BLU4TJW

There may be plenty of guys who disagree, but I don't think you are going to wreck or overly strain anything by keeping the 4wd engaged on the highway, when conditions are changing from icy to snowy to clear, to snowy to clear, to icy etc. But when it is clear and dry for any extended part of your drive, the system should be absolutely switched back into 2wd. There's a feel for it, experience will show you the more you both drive it.

When driving around town, making lots of turns, I would avoid driving around in 4 hi unless conditions required it (lots of snow, or real slippery slush conditions).

The beauty of a 4x4 is it will often talk to you when it doesn't like being driven in 4wd. Slight hopping, groans, and temporary grinding noises while turning in too dry a condition let you know you should be in rwd only.

With an adequate snow tire, I honestly don't think it will be an issue. Throw in 150-200lbs of weight in the bed (bags of dirt, sand, I use mulch), and the truck will rarely have to be put into 4x4 anyway.

It won't take long, and you'll find yourself having as much fun driving your truck in the winter in 2wd as in 4wd.

Pierluc

I live in Quebec also, i have an 2011 xlt 4x4 and it is great in the winter 2wd will get you far during the winter, im switching to 4x4 a lot for the performance point of view, but very rarely need it. This year, i have kept my BFG Rugged Trail A/T Tires only because i could untill 2014 in quebec, it did very well ( i have about 400pound in the bed all the time, that might help ). Next year ill be buying Blizzaks because winter is never safe enough, cant wait to try them

Sometime i drive my parents Tucson with awd, its good with the awd system but im not a fan of it, its fun sometime to have the rear of the truck slipping untill you rotate that ****

EricTheOracle

I use 4WD in snow. Lots of snow. A little snow and it isn't needed. I use 4WD in muddy fields. Not a little mud, a lot of mud. I use 4WD on hills. Not paved hills, unimproved hills that have no traction. Sometimes, I use the 4WD system on muddy roads and ice.

You should do the same.

Your F150 is a superior vehicle to the Hyundai, however your truck's 4WD is to be used differently and one of the different ways of using it is knowing when to throw your truck into 4WD.

FWIW, if you've got to have AWD, cancel your Ford order and buy a Subaru because Subaru makes the best AWD system. Truck wise, consider:

BobbyVA

Remember this during the winter, your rear end is pretty light...putting some sand bags in your bed will help give you better traction in deep snow

EricTheOracle

This guy doesn't know what he is talking about. There is no provision for slipping between the front and rear axels unless the 4WD system is equipped with the 2-speed transfer case or is AWD and not 4WD.

Because of road crown for drainage, all roads force vehicles into a what is effectively, a very long turn even when going straight as they turn into the road crown to go straight down the road. Because of the slight speed difference between the left and right wheels, the transfer case gears and bearings will be excessively loaded leading to premature wear.

In the image below, we easily see that the outside wheels turn at a faster rate than the inside wheels. Without a way to slip the front and rear axels relative to another this leads to blinding in the drivetrain. In perfect traction, tires will be forced to slip but the transfer case was not designed to take that kind of force.

EricTheOracle

Our trucks are so heavy that if the rear end is slipping that bad, we should be able to put the truck into 4WD.

vincent99

Thank you guys for your advices. I think I'll try the truck without sandbags at the beginning. If two-wheel drive traction is not good enough, I'll try with sandbags in the box.

BLU4TJW

Mr. Oracle, the next line and sentence in bold was to qualify your point. And if messy conditions warrant it, slip is occurring naturally. I don't feel the need to disengage 4wd if I see 30 feet of drier road ahead.

For regular in town driving, and dry highway driving, your point was aptly made.