Fastest you've driven in 4WD-Hi?

[SZR48207]

Not asking as some sort of competition or one-up game, but curious if there is a limit. The placard on my vehicle says 4WD should be used up to 100kmh or 62mph, and the fastest I've gone while in 4HI was around 45mph.

 

[Rand]

would depend on the vehicle specifically.

 

[SZR48207]

To clarify I mean traditional 4WD with a transfer case, not AWD.

And Rand - just looking for people to post their highest speeds driven while in 4HI. I don't care what they were driving at the time.

 

[BISCUT]

Majority of the below if on runs from Northern NH/VT and a wide ranger of Maine from Bangor to Acadia to Sunday River to Allagash way up there. 90% of my 4HI time is snow related.

1990 Chevy Trail Blazer ... dozens of trips in the snow of 35-60mph of 300+ miles each way.
1997 Ford Explorer (prob best vehicle I've ever owned) No doubt over 20k miles of 4HI in it's steed. Max speed was 60 or under. Almost all snow/ice.
2004 F150 No where near the 4HI use as the above but it got used. That one saw 65ish plenty of times but under 10k.
2015 F150 Does see some decent winter travel upstate NY and VT and NH. Just don't have the kinda mileage I use too. Max speed there is under 60 as the times I've used 4HI the snow was heavier. I'd even say more like a 50mph max but only due to conditions.

2017 Outback prob has the higher speeds but also used in lower snow quantity conditions and is AWD so not exactly relevant.

 

[BISCUT]

Meant to add...I was recently n Northeast Kingdom VT for some mountain biking. I hit 4HI on the dirt roads just to get some 4wd parts moving! nt wait for snowboard season!

 

[02SE]

A bit over 100 mph in 4hi on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The 3rd gen 4Runner was governed to 106 mph, but the drag of the 4wd engaged, and the inevitable wheelslip on the Salt, meant it ran a little slower.

 

[SZR48207]

Salt plains would be the perfect place to test this. I'm quite jealous. So no long term damage from having the transfer case running that hard?

My goal is not to be doing 90mph in 4HI or anything, but more curious about how much room for error there is if I left the truck in 4HI and drove for a few hours at interstate speeds.

 

[tcp71]

90-100km/hr. Borg-warner transfer case in an F150. Driving in the snow and ice from Edmonton to Fort McMurray. I was the slow poke with an endless stream of 1 ton Bro-Dozers going by.

 

[02SE]

Salt plains would be the perfect place to test this. I'm quite jealous. So no long term damage from having the transfer case running that hard?

My goal is not to be doing 90mph in 4HI or anything, but more curious about how much room for error there is if I left the truck in 4HI and drove for a few hours at interstate speeds.

I did that every year for 20 years straight, several times per year. Helping out at Speedweek, BUB's, World of Speed, etc. That 4Runner was a 5-speed manual, Part-Time 4wd. I sold it last October and it never had any issues with the 4wd system. It ran and looked great at the time of sale. I used mostly Mobil 1 75w90 in the VF2A transfer case. Of course WASHING it (particularly the undercarriage) was the main concern after every trip to the Salt.

 

[JTK]

Maybe 60mph or so. It's not unusual for me to have 4hi on the whole 40 mile ride to work at 0300 when the plows can't keep up and the roads are snow covered the whole way. That's nothing compared to you Fort Mac guys!

 

[AlaskaMike]

70 mph for about 120 miles in a 1992 Dodge W250 diesel with an np205 transfer case. Road surface was dry asphalt.

I had shifted into 4hi for something prior to getting on the highway and forgot to go back to 2hi. No issues whatsoever other than a little extra tire wear.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd say about 50 mph on straight empty highway in a pretty intense snow storm in the Adirondacks. That was a speed I felt comfortable at for the conditions.

 

[dwcopple]

70mph in an S-10 blazer 4.3L 4x4.

 

[OVERKILL]

I drove the entire 24 hour trip to my parents in an ice storm in 4HI in our Expedition, which included going 120Km/h when the road conditions allowed.

 

[andyd]

I drove 150 miles in 4w when the rear u-joint went in the Rat. My Grand Wags had a viscous coupler in the New Process 229 transfer case. They'd do 90 in 4 wheel high.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I have a Magna Powertrain MP3024 transfer case behind a 6L90 tranny. Typically, I’ll put it back into 2 wheel drive on the highway. If road conditions require four wheel drive you shouldn’t be going 60 mph. I’ve seen plenty of Bro Dozers down in the ditch along our mountain roads. A ditch here can mean a 60 ft free fall.

 

[CBR.worm]

For me, it was almost exactly the same as 02SE, but in a 00 Tundra. It was limited to 105 or 110. Same location. I think it had ~180K miles on it at the time. On the tundra, you were not supposed to switch between 2hi and 4hi at speeds over 62 mph. I don't think there was any recommended speed limit once you were in 4hi, but it was a long time ago. As I recall, all the parts were spinning at the same speed regardless of 2wd or 4wd. The hubs never unlocked.

 

[tblt44]

65 m.p.h.

 

[BrianF]

I've maxed out our F150s in 4x4. I think they are 170km/h or so. I dont think it was completely on dry pavement either.

 

[4WD]

Not asking as some sort of competition or one-up game, but curious if there is a limit. The placard on my vehicle says 4WD should be used up to 100kmh or 62mph, and the fastest I've gone while in 4HI was around 45mph.

Owned many but probably not over 30 mph … never a reason for me …