I know that with my 4H activated all four wheels drive at once, obviously. I've been able to use my 4H at L, 2, and D. Pretty neat I must say, especially in the snow. But what exactly is 4L? I know I have to be shifted in neutral before it kicks in on my 2007 XLT 5.4L, but what are the operating gears? Is it kept in Low by the transmission or is there a much lower gear ratio in the transfer case (which I can't imagine the possibility of) ?

 

4L is when your really stuck or going into a really sticky situation or pulling something out that is heavy or very stuck you can use drive but your not going to be able to go more than 25. 4L is designed for short term use not long term.

 

Yeah but like, what gears it? Is it in the transfer case or it is just the low gear on the transmission? I'm not too familiar with transfer cases other than their puproses. Is there a reduced gear in the transfer case that differs 4L from 4H?

 

It's a gear reduction in the transfer case to something like 2:1. My truck will actually shift from 1st to 2nd going up my driveway, and I have a steep driveway! You can go maybe 40 mph max in 4Lo. You'll be in OD and pulling a lot of rpms!

I use it for backing up my travel trailer into it's parking spot next to the house. It's up a steep grade and I have to go over a curb off the street and in 4Lo, it just goes right up it without straining the trans.

It's also great for pulling stumps and any other low speed situation where you need some low end grunt..

Mitch

 

Oh awesome! Thanks for that info, it helped! I kinda want to go outside and play around with it, familiarize myself with it. Another question, are you able to manually shift your transmission to D, 2, and L when you're on 4L or does it just keep itself to one transmission gear on it's own?

 

For the most part, you would just put it in D or R and do your thing. If you try it out, do it on a dirt or gravel surface, as any turning will cause some binding in the system and even on a loose surface it kind bind up on you.

You can shift the gears as you would normally, but in 4L, there really is no need to and it's not meant to be used in anything but low speed situations.

I tried mine out when I first got it too! I did do it on pavement, but I kept the wheels straight and didn't go any faster then about 15 mph. (down my street)..

Mitch

 

yeah 4L has nothing to do with your tranny its all in your transfer case just leave your truck in d but dont turn in 4H or 4L on dry pavement you can hurt your tcase. 4L is for very low speed things 99% of the time you will only need 4H

 

In addition to the extra grunt you get from 4L for pulling or going up a steep grade, 4L is especially useful when going down a steep grade when off-road, especially one that is gravelly, slippery or technical (slick rock, deep ruts and boulders). It allows you to maintain speed control (go very, very slowly) without using your brakes which can cause you to slide downhill without directional control. I have used 4L for this purpose more than anything else. When doing so, my transmission is almost always in first gear. (Note because 4L is primarly intended for downhill speed control, some newer high end 4X4 SUVs with hill decent control do not have 4L.)