Finally got some snow, questions on 4WD

[Cal_jammer]

So we finally got some snow and I have a 40 min commute to work. Some interstate driving. I was under the assumption I had a 4A option on my xlt. I found out I don’t (never owned a truck before) should I be ok driving in slippery mode tomorrow morning? I know driving on pavement is not good for the 4WD system, so I definitely don’t want to mess anything up. Sorry for being so uninformed, like I said this is my first truck and would feel pretty stupid if I royally screw something up with it.

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[Blue Spruce]

My truck has been in 4H for the last 4-5 days. Every road but the interstate around here has a few inches of snow pack on it due to the low temps.

if I had a longer trip on clear interstate then I’d turn it off on the ramp as I was entering but otherwise getting traction on the side roads is tough at the moment until temps warm up enough for salt to work better.

personally, I try to use 4H sparingly. Not sure it’s necessary to do that but If 2wd works then I figure less wear and tear on the vehicle. The one thing you‘ll notice with 4H is trying to tight turn into a parking space is nearly impossible even on snow.

just my 2 cents. I think everyone is different on how and when they use it. My 2016 f150 I threw 3 sandbags in the back so I didn’t have to use 4H as much when roads were mixed conditions. This one is a little heavier and seems better in 2wd.

 

[KBKEITH]

So we finally got some snow and I have a 40 min commute to work. Some interstate driving. I was under the assumption I had a 4A option on my xlt. I found out I don’t (never owned a truck before) should I be ok driving in slippery mode tomorrow morning? I know driving on pavement is not good for the 4WD system, so I definitely don’t want to mess anything up. Sorry for being so uninformed, like I said this is my first truck and would feel pretty stupid if I royally screw something up with it.

You’re ok using “slippery” mode. As you probably know when you select this mode it will automatically engage 4H. As long as you aren’t making turns on dry pavement you will not have issues. I find this mode to be very effective in the snow and ice. The change in accelerator responsiveness helps, too.

As a side note, while in slippery mode you can return to 2H but the lack of accelerator responsiveness will remain the same.

 

[RCR001]

I follow the basic rule that if the front tires in 4wd are allowed to "adjust"
when turning or cornering i use it, if not it will feel jerky and tight. On a freeway in sloppy or frozen conditions its a good idea to use it. These trucks do feel stable in mixed conditions, i don't use mine as much a some do, pulling a trailer on snow covered roads it's locked in.

 

[Bryan Simon]

As a side note, while in slippery mode you can return to 2H but the lack of accelerator responsiveness will remain the same.

Learn something new every day—some days.
This will be downright handy when the roads are damp down here where snow and ice are not all that frequent.

 

[Bryan Simon]

Drove a 76 K20 for years while living in Idaho.
It also had lockers (manual trans-locking hubs)
I hated driving that thing on ice.
8ply tires, stiff springs and no weight transfer.
All four spinning on the ice, and the truck had no idea what to do.
Later years in Salt lake, I had a 78k10 with auto and full time 4x4.
That truck was much nicer on ice that the 76 and I seldom ever used 4hi loc.
4hi loc in this truck behaved the same as the 76–squirrely as hell.
Transfer case ranges were: 4lo loc, N, 4hi, 4hi loc.
The differential within the TC made this truck much more civil to drive on iffy roads

 

[Pedaldude]

My ’87 Jeep Cherokee had the transfer case that was also a center differential, so it could be used in the rain or dicey winter weather, where you can have perfectly dry, high traction roads with occasional ice. I drove it on a winter trip from NY to Canada one time, through some of the worst snow and ice that I had seen; Boston being the worst on that trip, with rutted refrozen slush surrounded by black ice and rush hour traffic driving like it were summer time. Then deep unplowed snow in parts of Maine, where I had better traction driving in the fresh snow than through other car’s tire tracks and had to keep the speed up around 30-40mph to keep from bogging down. I used just about every mode other than 4lo. I really liked not having to keep a hand hovering over the shift lever, like on the transfer case of my Dodge Dakota, something I was used to in NY during mixed weather and bad roads. I had gotten pretty good at shifting into 4hi in a skid and powering out of it but it’s still less than desirable.

It sucks that Ford uses safety features like the 4a transfer case and LED headlights as a means to add value to the higher trim levels. They really should be optional on every trim and body configuration.

Someone on another forum successfully swapped the 4a case into a regular cab shortbed using the 4a transfer case, control module and forscan.

Has anyone experienced 4hi engaging automatically in their f150 in ”Slippery Mode?”

 

[KBKEITH]

Has anyone experienced 4hi engaging automatically in their f150 in ”Slippery Mode?”

That’s exactly what happens when you rotate the knob to “Slippery” mode. It automatically engages 4H.

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