When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My point is that the primary difference between 4Lo and 4Hi is the gearing. Not whether or not Traction Control is on or off. It seemed as if the OP may have thought the main difference between 4Hi and 4Lo had to do with Traction Control. That's a small side note. It is correct that Traction Control is off in 4Lo. I corrected my post with that info.
Last edited by Florida_F150; 02-06-2019 at 09:57 PM.
My point is that the primary difference between 4Lo and 4Hi is the gearing. Not whether or not Traction Control is on or off. It seemed as if the OP may have thought the main difference between 4Hi and 4Lo had to do with Traction Control. That's a small side note. It is correct that Traction Control is off in 4Lo. I corrected my post with that info.
NO OFFENSE BUT
Traction control in 4lo is far from a side note. 4X4 is used in low traction conditions where all of those systems are counterproductive and often dangerous. In my book 4H is worthless for this very reason.
NO OFFENSE BUT
Traction control in 4lo is far from a side note. 4X4 is used in low traction conditions where all of those systems are counterproductive and often dangerous. In my book 4H is worthless for this very reason.
The difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing. Period. You choose one over the other depending on if you need the gearing in 4Lo. Ford chose to disable Traction Control in 4Lo for whatever reason they chose, but it is pretty much inconsequential in every respect. And you can just turn off Traction Control in 4Hi, which I do 99% of the time. The OP's post read:
Originally Posted by tomjv
Here's what I'm told:
4L = 4x4 without traction control
4H = 4x4 with traction control
4A ? Like 4H, but safe (for the car) to use on dry pavement. I use this when I expect slippery conditions and it seems to help. The sound of the transfer case is worrisome.
What's the point of using 4L? Why not use 4H with traction control and shift into first gear?
TomJV
He is clearly asking the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo, and that difference is the gearing. Traction Control has nothing to do with the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. 4Lo in 1st gear is not the same as 4Hi in 1st gear.
Last edited by Florida_F150; 02-06-2019 at 10:23 PM.
The difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing. Period. You choose one over the other depending on if you need the gearing in 4Lo. Ford chose to disable Traction Control in 4Lo for whatever reason they chose, but it is pretty much inconsequential in every respect. And you can just turn off Traction Control in 4Hi, which I do 99% of the time. The OP's post read:
He is clearly asking the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo, and that difference is the gearing. Traction Control has nothing to do with the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. 4Lo in 1st gear is not the same as 4Hi in 1st gear.
Please re-read the chart I posted.
There is more to the difference between 4 low and other-than-4-low than traction control.
In 4 low it not only disables traction control but it also disables roll stability control and electronic stability control. Roll stability control and electronic stability control are not disabled in any of the other settings (other than 4 low) no matter how many times you push the stability control button. Period.
There is more to the difference between 4 low and other-than-4-low than traction control.
In 4 low it not only disables traction control but it also disables roll stability control and electronic stability control. Roll stability control and electronic stability control are not disabled in any of the other settings (other than 4 low) no matter how many times you push the stability control button. Period.
And none of that has anything to do with the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. The Traction Control system, Roll Stability, etc, the whole system could completely die and it would have zero effect on the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. The difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing used by the transfer case. All of the other electronic systems are supplemental electronic / computer controlled-systems that are designed to apply the brakes to the individual wheels in order to control wheelspin and / or correct the direction of the vehicle. They have nothing to do with the transfer case. That's all I'm saying. Yes, the selection you make on the 2Hi, 4Hi, 4Lo, 4A dial ALSO has an effect on what settings the computer uses to apply the brakes to the wheels in various situations. But the OP was asking what the difference is between 4Hi and 4Lo, and the difference is the gearing.
I'm not disagreeing with what you're saying about the various traction systems being disabled when in 4Lo. I'm just saying that it's a separate system, and a side note. It has nothing to do with the transfer case and I just want the OP to understand the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing.
Let me put it this way...if in the next model year of F-150, Ford changed the way the Traction Control system worked in the various modes (let's say it was now active in 4Lo), would you say there is a fundamental difference in 4Hi and 4Lo from last year's model to the new one? That's just the point I'm trying to get across to the OP.
Last edited by Florida_F150; 02-06-2019 at 11:22 PM.
As someone stated the 4x4 system in the F150 makes it an outstanding off-road vehicle;
As many stated that banging isn't normal operation;
Your new tires are also crap, probably the same new factory Hankook crap that I have sitting in the garage waiting for hot Summer days...
