FIrst time 4x4 owner.. quick question

[roperteacher]

I still have my o4. 5 4x2, but just bought a 2002 4x4 ST model. Never owned a 4x4, but got an awesome deal. It was in 2H when I drove it home, nothing on the dash. . Played with it and put it into Neutral... No light. Light only came on for 4L and 4H. . which would be best for everyday driving if you do NOT need any 4x4 at all??? Sorry for the dumb question... Drove diesels my whole life but never a 4x4!! Thanks guys and Gals...

 

[RDusch]

Keep it in 2hi.

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

4 X 4 in our trucks is meant for driving in areas with limited traction. Go 2 WD when on the road.

 

[nickleinonen]

the 4x4 system on our trucks are part time systems. on dry pavement/when you don't need 4x4 you want to keep it in 2wd/2HI. . once you get into low traction, 4HI would be good. . for somewhere with low traction and you want low speed/high torque, 4LO is what you want...

 

[MoparBob]

2HI for everyday driving. 4HI only for inclement weather (Snow and Ice) while on the road, and 4LO is Offroad only... never put in 4LO on hard surfaces... your drivetrain will bind and you stand a good chance of breaking something (not to mention the wear on your tires). If you never plan on doing any serious offroading and you bought the 4X4 for the good deal... if it were me, I would only use the 4 wheel drive to get myself out of a bad spot that I got myself into while cruising in 2wd (which is easier than some think due to the weight of the Cummins) and for inclement weather.



Most of all... enjoy the truck!

 

[CPittman]

There was a thread here recently that showed pictures of a grenaded transfer case from someone driving around on dry pavement in 4HI.



Oh, and remember, your mighty Cummins will sink your truck in any soft soil and your '4 by' system won't be of much help. So, if you're new to 4x4, don't take your Cummins muddin'

 

[rjohnson916]

What the guy above said. Our trucks are not really made for extreme off-road encounters. Albeit out of the trio of Diesels offered in our country, Dodge has the most capable 4x4 Diesel "out of the box" better ground clearance and suspension than a Chevy/ GMC lighter than a Super Duty. What this really means is our trucks 4x4 is really only good for parking or getting a trailer moving on a mud laden camp site, a large boat out of the water on a slick launch site, or snow covered roads. To avoid humiliation and lot's of frustration, avoid soft, wet or damp grass fields, Mud as your front end will sink faster than the Titanic, deep snow etc... There have been times experimenting with my truck off-road where it really surprised me on what it can do, but equally there were times where it really embarrassed me Good luck and enjoy your Daimler Chrysler product Oo.



-Ryan

 

[dcherill]

An old saying, I don't remember where I read it, "Use 4wd to get yourself out of trouble, not into it" on the trail, i only drop it into 4wd if i run into trouble, then take it back out again. works great so far