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Any reason to not leave the advanced 4WD in 4A all the time?

Mattwings

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Well, I still reserve my right to change my mind on this. I did use "probably" in my opinion.

Like you, I'm a Michigander, and I've spent 3+ months every year for decades driving in the snow and ice. And I'm regularly testing the current conditions by intentionally causing wheel slip on acceleration to get a read for the surface conditions, this is a nearly constant habit that most of the time, I'm doing without even thinking about it. If I didn't do it, I'd need to drive at the "known" safe speed for the road conditions... conditions that I wouldn't really "know". So I'd be driving much slower than I'd want to.

And to the "you're no genius artist" guy... okay. Thanks for setting me straight. You've definitely helped me to recalibrate my confidence. I wouldn't have known how to drive if you hadn't fixed me. Thanks so much.

I should also confess. I've spend most of these winters driving overly light, overly powered, rear-wheel drive sports cars that most feel have no business being on the winter roads at all. So perhaps these skills and habits are just wasted when driving a heavy 4x4 truck. If so, I'll adapt. It's been more than a couple decades since I've driven a 4x4 on a daily basis and none of them had automatic transfer cases.

I encourage everyone to drive in the way that they find to be most safe for them. Trust your judgement and instincts... well, except for you Gamecock.
I totally get it and get frustrated when my F150 unlocks the rear axle when I am "drifting" or with the traction control off, it still intervenes when I am doing something the system doesn't like, even though I completely intend to do it. I do love the feel of power oversteer! On the flip side, when my car is loaded with my family and its 31 degrees, right on the edge of snow, freezing rain and ice, I have really appreciated the 4A options in my Explorers and Tahoe and I would much prefer the option if it is available. I drove a 77 Camaro with a built 350 and 2500 RPM stall converter in High School in MI, it was a horrible vehicle in the rain, much less snow. No traction control, no ABS I thought electronic ignition was the bomb!
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ZackDanger

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I remember the same arguments were made back when anti-lock started becoming the norm on sportbikes . A close friend always said he could stop quicker on regular brakes . He wasn't lying , I could also when you knew you were going to put that to the test . We both could do impressive stoppies at will , even at slick or sandy stop lights . Trouble is when conditions sneak up on you and then most people don't have the super human reaction time that they think they have to beat the computer . I rode that bike on the track for a whole season without crashing while he washed the front out 3 times ,lol .

That's me in the middle #41 on an old pre anti-lock bike , . I miss those bikes though as they were a hoot to slide around . I guess that's one argument against anti-lock :)

I'll take anti-lock any day now if it's available .

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Hoofnmouth

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Lol we had antilock brakes in aircraft light years before the auto industry, think of landing on a puddled runway with a truck changing in weight from 60,000 lbs to zero .in a truck where it makes sense is say driving a dirt road faster than you should and a quick turn comes up it will save you then?
 

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I remember the same arguments were made back when anti-lock started becoming the norm on sportbikes . A close friend always said he could stop quicker on regular brakes . He wasn't lying , I could also when you knew you were going to put that to the test . We both could do impressive stoppies at will , even at slick or sandy stop lights . Trouble is when conditions sneak up on you and then most people don't have the super human reaction time that they think they have to beat the computer . I rode that bike on the track for a whole season without crashing while he washed the front out 3 times ,lol .

That's me in the middle #41 on an old pre anti-lock bike , . I miss those bikes though as they were a hoot to slide around . I guess that's one argument against anti-lock :)

I'll take anti-lock any day now if it's available .

Porky Benny Barber.jpg
I'm a big fan of anti-lock breaks. I wasn't saying that I'd rather not have it. Just that it's not magic. It doesn't allow your vehicle to stop as if it has good traction. So it's still good to know if there are some black ice spots hiding under the drifting snow. It's terrifying the learn about this fact when the anti-locks are engaging because then it's too late.

I'm not anti-technology, I'm just wary of the ones I fear might end up getting me killed. :)
 
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Rydfree

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chtucker

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I remember the same arguments were made back when anti-lock started becoming the norm on sportbikes . A close friend always said he could stop quicker on regular brakes . He wasn't lying , I could also when you knew you were going to put that to the test . We both could do impressive stoppies at will , even at slick or sandy stop lights . Trouble is when conditions sneak up on you and then most people don't have the super human reaction time that they think they have to beat the computer . I rode that bike on the track for a whole season without crashing while he washed the front out 3 times ,lol .

That's me in the middle #41 on an old pre anti-lock bike , . I miss those bikes though as they were a hoot to slide around . I guess that's one argument against anti-lock :)

I'll take anti-lock any day now if it's available .

