4WD shifting

[kober]

I don't know who writes the operator manuals but they certainly don't own the vehicles whose operations they describe.



Not a word in my manual about disengaging 4WD. My Ford Explorer required me to back up 10 to 20 feet to disengage the hubs. How does one disengage 4WD with the new Dodge 4WD trucks?



Does it hurt anything to drive in 4HI on paved roads?

 

[hagar]

no locking hubs on the new trucks so no need to get them to disengage.

Driving on pavement in 4 hi would put quite a bit of stress on it, don't do it if you don't have to.

 

[NC_Mog]

Nothing special to do. Just grab the lever and move it into or out of 4wd. No hubs to worry about. Just shift.



Running on dry pavement is not a good idea. A short distance is not a big deal, but over a longer distance you can have gear bind problems.

 

[Cummins4WD]

Electronic Transfer Case Operation...

How do you rotate the dial to the Neutral "N" Postion. I notice there is a pin hole next to the "N" but I can't seem to get the dial to rotate past 4WD Low. I checked the manual but it didn't really address it. If you are towing it or need to disengage the drive shafts it might be good to know how to but the T-Case in neutral.

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

What I was told is that you just need to insert a pen or something along those lines into that pin hole to get it into Neutral.

 

[CChase]

How do you rotate the dial to the Neutral "N" Postion. I notice there is a pin hole next to the "N" but I can't seem to get the dial to rotate past 4WD Low. I checked the manual but it didn't really address it. If you are towing it or need to disengage the drive shafts it might be good to know how to but the T-Case in neutral.

I think you have to stick a pen or something narrow in that pin hole to release it. I guess to keep you from doing it on the fly???



That's the reason I got an SLT instead of the Laramie, they wouldn't let me have a Laramie with a manual shift, and I feel strongly enough against electric shift that I decided to forego leather, heated seats, etc. because they don't matter all that much. Heated seats would be nice, but those are easily added aftermarket, if I could just get around to it... .



On edit: I see I was beat to the punch... ...

 

[JRMora]

That's the reason I got an SLT instead of the Laramie, they wouldn't let me have a Laramie with a manual shift, and I feel strongly enough against electric shift that I decided to forego leather, heated seats, etc. because they don't matter all that much. Heated seats would be nice, but those are easily added aftermarket, if I could just get around to it... .

You can order a "Laramie Lite" now with leather and a manual transfer case. Didn't have it when I ordered mine, but it's on the 04. 5's and I suppose it'll carry on to the 05's. Saw several of them at the dealer last time it was in for service.



Juan

 

[rbattelle]

My Ford Explorer required me to back up 10 to 20 feet to disengage the hubs.

I swear those cam-operated locking hubs are the single worst 4wd invention of all time. I had them on my B4000 (same as a Ranger) and they have a fatal flaw: they momentarily disengage when you switch directions in 4wd. If you park the vehicle on a sheet of ice (as in a parking lot up north), when you get in to pull away the front hubs momentarily disengage. At that moment, the rear axle begins to spin, which makes the front hubs unable to re-engage. You have no idea how many parking lots I got stuck in when I lived in NY because of those hubs. Best mod I made to that truck was a set of Warn manual lockers. Stil burns me up to think about it.



In the rain I frequently shift into 4wd as I pull up to a stop light so when I pull away I don't spend all of 1st and 2nd gear just spinning the tires. I disengage 4wd after I get going.

 

[RMcCulloch]

How do you rotate the dial to the Neutral "N" Postion. I notice there is a pin hole next to the "N" but I can't seem to get the dial to rotate past 4WD Low. I checked the manual but it didn't really address it. If you are towing it or need to disengage the drive shafts it might be good to know how to but the T-Case in neutral.

You dont.



There's no neutral for the Electronic control.



The "Neutral" light is to tell you to put it into Neutral when shifting to Low range.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

You dont.



There's no neutral for the Electronic control.



The "Neutral" light is to tell you to put it into Neutral when shifting to Low range.

That is not true, you can put it in neutral, you use a ball point pin. I have a 2003 3500 and if you look in your owners manual,under recreational towing, mine is page 251, it explains how to shift it in to neutral.