy in automatic mode most of the time - and saw very little difference.

You also don't need worn tires to hydroplane. That seems to be the catch-phrase everyone uses when discussing hydroplaning - oh, you must have had worn tires. NO. Even new tires can hydroplane in the right conditions. My wife has never taken tires past about half-life because she trades so often - usually under 30,000 miles, last time she had 13,000 on her Jeep. I've only had to replace tires due to wear on 2 or 3 vehicles and those were my fun cars. Generally those get replaced due to age more than wear. We just don't drive on worn tires. My wife won't put up with it and I'm too OCD - once I see signs of wear, they go by-by.

I agree. In my worst case my tires were pretty worn. It definitely makes it worse with the water channels shot. But, I have hyro many a car with good tires as well. Rear wheel drive light cars, wide tires since I was 18 do that easy. The worst instance anything over 40 felt like ice. But, having especially the rear step out on water is not anything new.

But, in rain running in 4 auto and losing 1 mpg or so, definitely worth it as late ng as 70 on the interstate won't hurt the system. Sounds like it won't.

 

[aldo98229]

I have Selec-Trac on my Sahara. I use it nine months of the year here in the PNW. It works seamlessly and smoothly on pavement.

I learned to engage out of 4A and into 4H as soon as I hit the trailhead to avoid the clutch pack from overhearing.

Once on the trail, it works just like Command-Trac: 4H and 4L lock 50-50 front and rear at the transfer case.

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