Porky Benny Barber.jpg
I am a huge proponent of ABS on street bikes. A majority of non alcohol related crashes always seem to be rider induced error. I have had ABS save me on really slippery pavement markings. I will never buy a bike without it.

BMW/KTM are all lean sensitive ABS now. MY GSA has linked brakes... how many videos show HD riders stomping on the rear brakes and then letting go at the end of the skid to only high side for the finale. I wish I got hill hold assist for the steep hills in seattle.
 

broncosor

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I read those 2 pages with big debates between people raving about their driving skills and more blabla but no ones answer OP.

Does 4A worsens fuel economy compared to 2H and is there any other disadvantage using 4A all the time?
 

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I am a huge proponent of ABS on street bikes. A majority of non alcohol related crashes always seem to be rider induced error. I have had ABS save me on really slippery pavement markings. I will never buy a bike without it.

BMW/KTM are all lean sensitive ABS now. MY GSA has linked brakes... how many videos show HD riders stomping on the rear brakes and then letting go at the end of the skid to only high side for the finale. I wish I got hill hold assist for the steep hills in seattle.
Tough to know when enough is enough on the front brake on a mc. Front brake has a lot more stopping power if you can control it. You have to have the right touch and reaction. Had it once in the the day and this ain't no shit. Not sure how it relates up in here, but that's my 5 cents...
 

AcenTitus

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I read those 2 pages with big debates between people raving about their driving skills and more blabla but no ones answer OP.

Does 4A worsens fuel economy compared to 2H and is there any other disadvantage using 4A all the time?
I kinda forgot what I was going to reply aside from wondering what would come next in that argument and pondering when boxing would come back until you reminded me with this one. I’m hoping Bronco nation does their next “deep dive on a feature” video on the Advanced 4x4. A lot in those videos is stuff that’s been covered ad nauseum on this forum, but I still like seeing the concise presentation. I’m a visual learner. The plaid helps.
 

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I kinda forgot what I was going to reply aside from wondering what would come next in that argument and pondering when boxing would come back until you reminded me with this one. I’m hoping Bronco nation does their next “deep dive on a feature” video on the Advanced 4x4. A lot in those videos is stuff that’s been covered ad nauseum on this forum, but I still like seeing the concise presentation. I’m a visual learner. The plaid helps.
I think I read somewhere that it ought to be similar to the f150 which I *think* uses something like this.



It's very possible they've updated things a bit in 7 years so this may be entirely out of date but I've looked to this for a general idea
 

rtaylor

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Does 4A worsens fuel economy compared to 2H and is there any other disadvantage using 4A all the time?
Worsen fuel economy? Yes. Heat is dissipated in the clutch pack because front and rear won't be exactly matched. More impact at high speed. So worthwhile to switch to 2H for road trips at 85mph on dry roads.

Other disadvantage? Some additional wear to drivetrain and tires, but the 4A mode is designed for all road conditions, including dry pavement. Also, it is not a substitute for 4H in constant low-traction situations.
 

Fly by Nite

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I think I read somewhere that it ought to be similar to the f150 which I *think* uses something like this.



It's very possible they've updated things a bit in 7 years so this may be entirely out of date but I've looked to this for a general idea
Here's another vid explaining the 2017 system on the Raptor. Similar to what you posted except for how it engages the 4wd....the Raptor uses an elec motor to actuate shift forks.
Both systems are either 4wd 'on' or 4wd 'off', they don't vary the power split between front/rear, ie it's (roughly) 0/100 or 50/50, it won't vary the front/rear split such as 30/70.
The wet clutch will allow for slippage to prevent binding on dry surfaces, which is the primary benefit to using this system on-road.
It's not a true awd system which will constantly vary the front/rear power balance.
Note he says the Raptor uses a front limited slip, not a locker!
 

Mattwings

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It’s hard to find a lot of detail on the transfer case, but it does appear it does vary torque front to rear in an AWD manner. This was a new case first used on the 2017 Raptor. I think its the same design on the Bronco. Maybe it uses the traction/trail control to change the bias? Quote from Ford May 2017-”Ford fine-tuned the calibration of 4x4 auto depending on road surface conditions, so the transfer case can vary the clutch torque to suit the environment. For example, when the driver selects weather mode via the Terrain Management System, it’s tuned for slippery surfaces, while sport mode is tuned to feature more of a rear bias that can provide a fun driving experience, including better acceleration and on-road performance.”
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...r-cutting-edge-terrain-management-system.html
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