Do you mostly drive in 2H or 4H?

[Mikey D]

Baffles me how much people will spend on a vehicle and depend on Forums instead of reading user manual. Bronco even comes literally with a handout on glovebox when to the different modes. Clearly state do not use 4H / 4A on dry pavement…..

Geez, OK. I get it. Consider me up to speed - so to speak.

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[Jazer]

Usually 4L. I like living on the edge.

 

[wanna1]

I use 1 wheel drive for my basic everyday driving.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

I use 1 wheel drive for my basic everyday driving.

Most people do. They just don't know it.

 

[Sardine]

On road driving in normal weather always in 2H.

On normal roads during inclement weather I use slippery goat mode which outs me in 4H

Easy peasy.

I don't have 4A.

By inclement weather, do you mean icy roads where you're slipping around everywhere? Because if not, you shouldn't use 4H.....Even if it's a torrential downpour. For 4H not to damage your drivetrain your tires need to slip and they won't be slipping on wet asphalt. If they are, you need to slow down or something.

 

[bloominguez]

Baffles me how much people will spend on a vehicle and depend on Forums instead of reading user manual. Bronco even comes literally with a handout on glovebox when to the different modes. Clearly state do not use 4H / 4A on dry pavement…..

I don't believe it does say that, actually. It does say that for 4H (and 4L), but not for 4A.

Remember, Ford programmed the Bronco to go to 4A in Sport Mode (if you have the advanced transfer case as well as a Bronco with that mode). And when else would you go to Sport Mode if not on dry pavement???


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"When you select four-wheel drive auto, the system continuously varies power to the front wheels for optimum performance for all on-road conditions."
Note: All on-road conditions.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Do not use four-wheel drive high or four-wheel drive low mode on dry, hard surfaced roads. Doing so can produce excessive noise, increase tire wear and can damage driveline components. Four-wheel drive high or four-wheel drive low mode is only for use on consistently slippery or loose surfaces."
Doesn't say anything about 4A in those sentences.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Four-wheel drive auto provides electronically controlled four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels, as required, for increased traction in varying on-road conditions."


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Four-wheel drive high provides electronically or mechanically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use in off-road or winter conditions such as deep snow, sand or mud. This mode is not for use on dry pavement."

 

[JJ Bronco]

By inclement weather, do you mean icy roads where you're slipping around everywhere? Because if not, you shouldn't use 4H.....Even if it's a torrential downpour. For 4H not to damage your drivetrain your tires need to slip and they won't be slipping on wet asphalt. If they are, you need to slow down or something.

I did mean rain.

I took a deeper look at Ford site and it confirms you are correct.

Thanks for the correction before it got to late for my drive train.

 

[SavSqch]

I don't believe it does say that, actually. It does say that for 4H (and 4L), but not for 4A.

Remember, Ford programmed the Bronco to go to 4A in Sport Mode (if you have the advanced transfer case as well as a Bronco with that mode). And when else would you go to Sport Mode if not on dry pavement???


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"When you select four-wheel drive auto, the system continuously varies power to the front wheels for optimum performance for all on-road conditions."
Note: All on-road conditions.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Do not use four-wheel drive high or four-wheel drive low mode on dry, hard surfaced roads. Doing so can produce excessive noise, increase tire wear and can damage driveline components. Four-wheel drive high or four-wheel drive low mode is only for use on consistently slippery or loose surfaces."
Doesn't say anything about 4A in those sentences.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Four-wheel drive auto provides electronically controlled four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels, as required, for increased traction in varying on-road conditions."


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False
"Four-wheel drive high provides electronically or mechanically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use in off-road or winter conditions such as deep snow, sand or mud. This mode is not for use on dry pavement."

Oh boy.

dude I’m not reading all that.

mid You want run it in 4A go for it.

 

[bloominguez]

Oh boy.

dude I’m not reading all that.

mid You want run it in 4A go for it.

You're not able to read six (literally six) quoted sentences from Ford? And yet we're supposed to believe you read the manual? Interesting.

And yes, I have run my Bronco in 4A. I've tried out most of the GOAT modes, including Sport mode which put my Bronco in 4A.

