4x4 systems in different brand 1/2 ton trucks. Are some better than other?

[JTK]

Sorry, it is a 2011 Ram 1500 BW44-44

I've had two Ram 1500's, (2017 and 2019) but without auto 4x4. It was either full on, or full off with my Rams. Yours has a clutch in the transfer case that sends power to the front axle, should the rear wheels spin out of sequence with the front. IMO, Auto 4x4 in these or similar trucks can be a little clunky with it's engagement. Full on 4x4 is really nice on full snow covered surfaces, but like said above, it's all about the tires.

 

[Pablo]

Gen 3 and 4 (I believe) Tacoma have a mixture of mech and electrical. 2WD (hi), 4WD Hi and Lo.

Pretty easy to mod so I can switch to 2WD Low with no errors.

Indicators can be a little slow to show disengaged status.

I have added air lockers, front and rear along with anti-spin brake controlled which don't operate in 4Lo on the Sport anyway. I've used the front locker 4 times total in need. The inability to turn with grip sucks. But great on slime.

For autorossing give me a good viscous coupled AWD any day.

 

[D60]

I can't stand Auto and will never use it if there's an option to avoid it. I want to know I'm in true part-time 4WD or RWD, and then I know how the vehicle will react.

Our '05 Yukon used to engage the front wheels on a twisty, washboardy section of county road here. With such a relatively short wb it would cause automatic overcorrection and was dangerous.

Fortunately in that case I wasn't limited to only Auto and there were buttons for true 2wd and 4wd -- all I need!!

It's alarming how many drivers and even mechanics don't understand the difference between a t-case with a center diff and one without. You need to know what you have to understand how to drive.

Since we no longer teach people how to drive, we try to Wall-E the vehicle to do EVERYTHING for us. I find it disappointing, really. Operating a motor vehicle used to come with an understood high level of personal responsibility to understand not only safety but also your EQUIPMENT.

Bah humbug.....

 

[D60]

Also, give me my '11 SuperDuty with GOOD all-terrains, true part-time case, lever on the floor (I consider myself SOOO lucky here!) and 6R140 where I can manually bump it 1 through 6, and I'll climb or descend ANY Colorado pass ANY time of year ANY time of day in ANY conditions.

The roads don't scare me, it's other drivers that are the X factor.....

 

[RichR]

The roads don't scare me, it's other drivers that are the X factor.....

That is the " Holy Truth "
A little bit of snow here and look out!

 

[meep]

I prefer manual 4x4 for vehicle predictability but it’s not there for wet rainy pavement days when a non-attentive driver just over-drove the rear wheels. Then again, helping the non-attentive driver thereby go faster isnt great either.

I did find on weird downhill snow conditions however where the interaction between a locked 4x4 and ABS could induce conditions where I couldn’t get the vehicle to stop through the interaction with ABS. That was a particular pathfinder we had, and it was either a nuisance or terrifying, continuing on the moment. So if the weather was bad enough to need 4x4 to crawl home, I also pulled the abs fuse.

The BEST system I ever drove was a late 90s Subaru legacy 5MT AWD. That system used a true center differential which split the front-rear drives, and included limited slip in the center diff to not let either end just spin free. The limited slip component was very tight and the 2.2 could not overwhelm it even in 1st gear. It allowed enough deviation to steer and that was about it. This was not a FWD architecture with rear-wheel assist … the automatics did that. This car was a locked in, albeit underpowered, sports rocket in the snow, well balanced, extremely predictable, too easy to modulate, and it absolutely rewarded carrying a 160 degree angle through a 90 degree turn while carrying far more speed than I’d dare in anything else. It was also small and low to the ground where you could manage the mass better.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I have the 2008 version of Chevy’s Auto Trac using a Magna Powertrain transfer case. I come across a lot of snow on roads and am quite comfortable keeping in in 4 High on the snow and back to 2 High on dry pavement. I’ve always avoided using Auto Trac as I felt the continuous use of the clutches in the transfer case would wear it out quicker. Maybe I’m wrong but now I have close to 270,000 miles on that transfer case.

