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asterned
Dodge Dakota
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11/22/2004
19:52:48
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 Subject: 4x4+rain/snow
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I'm new to 4 wheel drive and I'm wondering if I should use it in really rainy/snowy/slushy/slippery road conditions? Will this effect my drivetrain or cause any other issues??
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Yeh Right
Dodge Dakota
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11/22/2004
20:46:20
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
You can't be serious ?
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BrianZX3R
Dodge Dakota
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11/22/2004
21:52:46
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
I think what he was trying to ask was:
Is it OK to drive in 4X4 low when traction is only slightly limited (rain/slush) as opposed to deep snow or mud?
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Dan M
Dodge Dakota
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11/22/2004
23:50:29
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
I have only used 4 wheel low once, a jacka@@ stoner ran me off the road one winter while smoking it up driving around country roads in his honda. You should only use 4 wheel low in SEVERE conditions.. ie stuck and it's not going anywhere. In 4 wheel low you should never exceed 35mph and ALWAYS watch the tach, it's easy to redline.
I use 4 wheel high whenever I'm driving in conditions that I know are dangerous and there's a great change I'll slide, skid, etc. Sometimes that's snow, sometimes that slush (17" of snow melting in one day is weird), an I've even had to use it in severe rain storms a couple of times (these are few and far between - last time was high winds (tornados) and almost zero visibility).
I also drive in 4 wheel high about every 3 months. The factory recommends it every so many miles (have to check owners manual for specifics) and I'm overly cautious). I keeps the 4x4 system lubed.
- Dan M
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Jeremy
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
01:35:45
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
I've never been in a situation where 4 hi wouldn't get me unstuck. Well i take that back, but the one time i was really stuck the frame of the truck was on the ground and only a 5th or 6th wheel would have helped. I try to stay out of 4 wheel drive as much as possible. I've never used it in the rain even though from a stop it loses traction sometimes. Sometimes around here the snow just gets so packed down, it's pretty much like ice. Mostly in the neighbor hoods before the plows are able to get there. In that case I'll drive around in 4 hi until i reach the main roads. I'm pretty sure the manual says not to go over 55 mph....or is it 35?
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Slow4x4Dak
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
02:52:56
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
Manual says 55, but I never listened to manuals. In rain, I'll drive 65-70 in 4hi, and one time I hit 95mph in 4hi on my way to the hospital when there was slush on the road. I routinely put my truck in 4hi when it rains, because I'm not going to have some fool behind me hit me or slide sideways in case I accidently let off the clutch too fast.
In snow, I'm rolling in 4x4 all the time, I bought the truck for snow and it's not worth risking the 22k if the truck decides to have a momentary slide. I live in the appalachian mountains, and I think our biggest snow here was only 3.5ft, but we usually get 2 2ft snows a year.
It won't hurt anything, and is recommended to at least use it every 3 months like Dan said. I'd rather lose a transfercase or drivetrain than slide off the mountain.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
11:47:34
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
You drove 95 mph in rain and slush? I certainly hope that was a dire emergency, but even then it would have sucked if you flew off the side of the road and never got to the hospital at all. I would rather have gotten there slower than to have never made it. 4wd is there to aid traction, not to compensate for your inability to slow down appropriately for conditions or to make the truck handle or brake better.
Personally...I make use of 4-hi when 2wd no longer moves me further. That in and of itself is extremely rare considering the weight distribution of my Quad makes it surprisingly effective in 2wd in all but the deepest snow or on the steepest inclines. I used it mainly when I went off roading earlier this year and when it snowed here last year, and in both occasions I actually kept it in 2wd for some of the time and only flipped into 4wd when I began to loose traction. If you can restrain yourself from automatically flipping that switch or lever every single time you see even a light coating on the ground you'll be surprised to find you can actually move along OK in alot of conditions where you thought you'd need all four wheels spinning. If you're new to 4wd my first piece of advice is to learn the dynamics of your vehicle and how to control it in 2wd.
I've never used 4-lo. It involves extremely low gearing and is mainly for very strenuous rock-crawling or steep-hill off road conditions requiring high multiplication of torque. So no, there's no good reason to be using it in normal medium-high speed snow and slush driving as the engine revs alot higher and the gearing usually limits the top spead in 4-lo anyway.
PLEASE, do not make the mistake of counting on flipping from one level of 4-wheel drive to a higher one or from 2wd to 4wd to keep you on the road in bad conditions. It's not meant to be a substitute for driving skill.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
12:37:05
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Wouldn't want anyone on here to become that one idiot in the 4x4 the news anchors always love to make fun of when it snows, the guy in the big, bad truck upside down in a ditch while COrollas and Tercels putter along without trouble.
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FloriDak
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
19:27:53
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
asterned,
yea, as long as road conditions are slippery enough for one or more wheels to slip a bit, being in 4wheel drive is fine. When the truck is in 4 wheel drive, the front and back wheels are locked together. If the front and back wheels move at different rates, the transmission can bind up. That's why it is only recommended to use 4wd in slippery conditions.
The only thing to remember with 4 wheel drive is you can drive a lot faster than everyone else in snow, but you can't stop any better than a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
1997 Dakota Extended Cab
318V8 4x4
Dual Flowmaster Exhaust
K&N Filter
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Slow4x4Dak
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
20:23:00
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
I'd rather be safe than sorry, and I'm not gonna go into why I was doing 95. 4wd is there for a reason; when something breaks, then maybe I will change my driving habits. But for the past 2 1/2 years, nothings broke, and nothing has broken in my dads 2002 chevy 2500hd either. I use 4wd maybe 5-10 times a month, and even if something breaks, it'll probably be a < $100 DIY fixit problem.
I bought 4wd to use it, and I do.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
20:33:10
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
Didn't mean with regard to something breaking problem, except maybe your truck crashing causing some bones in your body to break. 4wd is a traction aid first and foremost, not something to allow you to drive too fast in poor conditions.
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also
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
20:54:29
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
don`t throw it into 4x4 when the rear tires are spinning.
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matt
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
22:16:38
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
good call also. anyway, I have a 97' 5.2 extended cab 4X4 and when I have to merge onto a highway from 0 mph, I use my 4X4 high all the time when the road is wet. If not, i will just sit in the right lane spinning my tires (they are only 2 months old) Moral of the story, as long as the road isn't dry and u need extra traction, feel free to kick it into 4X4
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Justi
Dodge Dakota
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11/24/2004
20:36:36
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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I think someone said this above but it's worth repeating...
4WD helps you GO better, it does NOT help you STOP any better!
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Chris
Dodge Dakota
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11/25/2004
00:25:24
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
im not sure about this but cant u use 4x4 as long as ur going straight?? isnt the point of 4-low for gear reduction and power? exp: if your pulling a large boat up a boat ramp. there shouldnt be any binding as long as ur not turning and ur tires are pretty much evenly worn right??
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furball69
Dodge Dakota
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11/25/2004
01:58:22
| RE: 4x4+rain/snow
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Message:
The maximum speed as stated in my manual for 4Lo is 25 - twenty five MPH. for both np233 and np244 tc's.
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