 

[MNBigfoot]

Living in a rural area, with a 30 mile (one way) commute to work, much of the winter involves driving on 90% on dry pavement, with 200 yard patch's of snow/drifts/ice behind every grove (10%). I probably have 30,000 miles on my 2004 F150 driving in 4H at 60mph on dry pavement. People here don't drive 30 mph on mostly dry roads, they don't slow down every 1/3 mile to 5mph engage/disengage 4wd, and they don't drive across 200 yds of drifts/snow/ice with a truck in 2H at speed. While not great for your drivetrain, mine has often been quoted: "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".

 

[bloominguez]

More info on running 4A on dry pavement...

I don't want to give the wrong impression. I don't run 4A as a general practice, it's just not needed most of the time. But there seems to be some belief that it's bad to use it on dry roads and I don't believe that's true.

In fact, you buy the advanced transfer case (with 4A) precisely so you *can* do this! You may choose to use it for fun (Sport mode) or you may choose to use it in mixed conditions--if the roads are slippery in some places and dry in others, like typical conditions during the winter where you have patches of snow and ice.

Either way, when I saw the 4WD options I went with a Black Diamond in part because, if I recall correctly, it is the lowest trim level for which you can get the advanced transfer case without stepping all the way up to the Sasquatch package. Worth the price ($800? I forget) to be able to just tell my daughters: Just put it in 4A if the roads are slippery. Or to have 4A available in the "Slippery" GOAT mode if they do it that way.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...tronic control four,pavement, snow, or gravel.
"4A provides electronic control four-wheel drive with power delivered to all four wheels, as required, for increased traction. The information display will display 4A when this mode is selected. This mode is appropriate for all on-road driving conditions, such as dry road surfaces, wet pavement, snow, or gravel."


https://www.f150forum.com/f118/ok-drive-4a-all-time-366464/
(lots of comments, too many to quote)


https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/advanced-4x4-vs-the-standard-option.9201/


https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/transfer-case-technical-discussion.52097/

 

[0ne]

I think I’ve done upwards of 50mph in 4Low with a 5 speed manual overdrive in my old 92 Explorer while driving in a fairly strait path because I needed it to crawl down a very icy highway and couldn’t stop to switch out once down the hill for safety reasons. No obvious problems afterwards but was tached out at 3-4k rpm the whole time.

 

[0ne]

More info on running 4A on dry pavement...

I don't want to give the wrong impression. I don't run 4A as a general practice, it's just not needed most of the time. But there seems to be some belief that it's bad to use it on dry roads and I don't believe that's true.

In fact, you buy the advanced transfer case (with 4A) precisely so you *can* do this! You may choose to use it for fun (Sport mode) or you may choose to use it in mixed conditions--if the roads are slippery in some places and dry in others, like typical conditions during the winter where you have patches of snow and ice.

Either way, when I saw the 4WD options I went with a Black Diamond in part because, if I recall correctly, it is the lowest trim level for which you can get the advanced transfer case without stepping all the way up to the Sasquatch package. Worth the price ($800? I forget) to be able to just tell my daughters: Just put it in 4A if the roads are slippery. Or to have 4A available in the "Slippery" GOAT mode if they do it that way.


https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=4219&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1763109&ProcUid=G1763110&userMarket=usa&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False#:~:text=4A provides electronic control four,pavement, snow, or gravel.
"4A provides electronic control four-wheel drive with power delivered to all four wheels, as required, for increased traction. The information display will display 4A when this mode is selected. This mode is appropriate for all on-road driving conditions, such as dry road surfaces, wet pavement, snow, or gravel."


https://www.f150forum.com/f118/ok-drive-4a-all-time-366464/
(lots of comments, too many to quote)


https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/advanced-4x4-vs-the-standard-option.9201/


https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/transfer-case-technical-discussion.52097/

Agree 100%, sport mode turns it on by default because if you goose it going around corners in 2H sport mode with the 2.7 you’re gonna swap ends easy.

 

[Kfonte]

Sport mode puts you automatically into 4A and I’ve driven about 800 out of 5000 miles in sport mode. I’m glad I came across this thread because there have been times, after highway travel in sport mode, that I smell something from the engine. I do believe 4A is fine on dry pavement, but I also believe that it can wear out components on your bronco, like some have said. I’ll try switching to 2H while on sport mode to see if that smell lingers.

 

[1970AMCAMX]

I use 1 wheel drive for my basic everyday driving.

In reality, "for basic everyday driving" you truly have 2 wheel drive until you loose traction on one of the wheels.

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