4x4 low used, truck had trouble getting out of it
11-28-2018, 04:59 PM
#1
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4x4 low used, truck had trouble getting out of it
today I decided to use my 4x4 low to go through some rather deep, soft, silty sandy soil on a job site of mine. When getting to the entrance I went into neutral and used the selector to choose 4x4low. When doing this I got the shift delayed pull forward message, tapped gas a little and truck seemed to slam into gear with a thud and go into low range. Made it through the soft stuff and went to a hard dirt road.
Attempted to put truck in neutral and back in 2wd, got the shift delayed pull forward message, light tap on gas and I get this terrible humming noise/grinding from the transfer case. Truck is not going into 2wd at all and This noise continues, i put truck in neutral again and flip back to low range and try to basically un**** whatever is binding. After being able to move and being stuck in 4x4 low while the truck attempts to go to two wheel I can feel a cv axle failing to disengage with the front hub in my feet. Eventually the truck went into two wheel drive after a little driving and I could hear the vacuum hubs disengage. Afterwards 4x4 hi worked fine and would disengage and engage everytime I tried it. My only explanation for this is maybe during using low range and going through some deep sand something could’ve gotten binded because of the torque and was having trouble.
I’m really not liking using low range at all. Everytime I use it it seems to slam into gear. I probably use 4x4high 3-4 times a week if not more when going on job sites.
Attempted to put truck in neutral and back in 2wd, got the shift delayed pull forward message, light tap on gas and I get this terrible humming noise/grinding from the transfer case. Truck is not going into 2wd at all and This noise continues, i put truck in neutral again and flip back to low range and try to basically un**** whatever is binding. After being able to move and being stuck in 4x4 low while the truck attempts to go to two wheel I can feel a cv axle failing to disengage with the front hub in my feet. Eventually the truck went into two wheel drive after a little driving and I could hear the vacuum hubs disengage. Afterwards 4x4 hi worked fine and would disengage and engage everytime I tried it. My only explanation for this is maybe during using low range and going through some deep sand something could’ve gotten binded because of the torque and was having trouble.
I’m really not liking using low range at all. Everytime I use it it seems to slam into gear. I probably use 4x4high 3-4 times a week if not more when going on job sites.
11-28-2018, 07:43 PM
#3
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Getting out of lo range is often difficult. Not just with Ford but every manufacturer of 4X4. I've owned just about every brand except Nissan going back to the 1970's. I find it best to shift into 4X4 hi range while on the move. Once you're in 4X4 stop, go to neutral and then shift to lo range. If you're sitting still there is about 50/50 odds that the gears will be lined up to let the truck go into lo range. You have about the same odds of getting into 4X4 hi with the truck stopped. If this happens it is best to let the truck roll gently while in neutral. Don't put it back in gear unless necessary.
The front wheels need to rotate slightly in order for the gears to mesh. That is why it may be near impossible to get into 4X4 AFTER you're stuck. If the front wheels can't rotate, it may not be able to shift into 4X4 or lo range. When you try to go straight from 4X2 hi to 4X4 lo you're asking the transfer case to do 2 things at once. It can work, but I just find fewer problems doing it in 2 steps.
After you've driven in lo range it is common to have issues getting back to hi range. If it doesn't shift right away go back to lo range and back up 15-20', and try again. If not successful pull forward, go back to reverse and repeat until it shifts out. I've had to do this dance 4-5 times to get it to disengage. The longer you've been in lo range, and the harder you've used the truck the longer it takes to get it out. And don't try to go straight to 2 hi. Shift from 4lo to 4hi. Once lo range disengages then go back to 2hi while on the move.
The front wheels need to rotate slightly in order for the gears to mesh. That is why it may be near impossible to get into 4X4 AFTER you're stuck. If the front wheels can't rotate, it may not be able to shift into 4X4 or lo range. When you try to go straight from 4X2 hi to 4X4 lo you're asking the transfer case to do 2 things at once. It can work, but I just find fewer problems doing it in 2 steps.
After you've driven in lo range it is common to have issues getting back to hi range. If it doesn't shift right away go back to lo range and back up 15-20', and try again. If not successful pull forward, go back to reverse and repeat until it shifts out. I've had to do this dance 4-5 times to get it to disengage. The longer you've been in lo range, and the harder you've used the truck the longer it takes to get it out. And don't try to go straight to 2 hi. Shift from 4lo to 4hi. Once lo range disengages then go back to 2hi while on the move.
11-29-2018, 09:43 AM
#4
Like Marshallr, I've had issues getting out of 4Lo with past trucks as well as my F150. I probably don't engage it enough, I normally only remember to engage 4lo about twice a year to try to keep things loose, but there's only been once I've ever really needed it.
11-29-2018, 01:57 PM
#5
Senior Member
4x4 engaged on a hard surface can result in transfer case gears bound up. This occurs when there is even a slight miss-match between front & rear differential rotation. And is easily enough to prevent disengagement. If/when this happens try moving in reverse a few feet to take the pressure off, and the transfer case should shift normally. A loose surface allows tires to slip a bit relieving excessive gear train pressure. This is why there are cautions against engaging 4x4 on hard surfaces without a system that has a clutch between front & rear differentials, (I.E. AWD). Worst I have seen was when a friend got drunk, left his rig in 4x4 high and busted the transfer case housing driving home on pavement. YMMV
11-30-2018, 10:44 AM
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4x4 engaged on a hard surface can result in transfer case gears bound up. This occurs when there is even a slight miss-match between front & rear differential rotation. And is easily enough to prevent disengagement. If/when this happens try moving in reverse a few feet to take the pressure off, and the transfer case should shift normally. A loose surface allows tires to slip a bit relieving excessive gear train pressure. This is why there are cautions against engaging 4x4 on hard surfaces without a system that has a clutch between front & rear differentials, (I.E. AWD). Worst I have seen was when a friend got drunk, left his rig in 4x4 high and busted the transfer case housing driving home on pavement. YMMV