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Jeff
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
12:19:22
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 Subject: 4wd speed
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Message:
I am the owner of a 2001 CC with the 4.7 and automatic transmission. My question is, when you are in 4 HI, is there a certain speed that should not be exceeded? I have been travelling in Alberta and lately its been -30 deg C or below. In 2wd with the road and tires being so cold, my rear tires easily loose traction when accelerating and my ass end starts to slide. In 4 HI on the highway it just feels so much more "glued" to the road, but am I risking damage at highway speeds? Thanks in advance for your help.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
12:21:23
| RE: 4wd speed
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Beyond worrying about the appropriate speed, you should be aware that you can damage your truck if you're in 4 high in completely dry roads.
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cool
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
12:26:03
| RE: 4wd speed
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I don't believe there is an actual speed you shouldn't exceed. You really shouldn't drive on dry pavement as the drivetrain needs to unload or slip. So my feelings are that if you need 4 wheel drive on the highway, snow etc, you won't be going exceedingly fast anyway. Hope this helps somewhat.
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Jeff
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
13:01:14
| RE: 4wd speed
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I can't see the replys.
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Jeremy
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
16:16:19
| RE: 4wd speed
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The generally accepted speed for 4HI is 55 MPH, I believe that your owners manual will state that as well.
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hey ya
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
18:21:01
| RE: 4wd speed
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yeah i remember seeing 45 or 55 as max in 4hi and 25 max in 4lo. I dont see why anyone should be exceeding 45 if they have to be in 4wd. I wouldnt use 4wd for an extended period unless the road is completely covered in snow.
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Jeff
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
18:27:32
| RE: 4wd speed
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Message:
The trick here is that the road is "technically" dry. However, when is is -30 c up here with the pavement so cold, you can spin your tires so easily. For example, when you are on the highway and you need to accelerate past a big semi and give it a little gas in 2wd, my rear tires will spin easily and my rear end will start coming around. Quite scary. In 4 HI I don't have that problem. So I guess as long as I'm not getting firm traction on the road the drivetrain can slip and I should be OK. Am I right?
PS Thanks for the replys already.
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hammerdak
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
19:27:22
|  RE: 4wd speed
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The owners manual should say for sure . I believe it says do not exceed 100kph in 4 hi.
Again, if you're going faster than that you probably don't need 4 hi anyway.
Here's the lesson if you don't know why.
Wheels travel different distances through their arcs as you go through a turn. The sharper or the longer the turn the greater the build up of stress on the transfer case and other driveline components.Particularily on the front end because the wheels are turned to a much greater degree.
If this stress is not released through a tire being allowed to lose traction and slip a bit then stuff will start to break.
Sandy, icy, wet and to a lesser extent -30 C roads all have less traction available than warm dry roads and allow for this slippage . So you're safe in 4wd in these cases.
Use your best judgement. If you would not pull a toboggan full of beer across the surface then it's probably not slippery enough .
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hey ya
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2004
19:39:40
| RE: 4wd speed
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Message:
not tryin to tell you what to do, just an idea. Try engaging 4hi only when you need to stomp on it to pass, or to get moving. If you are just cruising, you can take it out and be fine.
If you absolutely must use 4hi, i guess you could figure its better to fix driveline components down the road than to get an in accident. Your judgement man, only you know what its like up there.
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