Hey guys. I purchased my 2007 XLT V8 4x4 last month. We just got our first snow yesterday, and I have a question regarding 4x4 Hi. When I'm in 4x2, everything feels smooth and stable. Yesterday when in 4x4 hi, the transmission felt really sluggish at low speeds. For example, when I would pull into parking spaces, it almost felt as if something was rubbing or that the parking brake was left on. I still have the stock 17" tires so I know rubbing isn't the issue, and of course the parking brake was not engaged. It's especially noticeable when I'm turning at low speeds. Once the truck gets over 10MPH, the rub feeling goes away.

Is this normal? Do your trucks feel "heavier" when in 4x4 mode? My previous Toyota 4runner didn't feel any different in 4x4 hi than it did in standard, 4x2 hi.

 

I hope you weren't on pavement in 4 hi! It should feel alittle more sluggish because you are delivering power to 4 wheels instead of 2. And when you turn (especially on hard ground) it will grab a lot more.

I'm assuming you meant stock tires on 17" wheels.

 

Its because the front wheels are locked together and one of them is skidding through the turn. you shouldnt drive in 4H unless the roads are covered in snow because it is very hard on the drivetrain.
The computer also changes something with the tranny when its in 4H to make it more sluggish, and when the truck is in 4L you have to press the accelerator about to the floor before anything happens.

 

In 4X4 the electronic throttle control is calibrated differently in order to improve traction. It take more pedal travel to achieve the same throttle response you would get in 2WD.

 

if everything feels smooth and stable in 4x2 why did u put it in 4x4, you are describing binding perfectly, when the inner front wheel on a turn get bound up, its not so great on the front axles or the tcase

 

Your truck felt like it was grabbing while pulling into a parking spot because your drivetrain was binding up. 4x4 = slippery conditions only. And your truck will feel slower in 4x4, it has more parts to turn now.

bjp, unless he is running an aftermarket front locker, his front wheels are NOT locked together.

 

Nope, the ETC only changes for 4L.

 

100% normal. Much more resistance in the drive train when in 4WD. Every 4WD I have ever owned would stop on its own while turning at slow speeds. Everything is locked together, but when you turn, the inner wheels need to turn slower and the outter wheels need to turn faster, so things get tight. Kinda like when a bulldoze or a tank turns. The inner set of tracks just sit there and spins. Out trucks do that on a much less scale, but out tires dont let it slip. Unless you are on snow, then you wont feel it as much..

 

That is correct. I forgot to put in LO.

 

 

So you are suppose to just switch back and forth when in patchy snow areas (RWD/ 4WD)........?

What about offroading?

Is there a speed limitation to 4WD?

 

First of all, we had about 3"-5" of snow on the ground and I had my wife and kids in the car. The 4x4 was necessary to get up some hills or we would have been screwed. There's no doubt, however, that it was binding. Bad decision on my part I guess, as I should have clicked back to 4x2L when I was on more stable pavement.

Should I have the service department check for excessive wear/damage at my next appointment?

 

Straight line 4x4 operation on dry pavement is fine. It's the turning on dry pavement that causes problems.

Off road situations are fine due to the lack of traction and surfaces that are more forgiving than pavement. Gravel/dirt/mud/etc will allow the wheels to spin and not have the drivetrain bind up.

The only speed limitations are the speeds to which the 4x4 can be engaged, I believe it is about 55 MPH.

 

I'm so pissed off at myself right now. My 4runner didn't have these restrictions, and I figured the operation of the 4x4 was similar. What a moron. The good news is that there was a considerable amount of snow on the ground and I only drove around 40 total miles. I'm wondering if I should bring it up to Ford or if I should just hope that everything is OK and "play dumb" if it isn't?

I guess I'm confused about how to properly and effectively utilize the 4x4 system in my F150. For example (like today), we wake up to 4"-5" of snow at our home. I need the 4x4 to get out of our driveway and onto the main road (which was only slushy). 10 miles later, there's a long, steep grade that was very snowy and icy. With my family in the car, I needed the security of 4x4 to safely climb this hill. If I waited until I slipped my rear tires in 2HI, I would have lost all my momentum and would have probably gotten stuck. The mistake I made was not changing back to 2HI when we hit the main roads which were mainly bare and slushy. I feel like I totally messed up in the parking lot of Sears when I heard (and felt) a grinding/binding sound when parking.

Should I have only used 4x4 hi when I most needed it and then changed back to 2hi? Is it better to just switch back on forth? God I'm an idiot. I better not have f'ed up my new truck.

 

If you are in a situation where you need 4X4, how fast do you really need to be going? Just because you can go fast in 4WD doesn't mean you can stop quickly and safely either. Common sense should be your throttle governor.