Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I was reading in the owners manual earlier, and on pages 190-191 it appears to explain the differences between what appeared to be the XLT T-case (no 4a) and the Lariat T-Case (with 4a) and under 4 high they have slightly different descriptions:


4H (4x4 High)
Provides mechanically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use in off-road or winter conditions such as deep snow, sand or mud. This mode is not for use on dry pavement.


4H (4x4 High)
Provides electronically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use in off-road or winter conditions such as deep snow, sand or mud. This mode is not for use on dry pavement.


What is the difference between when mechanically and electronically locked wheel drive? I believe mine (since I only have 2H, 4H and 4L) is the first description referencing mechanical - but the times i've used it everything seemed electronic?

 

I would think that one is either pneumatically, hydraulically or manually actuated and the other is electronically actuated. But I'm sure as hell not a mechanic

 

If you want to go back in history, the old school mechanical transfer cases had a **** or lever you had to get out, under the truck, and flip to lock the transfer case "on." Now they're electronic. Unless there's some other voodoo going on, that should still be what a mechanical transfer case is, or there's a new term that needs to be defined in my brain.

 

Yeah, I remember having the manual stick you had to pull down on the inside of the cabins but as far as I know even the base XLs have the electronic **** inside - which made me curious why they differentiated it in the manual and used different terminology.

 

Doesn't make sense to me, either

 

See what you're writing about now, thought you were asking between 4a and 4h.

Perhaps it is the difference in design between the XL/XLT transfer case and the ones with 4A mode?

 

They both use an electric actuator to shift into 4 wheel drive. The difference is in the transfer cases. The first one connects two gears together mechanically. The second one uses some sort of electronic clutch to engage and disengage 4 wheel drive.