Help with 4x4 auto

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tommyddsr

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Bottom line is Ford said you can use 4A so anything else is just an irrelevant opinion and this thread is pretty moot at this point. :cheers:
 

Thunderbirdsport

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You can use 4A whenever...the system won't activate unless there's rear wheel slippage. The 4th Gen V8 explorers were AWD, as were the 5.0 3rd gen Explorers/Mounty rigs. They used the same system mechanics....even in normal "AWD", the front wouldn't get power unless there was slippage and the t-case viscosity changed.

There are actuators at the hub on an Expedition? Hmm.
 

Boostedbus

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When I put off-road setting on the dash info screen and accelerate while in 4A it shows the front tires expand at a slower rate than the rears. I’m talking about the picture of the suv in the screen. If I accelerate hard (on dry pavement) it shows the front tires expanding faster. The expanding of the tires simulates how much power is being applied to that axle. My point is that the rear tires are never slipping to cause the fronts to assist. It seams like the power to the front axle is determined by the amount of torque being applied also, not just loss of rear traction. My wife’s explorer is all wheel drive all the time and it works the same way on the dash picture except it shows the front tires doing most of the work with the rear tires assisting. Now if I switch my Expedition into 4-hi or 4-lo, it shows all 4 equal in power. The same is true for the Explorer in the different off-road (sand, gravel, snow) modes equal power to all 4.
 

mnachreiner86

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Where I find A4WD really nice is on ice covered roads. There it’s nice with the help of the traction control to send the torque to the wheel it needs to get grip, rather than hooking into 4 hi and everything turning at the same rate. I drive in 2 hi 99% of the time. If it’s an absolute downpour at highway speeds I’ll be in auto 4 for the little piece of mind that if I was to go around a curve and lose the back due to hydroplane it could send it fast enough to the front to help me out. I also use auto 4 with ice and light snow. With deeper snow and the occasional muddy hole it’s 4 hi.


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Boostedbus

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vince is right in all areas. It is zero safer on dry pavement and your front diff, u-joints, t-case are working needlessly. It's a lose/lose scenario. It's not even safer on wet pavement unless maybe you floor it at stoplights in the rain.
I’m gonna disagree with the zero safer on dry pavement statement and only because of a hypothetical situation. One of the hypothetical situations being a panic maneuver on the highway into the grass medium to avoid a crash occurring in front of you. I am always looking out for an escape plan if traffic is stacking up in front. If you need the throttle to bail you out of a situation gone wrong then you’ll be able to power out of it with more control with 4 power wheels. Like I mentioned above, my wife’s Explorer is full time 4 wheel drive with no option to take it out. It surely has to use more fuel, but it is okay to choose to run in 4 auto all the time. I myself will turn it on if the roads are wet because I’ve had my rear step out sideways in a turn with the traction lock rear axle and the joke factory tires.
 

07navi

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I’m gonna disagree with the zero safer on dry pavement statement and only because of a hypothetical situation. One of the hypothetical situations being a panic maneuver on the highway into the grass medium to avoid a crash occurring in front of you. I am always looking out for an escape plan if traffic is stacking up in front. If you need the throttle to bail you out of a situation gone wrong then you’ll be able to power out of it with more control with 4 power wheels. Like I mentioned above, my wife’s Explorer is full time 4 wheel drive with no option to take it out. It surely has to use more fuel, but it is okay to choose to run in 4 auto all the time. I myself will turn it on if the roads are wet because I’ve had my rear step out sideways in a turn with the traction lock rear axle and the joke factory tires.
I did say it is useful in rare situations but I am like Jexpy above, I never use it. Anticipating a rare scenario is not worth the extra wear and loss of MPG's to me.
 

Boostedbus

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It’s great if you find yourself in a counter steer situation and you need those front tires to pull you in the direction of the counter steer....... but you’ve gotta get back in the throttle for that to work.
 

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