jrandywms

I recently purchased a 2014 f150 ecoboost 4 X 4. When in 4 wheel drive high and turning at slow speeds it feels like one of the front wheels is turning at a different speed. The 4 wheel **** is pushed in that locks the rear axle. Is this slipping feeling normal?

F150since1997

The front diff is having to turn at the same speed as the rear diff, but because the front wheels have to travel farther in the turn, you get that hop / shudder. You should avoid using 4WD in such situations (turning on dry pavement). It’s the same issue as happens side to side when you turn, but that is taken care of between left and right by the open diff. There’s no such thing to allow that give in the front to back relationship when the transfer case is engaged.

Eduskator

^^

It's not an AWD system that constantly calculates and adjusts the power independently for each 4 wheels, it's a 4x4, which means all the 4 wheels are powered equally.

When you steep turn, the front wheels physically turn more than the rear wheel. Avoid doing that, it can damage your drive.

WXman

You should download the owners manual. It's free online as a .pdf from the Ford website.

Also, not only should you stay in 2WD while on pavement, but you also shouldn't use the rear locker on pavement either. That will bind the rear axle in tight turns and put more stress on components not to mention wearing your tires faster.

bassJAM

I'll echo the other comments, 4X4 should only be used in low traction like snow and mud. Using it on pavement can stress the drivetrain, which leads to that hop feeling you describe as the tires slip to compensate for the different turning radius. If there's too much grip between the pavement and the tires you can bust an axle. The only time I'll use 4x4 on pavement is if snow is accumulating on the road and it's too slippery to stay in 2WD.

Even when I'm off-road I tend to stay in 2WD most of the time if the dirt is semi-dry and hills aren't too steep.

Eric Kleven

What Bass said. 4wd is great for traction, but if you get into off-road trouble in 4wd, you're really in trouble. It might get you through, but it might get you REAL stuck.

chickenwire

And always ALWAYS remember that 4WD can get you moving but it doesn't do much to help you stop any better. I've seen many people get into trouble because the traction gives them a false sense of security.

(And yes, technically it can help stopping behavior to a degree, but glare ice is glare ice.)

marshallr

Nothing really different than the others have said, just in more detail. When cornering in any vehicle all 4 wheels take a different route and need to turn at different speeds. Since the outside wheels have to cover more ground they turn faster than the inside wheels. In 4X2 this isn't a problem. You're only getting power to 1 rear wheel at this time and the others are coasting at different speeds.

When you engage 4X4 the transfer case tries to make all 4 wheels turn at the same speed. Which is great for traction, but when cornering the wheels on the inside are covering less ground while turning at the same speed as the outside wheels. If you're in mud, loose dirt, grass, or snow the wheels on the inside will actually spin on the loose surface slightly when cornering. But if traction is too good it really puts a bind on the drive train because the inside wheels are trying to spin on dry pavement.

Doing this is not good for the vehicle, but an occasional incident especially if the wheels aren't turned sharply probably won't break anything. But it is possible to break U-Joints and even shafts inside the transfer case resulting in very expensive repairs. At the very least the drive chain inside the transfer case stretches and will eventually slip on the gears teeth.

Many vehicles today are All Wheel Drive which is different. They use sensors that allow all 4 wheels to get power, but at different speeds. It won't hurt a thing to drive them on pavement. In fact they work better than 4X4 in rain, light snow or even some light duty off road situations. But when the snow gets deep, or in more rugged off road situations 4X4 is much better.

jrandywms

Again Thanks

moparado

Summing it all up:
NEVER drive on dry pavement with 4x4 enabled if you value your drive train.
Its a 'part time' 4x4 meant only for slippery surfaces, gravel roads, dirt roads, etc.

The higher trim 4x4 trucks in addition to the 4x4 setting also have an Auto 4x4 setting which CAN be driven on dry pavement.