4H Usage Restrictions

[WambliSka]

Quadratec just posted about this.

How and Why to Engage Your Jeep's Four Wheel Drive

https://www.quadratec.com/c/blog/ho...8r7XA314SfkfS8s7oSsOMu5Xu7qUDk5pqAxh8F73IbMgs

This statement always shocks me even though I know it to be true...

"somewhere between 70-90 percent of Jeep owners never take their vehicle off pavement."

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[jeepguy225]

This statement always shocks me even though I know it to be true...

"somewhere between 70-90 percent of Jeep owners never take their vehicle off pavement."

It's cheaper that way! It costs money to take them off-roading. I'm currently fixing my locker on my TJ which lead to needing a new ring and pinion (thick cut stock rubicon locker vs standard cut grizzly locker), which lead to a mistake, which lead to needing a (second) new set of bearings to complete the job, which lead to needing more tools, which has now got me thinking to do an axle swap to JK axles. After this I'll be an expert at regearing.... so I should regear my gladiator to 4.56 for better towing on 35's. Funny, I rarely use 4WD on my gladiator, mostly just for fun on a few dirt roads to make sure it still works.

 

[WambliSka]

It's cheaper that way! It costs money to take them off-roading. I'm currently fixing my locker on my TJ which lead to needing a new ring and pinion (thick cut stock rubicon locker vs standard cut grizzly locker), which lead to a mistake, which lead to needing a (second) new set of bearings to complete the job, which lead to needing more tools, which has now got me thinking to do an axle swap to JK axles. After this I'll be an expert at regearing.... so I should regear my gladiator to 4.56 for better towing on 35's. Funny, I rarely use 4WD on my gladiator, mostly just for fun on a few dirt roads to make sure it still works.

Not meaning to be disrespectful, just curious. Why run 35” tires on a Gladiator that’s ”rarely” goes off-road?

 

[Supazuk]

Not meaning to be disrespectful, just curious. Why run 35” tires on a Gladiator that’s ”rarely” goes off-road?

to quote the great joe dirt "why are boobs good"

 

[Badunit]

This statement always shocks me even though I know it to be true...

"somewhere between 70-90 percent of Jeep owners never take their vehicle off pavement."

I used to be one of those who went off road all the time but now I prefer not to break stuff.

My JT has never been off road other than driving around my farm. Even that I can do in 2wd unless it is muddy or snowy or I am trying to find an excuse to lock it in. I got it as a daily driver small pickup truck, one that did not bore me to death. I need 4wd only on occasion and I'll probably never "need" the lockers or sway bar disconnect. But it is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

 

[jeepguy225]

Not meaning to be disrespectful, just curious. Why run 35” tires on a Gladiator that’s ”rarely” goes off-road?

looks good... dropped from 37's for towing my TJ to the trails.

 

[WambliSka]

Thanks for the replies guys and for taking me asking in the right light. I highly respect other's reasons for doing whatever they do and I do not require any explanations from them, but I do find it actually interesting to learn about other's reasons for things I don't personally "get".

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yup, sometimes a higher gear, and less torque to the rubber, = higher traction/less slipping. In manual or automatic 2WD in slippery conditions, I've done many second gear starts from a dead stop, RW drive and FW drive.

When I was a teen, the local truck drivers (delivery and others) said "keep it in the highest gear you can without lugging so it doesn't have the torque to break the tires loose"

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If going straight, this can also be done on pavement. Or, use this as an excuse to go off-roading.

That's true - but if the tire sizes are off enough............or with my Ford, if you drove it even 100 feet in 4 wheel drive on dry surfaces it was almost impossible to shift it back out. Ford even said "reverse direction for a few feet and try again". Those were really picky. The driveline would really wind up and bind even going straight on dry roads.

 

[MT1]

If going straight, this can also be done on pavement. Or, use this as an excuse to go off-roading.

True! Always looking for a reason!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For that last sentence, keep in mind the transfer case had a viscous coupling, so it was like open when there was no difference in shaft speeds, and it locked as the difference in shaft speeds increased.

 

[BearFootSam]

I've only had to to use 4H at higher speeds a few times. Once was driving from Yellowstone to LoLo one snowy November. Two lane highway glazed with ice and snow, I was pulling a small 3,000lb trailer which would get a tad squirly until I pulled the lever to 4H.

The truck generally does quite well in 2H until it gets too slick. The road up our local mountain goes from 1,000' to 5,400' in the course of twelve miles. Going uphill, past a certain elevation the road surface turns to glazed snow and 4H keeps oversteer in check around the tight turns. Could be done in 2wd but it's less controlled and not as safe.

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