1st snow: 4WD Q's
 

OK, not alot of snow just enough to want to kick in 4WH HI to aid on the roads. When turning in Sam's parking lot the front really did not want to turn....almost like "hopping" instead.

Is this because the fronts are locked and need some slippage to move smoothly...almost like a true locked diff.? A friend hada locker on his mustang and turning corners was a chore!

I noticed the same thing from the rears when bscking out of my garage and turning on the road after I forgot to turn off the 4WD.

I never experienced anything like this with my old Xploder, but it's system didn't actually lock the front wheels until the rears slipped.

I know the manual states the 4WD shouldn't be engaged on dry pavement. I just didn't know if this inability to turn was normal.


Thanks.
Jason

That's how it works, totally normal. Try to make wider turns to avoid the popping in the front end. It is not very good for things up there. What is happening is the front end is binding up due to both wheels trying to turn. This puts extra strain on the front driveline. I try to take it out of 4x4 or turn wide to stop this from happening. We got our first snow last night and with 50,000 miles on a 40,000 mile tire I had to use 4 hi quite a bit. Another thing to watch out for is wheel slippage while trying to engage the front axle. If the back is spinning faster than the front it causes extra wear on the parts that engage the two. I normally lift off the gas completely and coast for a few seconds before turning the knob, wait for the light to come on then ease back onto the gas.

It is not a front locker, however, it is binding as stated as the fronts and rears have to turn at the same speed. Because you are in a turn, the fronts cannot slip enough due to too much traction. As stated, best to rerurn to 2wd or wider turns. Also if dry or even just wet, turn off 4wd.

Agreed, if your popping your getting too much traction and probably don't need 4wd engaged. But wider turns would help.

Actually, just to correct a little, with the rear locked, its forcing understeer and your front tires are trying to grab the lateral grip on a turn. Need rear wheel spin to create oversteer (not recommended for street use) or slower speed transferring weight to front wheels.

Mine does the same with LS where the clutches are not slipping enough, creating full lock.

I exploded my front diff last year blew the case in half with a big chunck out of the top . Got stuck in a snow covered ditch at idle put the truck in 4wd H started rocking back and forth and turning the wheels to get out then a loud bang and that smell of diff fluid. My buddy had to pull me out, went to Ford with 1600 miles and a destroyed front end Ford replaced everything. thought the front ends would be a little more robust.

An open rear will give you the same problem. there is no front or rear locker except for the 09-11 FX4 or Raptor.

So from reading this thread, why does the Ford 4WD system sound so finicky and fragile? Sounds like you have to baby it (turn wider, disengage, etc.) just to nurse it around corners. Why do I not have this same problem with my Quattro AWD Audi? (Are the systems that fundamentally different?). I'd like to get a 4x4 F150 soon, but not if it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

There's a big difference in AWD and 4WD. With AWD each tire spins on it's own with 4wd each axle acts as one. Or something along those lines

Google is your friend....dont be afraid:banana:

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...vs-awd-cga.htm

Negative. Open diff allows for greater turning. This is the 09-11 forum, hence the locker talk.

It does make a difference. The locker for one thing is only at speed below 25mph, and as soon as you are over that speed it cuts out. The locker is an open until it is locked. The OP did not state what he had, so unless he has the FX4 or Raptor, he can't have anything but open or LS. Also the binding is due to front to rear. The fronts, because they are steerable are trying to go a slower speed than the rear which cause a bind. My FX4 gets the same problem, even when unlocked.

I would not consider the finicky or fragile at all and I would also not compare a 4WD vehicle to an AWD vehicle. 4WD is made for off-road or really nasty roads and only to be used when required. Most of the times when something gets broken it is because the driver has oversized tires or not used the system in the way it was designed. AWD is made for use on any road and has front, center and rear diffs to allow the wheels to slip when required. It works well at getting traction under most on-road situations and some off roading but it does not lock the front axle together with the rear axle. Also most AWD systems do not have a low range like the 4WD does.

The F150 4x4 system isn't finicky or fragile when used as designed.

It was 'suggested' the OP use a wider turning radius because it sounded (at least to me) as if they may be on dry pavement making tight turns in a parking lot, which is not a normal aspect of 4x4 driving. These trucks are pretty forgiving when locked in 4x4 but let's face it folks, they weren't designed to be driven in circles in situations where the drive train can bind. On snow covered roads, the drive train will unload and you will likely never notice any hopping. This is all caused because the front to rear and/or side to side tires rotate differently while in a turn. Sometimes, in these exaggerated situations, a simple turn of the knob disengaging 4x4 is all that is necessary.

The OP also didn't mention if he had a LS differential but regardless, you will notice the majority of the unloading coming from the front end simply because they are the wheels on the steering axle.

There is a HUGE difference in AWD and 4x4.
AWD is designed to compensate for all this (because they know the vehicle will be driven on dry as well as snow covered roads at any given time) by allowing some internal slippage of the drive components.

Being stuck in a ditch, rocking back & forth while turning the wheels, trying to obtain traction is also not the norm.

Why do Fords not have an Auto 4 Hi button like the Chevy? Seems like this would be very helpful in icy road conditions.