Just a little rant but why do people sit through an entire light cycle spinning out with there 4X4 in two wheel drive? I just got back from town and the intersections are fairly slick. Why not put it in four wheel drive at the stop lights so when it turns green more than one car can get through the intersection? I don't run around in 4wd but I do put it in when I need it. If you got it use it .

 

I see where your comming from. I was one of those guys trying to get through the lights before they turned red. Not entirely my fault though. Those handy-dandy auto hubs don't always work when you expect them to. All good now that I swapped them for some Warns. I think that has alot to do with it, especially in the winter, when some of those system don't work because of the cold. Well, then there's those folk out there that don't know how to engage the 4x4.

 

My philosophy on hubs is:
Hubs in on Halloween-Hubs out on Easter. That doesn't always work with the auto hubs, but it sure is great on my Ranger with the Warn hubs.

 

I swapped insome warn premiums, no more auto's,,,
I keep them in all winter, and I use 4wd alot.
If I can slip easily, I am in 4x. The Bronco needs it.

 

Exploder's been in 4x4 since early november. Take it out every once in a while to check, start sliding, put it back.

 

I have a similar, if not more stringent, philosophy...My vehicles go into 4HI and hubs locked from first snow till no snow.... you never know when you'll hit that odd patch of "black ice" and all it takes is a second - even for a vehicle as big as the Excursion - to do a 360 in the middle of a busy road or highway!


(believe me - this is the voice of experience!)

 

I only use 4wd when it gets really slick or if I'm in a hurry (which is not often). 4wd drops my mileage by about 2mpg. My LS and Cooper discoveries do a very good job without the need of 4wd. I have 4wd because it's better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.

Tony

 

Yikes, my sister in law is like that. Makes for a hard life on the drivetrain.
I use it a lot, but there are so many days where the roads are way to dry. Like right now. Intersections only on most roads.

 

Actually samwe, I haven't noticed any detriment to my drivetrain yet. And I did this with my F-150 shortbed, my Jeep Grand Cherokee, and my 2 F-250 trucks before that. So this will be the fifth vehicle I have used this policy on. No problems with unusual or premature wear of the drivetrain that I have encountered. Of course most of my miles are highway miles (don't know if that makes a difference or not).

There is a little drop in mileage of course but mileage has never really been too much of a concern for me. I'd rather get there than worry about how much it's costing me! I used to commute 150 miles to work every other day. Now I do the same trip once a week but I have the Excursion to do it in. I don't wory about gas mileage.

 

You drive in 4wd at freeway speeds when it is dry?

 

LOL~ I'm with samwe. Sometimes my dad willdo that when im in the car and I will cringe the entire time

 

samwe, when was the last time you drove the Parks Highway dry? There is always some places with ice (especially in the shadowed corners where the sun doesn't hit). I've seen lots of vehicles in the ditch driving when the roads were "dry".

I've driven the Parks Highway for some 20+ years and one thing I've learned (the hard way!) is never to take the road for granted. Even on the best of days - and that's when it will happen too - you can't be too careful. I'll be taking my Ex out of 4wd soon as the snow melts and the temps are staying above freezing at night. But till then I like that 7,000 lbs with all four claws!

 

I keep my hubs locked all winter too. Better for it to be hard on the drivetrain...than to be upside down or wrapped around a tree!

My son is a body tech. and he's seen some WILD stuff! And most of the time the drivers will say..."Wish I had been in 4 wheel drive!"

 

I follow the crowd above. I lock my hubs come pumpkin day and take them out come May. I try to do most of my driving in 2wd but I do occasionally throw the lever into 4wd during icy intersections and icy/snowy sections of the road. Better safe than sorry.

 

Same here, i turn my hubs in on my f-350 when things get slick and out after roads dry out, i'm not always in 4 wd but the option to pull it in is always there in the winter and one thing i have found out with this f-350 and a 6 speed manual is its hard to start out on a slick road in two wheel drive, better safe than sorry