And none of that has anything to do with the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. The Traction Control system, Roll Stability, etc, the whole system could completely die and it would have zero effect on the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo. The difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing used by the transfer case. All of the other electronic systems are supplemental electronic / computer controlled-systems that are designed to apply the brakes to the individual wheels in order to control wheelspin and / or correct the direction of the vehicle. They have nothing to do with the transfer case. That's all I'm saying. Yes, the selection you make on the 2Hi, 4Hi, 4Lo, 4A dial ALSO has an effect on what settings the computer uses to apply the brakes to the wheels in various situations. But the OP was asking what the difference is between 4Hi and 4Lo, and the difference is the gearing.
I'm not disagreeing with what you're saying about the various traction systems being disabled when in 4Lo. I'm just saying that it's a separate system, and a side note. It has nothing to do with the transfer case and I just want the OP to understand the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing.
Let me put it this way...if in the next model year of F-150, Ford changed the way the Traction Control system worked in the various modes (let's say it was now active in 4Lo), would you say there is a fundamental difference in 4Hi and 4Lo from last year's model to the new one? That's just the point I'm trying to get across to the OP.
You want him to understand the difference between 4 hi and 4 low is the gearing. Great. I am not arguing that. But I also want him to understand that there is more to the difference in 4 low than gearing reduction. Hence my previous explanations on the stability control systems which are affected. Which is why my original reply post to you was a correction to how 4 low affected traction control. I am glad you understood that and corrected it, but you seem to keep zoning in on the transfer case only. Even in your above post, you inserted an attachment that says 4 low is intended only for off-road applications such as deep sand, steep grades, or pulling heavy objects. The gearing reduction part is for pulling heavy objects. But why do you think it is also for off-road applications such as deep sand and steep grades? Well I will explain it to you. It is because in various off-road situations you do not generally want traction control, roll stability control and electronic stability control to be engaged because they can work against you. And the difference is that 4 low is the only setting that disables all three.
But why do you think it is also for off-road applications such as deep sand and steep grades? Well I will explain it to you. It is because in various off-road situations you do not generally want traction control, roll stability control and electronic stability control to be engaged because they can work against you. And the difference is that 4 low is the only setting that disables all three.
That's not accurate, but at this point I guess we'll have to to agree to disagree. And you don't need to "explain it to me". I aggressively off-road my vehicle weekly as part of several 4x4 off-roading clubs. Steep Grades and Sand are also related to the gearing. The extra torque with the gearing allows you to get the heavy weight of the truck up steep hills, and the gearing in sand lets you significantly reduce throttle response (pressing the gas pedal makes the wheels turn slower and go far less distance in 4Lo than in 4Hi), so that you don't dig yourself into a hole. That's also why you use 4Lo to slowly "crawl" among rocks and boulders. You don't want to press the gas pedal and lurch off a boulder and snap a drive shaft. The section of the manual I posted is purely referencing the gearing, as there is no mention whatsoever of the Traction Control system.
If I put my transmission in (R) Reverse, the white bulbs in the tail lights come on. That doesn't make them part of the transmission system. They are a related "side note". The same is true for Traction Control and related RSC and Stability Control. They are just part of the truck. How the Drive Mode selected affects the operation of the Traction Control is a side note. As a matter of fact, it's only relevant on certain model year trucks. What about before Traction Control when F-150's had mechanical limited slips? 4Hi and 4Lo acted then exactly as they do today.
As I previously stated, I turn off Traction Control in 4Hi for the very reasons you describe. Roll Stability and other related related systems (not counting Traction Control) will not cause any "problems" or "dangerous situations" when in 4Hi. Turning off Traction Control in 4Hi successfully turns off the part of the system that applies the brakes when there is wheelspin when moving forward. I can plow through mud and slam up long steep hills spinning my tires without any worry that Traction Control will apply the brakes and affect my momentum. I know, because I do it all the time. The same is true for deep sand. I drive in deep sand in 4Hi with the Traction Control off so it doesn't apply the brakes constantly.
We'll simply have to agree to disagree, and that's OK. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely important to understand how the various Traction Control systems affect the truck, even in 2wd. We agree on that for sure. I just don't think it's relevant to the discussion of the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo.
Maybe the best way to answer the question about the difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is to say something like: "The primary difference between 4Hi and 4Lo is the gearing which is used in the transfer case. Also note that depending on model year, the Drive Mode setting selected may affect the various Traction Control systems and how they operate. See your manual for more details." :-)
Last edited by Florida_F150; 02-07-2019 at 12:21 PM.
02-06-2019, 09:48 PM
