i agree with many statements made here but....
no one mentioned 4X4 low.
4 low is where you want to be stopped before engaging and do not want to go over 20 mph.
4 high is not that big of a deal to do on dry pavement but definitely not recommended. when you turn you'll notice it's on and should turn it off.
generally i use mine just to get through the rough stuff or off a stoplight then turn it off.
if your on a highway with multiple slick spots interspersed with dry. use your judgment, if you can make it through the slick with no prob then leave it off. if not then leave it on but try not to turn much in the dry.

msduncan 4X4 on a dirt road is no problem at all because the tires can slide on the dirt surface easier then on asphalt. you can drive all day in the dirt with it, although if very hard packed you will notice the same as on a road.

been doing 4X4's for the last 15 years that way and it's worked so far.

just my .02

 

I use 4-Low to pull out shrubry.

 

I use 4 Low to pull a 6,000+ lb boat and trailer up the ramps. It's no sweat. Another place I use it a lot is up on mountain trails. I could do it in 4H, but it just seems to be a whole lot less strain in 4L, especially when I'm at 8,000'. It also comes in real handy when coming back down. Don't have to ride the brakes so much.

 

I have experianced this first hand the first winter I had my truck with the stock Goodyears on it. I was coming down a long fairly steep one lane snow covered hill late one night, I was in 4x4 high, drive with OD off. I was going about 15-20mph, when I went to gradually hit my brakes they would lock and I would slide speeding me up. The first time I let off and regained traction, then I knew I had to slow down so I tired them again and again it would slide, this time I kept my foot in the brake, gripped the wheel, and let the wheels lock/slide then unlock. At the bottom of this hill is a 90* u-turn to the keft, one side the bank is straight up the other is about 80 feet straight down with no guardrail into the creek. About half way through the turn is a woven wire fence/gate into a field. I slid my way down and somehow managed to make half the turn amd then turn right toward the fence. At this point the PF was at it's peak. I managed to stop no more than 2 feet from that fence, thank god there was gravel, sticks and dirt there. That's the only thing that saved me besides quick thinking and what little driving skills I may have. I thanked god for saving me that night.
From then on in the snow on hills like that I take it in 2wd, 2nd gear, or 4x4 low and let the engine do the braking.

 

KY

That's one reason I got a manual transmission. Although I've got nothing on you guys up there with the snow, we get tons of rain in Florida. Even with the 3-channel ABS system (which is a major improvement granted) I can still lose the back end in certain situations, as the ABS will only keep the speed of the back wheels taken together different than the two front wheels apart. The worst type of situation is a very quick shower, which brings oil to the surface but doesn't really wash it off. But even in heavy shower situations, if I have to slam on the brakes I can feel the rear "wishing" it could go.

I have always found that downshifting, coupled with braking, has given me the extra slow-down I needed to keep from hitting the car in front of me AND keep from losing the back end.

 

I hate ABS. In slow speed manouvers it sucks. When you are on ice ABS will keep cycling the brakes when you want it to stop the wheel. The same thing happens off road. As far as using 4x4 in varying dry/slippery conditions use your judgement. Think of why you are out in such crappy conditions that you need 4x4. Here is one situation you should consider.
Traveling in a strait line on a flat snow surface, or oily rain for the Southers folks, in 4x4 with an LSD rear. The rear end brakes free, what do you do? If the rear end is out enough, slowing down will lock the wheels and cause it to spin even more, if you accelerate it will do the same.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

KY, after reading you post, i was going to say the same thing. In that event, auto or standard, downshift.

 

Thanks for the help guys but that night I learned my lesson with ABS equipped vehicles. If you reread my post you will notice that last line mentions me using lower gears from then on.

I agree with JMC, I hate ABS. I know it's great safety featue, and has saved many lives, and is helpful to inexperainced drivers you have never handled a non-ABS vehicle upon full lockup. Dad's 94 with just the rear ABS stops better than my truck in most conditions.

JMC
Is the answer, maintain throttle and steer in direction of the skid?

 

I am not sure of the answer. Steer, yes. That is what I did. I let go of the gas and it got worse. I disengaged the clutch and it came back. It happened on a snow covered city street at about 35 mph. I was having fun with the 4x4 and the rear end wanted to come around. If I would have been going faster like on a country road I would not have had time to try different things. What had caused it was letting go of the throttle while the wheels were spinning. The front wheels had more traction than the rear, so the rear slipped. You can get into a like situation when encountering alternating surfaces when in 4x4 at speed. Hit a dry spot in 4x4 and the front wheels slow down while the rear loose traction and it comes around. I learned my lesson. I use 4x4 on the highway when the road is slippery and I need traction. When I reach speed I push the lever back into 4x2 mode.

JMC

 

I have to admit that I love ABS -- and try out every rental car I get.

In the mid 70's I was hands-on involved with the development of ABS (we called it Skid Control back then) for heavy trucks (the air-brake variety), so I understand the concept and practical application.

I also understand many of the situations which can raise the PF -- and would not buy a motorcycle with it due to the potential for unpredictability.

Actually, they are VERY predictable -- only, the manufacturers don't tell you what to expect (have you been able to find anything in any driver manual about what to expect in the way of operation of your ABS under specific situations? Think that's an accident?)

I was a little more satisfied with the rear-wheel-only ABS of my '97, where the axle control (as opposed to individual wheel) was adequate for most situations where unloaded pickup trucks seem to want to lock the rear brakes.

The front-wheel ABS on my truck engages just a bit more than I'd prefer, as I find that I tend to find the traction limit on purpose at the end of stops in snow -- which causes the ABS to Bszzzzzzzzzz when I should expect it (but don't want it).

For the wife and kids, it works just fine.