Max speed in 4WD?

[MrKnowitall]

As long as you don’t have a terrible mismatch between tires/pressures, it will hurt NOTHING to rip along as fast as you dare in 4wd. That goes for both engines, all 3 transmissions, both axle ratios and 3 transfer cases. Engaging 4wd is a different matter, as stated above.

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[Artsifrtsi]

As long as you don’t have a terrible mismatch between tires/pressures, it will hurt NOTHING to rip along as fast as you dare in 4wd. That goes for both engines, all 3 transmissions, both axle ratios and 3 transfer cases. Engaging 4wd is a different matter, as stated above.

just don’t do it on damp or dry pavement.

 

[cgflyer]

55 used to be the limit in the TJ and my XJ's...I had this same question when driving in my JK because it wasn't listed anywhere (pretty sure the TJ and XJ's used to have a sticker on the visor that said it). I agree with some that if you think you need 4WD, you probably shouldn't be going much faster than 55 anyway, even on the highway. I watch people in AWD vehicles doing 60-70 mph all the time, but you can still lose traction with 4WD/AWD...I know and have wrecked a Subaru Outback on lightly snow covered road. But the JT like other Jeeps is definitely shift on the fly and apparently there is no longer a restriction as to how fast you can be going when you put it in 4WD HI.

 

[MrKnowitall]

just don’t do it on damp or dry pavement.

Going fast, you're not encountering significant speed differential between the axles, so it doesn't cause much bind. the problem is in parking lots.
Of course, the question one might ask is WHY you might drive fast on dry roads in 4wd.

 

[RatZer0]

Driving in 4WD around 45mph on paved or unpaved roads should be fine. Once you start getting up past 45mph, the problem is with changing direction ie. Turning the steering wheel past 2oclock/10oclock.

 

[Red Hot Sloth]

We were camping out in the desert a few times pre-covid this past winter and on one of the trips, I cant recall which, we were doing some high-speed runs through the wide open smoother washes. There were several (maybe many) times while in 4H our speed was above 70.
Shifting into 4H I had always been below 35 although IIRC the manual states below 45.
YMMV

 

[Jay Gatsby]

4WD speed limit:
4-Hi - None
4-Lo - 25mph

 

[TheLastOne]

1. Shift into 4HI at any reasonable speed. Your top end is limited only by your ability to drive and your engines speed safety limiter.

2. Shift to 4LO at a stop or crawling very, very slow. Manual says 25mph is the top speed. 4LO in the Rubicon is a 4:1 ratio, so very slow, and you'd be slinging a lot of metal around in there very rapidly above 25mph.

 

[CerOf]

From the manual, preferred shifting 2wd to 4H is 45.
There is no max speed for 4-h. Just use your brain and drive fir the conditions.

 

[Gvsukids]

Wait, there's a manual to read? ?

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/who-reads-owners-manuals-i-gots-to-know.38569/

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

4wd in high range is just like 2wd except you are driving the front in a locked 50/50 power distribution. You would not want to run in 4hi on dry pavement or high speed cornering due to driveline binding and wrap up, things break or destroy gear sets. So if you are on a soft but stable surface like a baked sand wash and you can do 80 from a stability standpoint, doing it in 4hi won't kill it. Obviously you would want to shift the transfercase at as low a speed as possible as the transfercase is unsncronized and all the parts need to slip just so. Crunching is somewhat normal and expected, less speed means less crunch.

4lo is a wholy other animal. All trucks but the rubicon should have the same low range ratio (diesel is excepted) and the rubicon is 4:1, back of the envelop is almost twice as much gearing as the others. What this means is your maximum speed possible is roughly 30 and thats WOT in top gear. Huge gear reduction means more power at lower speeds for optimum offroad capabilities. You do not rip around in low range, a you can't and b its no fun. Shifting into low is done either from a floppy standstil or just crawling, more gear is more crunch and sometimes you get lucky and it just slips in.

To get towards your question, if you must shift from 2 to 4 at plaid speeds, lift and coast a moment, clutch if you can in a manual and shift in a concerted but aware manner. If the system is unloaded it will behave gar better.

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