In the bush roads in oil country we had a rule. “ Go in on 2 wheel drive and you’ll always be able to come back out in 4 wheel drive.”

 

[edyvw]

Not sure about current Tundra/Sequoia, but my Sequoia has Torsen diff. which is really good in snow. The weight of vehicle, not so good in snow.

 

[mva]

I have lots of experience driving pickups in snow and icy conditions. I drove Chevy work trucks and my F150 in northern BC and Alberta for many years. In my opinion the Chevy trucks with Auto 4x4 and good snow tires are excellent. My 2014 F150 has auto 4x4 but it has a bit of a lag engaging 4x4 whereas the Chevy is instant. Also, longer trucks are better - more stable on the highway.

 

[Skippy722]

I have the 2008 version of Chevy’s Auto Trac using a Magna Powertrain transfer case. I come across a lot of snow on roads and am quite comfortable keeping in in 4 High on the snow and back to 2 High on dry pavement. I’ve always avoided using Auto Trac as I felt the continuous use of the clutches in the transfer case would wear it out quicker. Maybe I’m wrong but now I have close to 270,000 miles on that transfer case.

In the bush roads in oil country we had a rule. “ Go in on 2 wheel drive and you’ll always be able to come back out in 4 wheel drive.”

The “auto” systems are prone to wearing out the clutches if you leave it engaged all the time… and at least on the Ram’s when that happens it won’t even lock in 4 High.

 

[andrew_j]

The limited slip diffs make a larger difference on systems then 4wd implementation itself.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Only good 4WD systems, are in old army trucks, 50's - 60's vehicles. 96 F250's are horrible, and the 75 Chev strange system, don't remember the details of it.

 

[Fordiesel69]

The 97.5 thru 2004.0 heritage F150's have the worse 4x4 system. It NEEDS vacuum to switch a fork in the front differential to lock the 4x4 in. Not only is this vacuum system fussy as it ages and leaks, but ford made the shift fork nubs out of plastic and they snap off and you have no 4WD at all.

Starting in 2004.5 ford switched it IWE's (integrated wheel ends) and these lock on LOSS of vacuum which is a really great thing. If they vacuum system fails, the front CV shafts will be locked in 4WD and you just loose fuel economy. While the IWE's corrode and do fail quite regularly in the rust belt, these are in my opinion more fail safe.

The RAM 4x4 system is also quite robust but will wear front differential stub shafts, and also CV shaft splines.

 

[burbguy82]

I was driving to work in the snow this morning, and started thinking about the 4WD system in my truck. Are they all the same when it comes to winter driving? Are some systems "better" than others? Not talking about advanced AWD systems, just regular 4WD systems in pick up trucks.

All new pick trucks have some sort of "smart" system that effect off road driving. To the experienced driver off road, they are very annoying, and do not allow the full capability of the vehicle.

New GM trucks for instance, if you are driving off road, and get "to far" out of level, stabilitrack will engage, which is really more a function of the ABS......anyway.......you are going up a hill, slightly sideways, and all opon a sudden you lose all power. Not safe. You have to put the truck in 4LO, to "disable" stabilitrak.....Hard to rooster tail much in a heavy truck in 4LO, to slide the rear end around a curve if need be.

Also, speed somethimes is needed offroad, or more specifically, momentum. Again hard to do in 4LO

My 2015 3500, with "manual" shift does as above.



Older systems are fully mechanical, typically robust, and last forever. I currently have all of the common systems in 4wd trucks......that I know of.

full manual with manual hubs
full manual with axles sleeves as the "hubs"
partial manual with electronic front actuator and stabilitrak
4wd with 4wd auto, 2hi, 4lo, with stabilitrak

The best IMO is full manual, full mechanical, but they have not made those for quite some time.