Is our Auto 4wd TC as good or better than BW 48-11 on Dodge trucks? My fear is that when I off-road or in bad weather in CO all the time, will the clutch packs overheat?

 

OK more testing today.

Disclaimer: DRY land. No slippage.

4WD Auto.

Confirmed what i found above…No engagement of front axle above 45 mph.

When turning the steering wheel to turn a corner at under 45 mph, power sent to the front axle greatly decreases as you go off-center…the more you go off-center, the less power is sent to front axle…and by around 90 degrees off-center, power to front axle goes bye-bye.

I HOPE that if there was slippage, then the Auto 4wd will engage the front axle even when making a turn. And i hope that it will also engage at above 45 mph if slippage was detected.

The reason i am not a fan of this type of auto 4wd is that the system is “reactionary”. It has to wait for slippage before computer sees/senses it and then engage the clutch packs. So, there is a split second or two of reaction time by the system…and that can be quite significant in terms of losing control and/or crashing.

I understand that Ford wants to keep fuel economy from dropping and from overheating the clutch packs, but i wished that the front axle was getting some power (maybe 5%) all the time in Auto 4wd.

 

I'm in snowy & cold north central Canada.
I turn my 4A on after first snowfall and it stays on all winter until spring no issues.
If you're going to off-road...it really should be in 4wd.

And to those asking or wondering...4A is of no use or value at highway speeds at 65mph.

 

Yeah i agree that 4A should be on…..the question is how much does it engage the front axle? It seems (at least to me) that 4A is very picky when it sends power to the front…basically only in straight line at under 45 mph. Forget 65…zero power is sent above 45 mph! Otherwise, maybe it will only engage when it detects slippage??

 

For me, 4A is great for daily driving in slippery conditions at slower speeds.
Generally on snow/ice covered urban streets.

Its only supposed to engage when slippage is detected however some will say it always provides some power to the front.

As for 65mph...
At some point, for me anyway...safety takes priority over fuel mileage.
I drive on highways sometimes covered in snow and I'd rather spend an extra $20 in gas then need a $150 tow or worse damage truck and my safety.
As such in those conditions I drive in 4wd...especially when towing my 22' enclosed trailer with two sleds inside.

 

Isn't what the OP is describing or wanting called AWD and not 4A?

 

It functions as smart AWD, and has a "feed forward" preset amount based on throttle position and steering angle, and seldom allows any slip at all with a stock truck.

The system functions differently on dry pavement in warm weather than winter conditions, (which was already explained, yet not understood apparently) I think it's level of adaptation is being missed in what is being posted here. Burning up the clutch pack by engaging when axles speeds is pointless, and that is the over-simplified explanation as to why the Ram systems wear out prematurely.

On either of my trucks, WOT at 60 transfer power forward under all conditions, try flooring it.....not reasonable person want's the front axle powered on dry pavement under steady state driving, not sure why aping the Ram is what is being focused on. Below freezing, the front is always powered to prevent rear slip on ice.

 

I understand but since it is not winter here, hard for me to test it.

Engaging the clutch packs and burning up the clutches is exactly what i am concerned about. You tell me that it is a great clutch pack in one sentence and that it can handle everything; yet next post, you tell me that it burns up when axles engaged at speed.

Not sure how much WOT i need…at 60, i am not seeing power being sent to the front on the dash graphics even when i aggressively accelerate from 60-90 mph. Maybe i need to go pedal to the floor i guess…but why do i need to floor it to get power to the front (in dry conditions)?

Now, you talk about all these smart features of 4A. Is there official documentation of this from Ford??

Yes, steering angle affects 4A……as in, the more you turn the steering wheel, the LESS power that goes to the front.

I used RAM example bc there was nothing that i can find on YT talking about Ford 4A.

 

If you don't need 4A, just turn it off. That's the absolute beauty of it.

Yes, you will not see it engage the front axle above a certain speed because you don't need the front axle to pull as there is no slippage of the rear wheels to request the front wheels to help. Will it do it at WOT? Depends on the what the TCCM is requesting.

Why not email borg werner and see what documentation they will give you?

Found this too: Two For The Price Of One: BorgWarner 4417 Transfer Case (brakeandfrontend.com)

 

I haven't seen any real reports of people burning up the clutch pack with a stock engine or in 4 auto for that mater even with a built engine. The only issue with the TOD transfer case is when you start pushing over 650ft/lb or so of torque and launch in 4hi. When you put this transmission in 4hi is simply applies full power to the clutch pack and anything over this can start to slip the clutch when its fully locked up.