Is 4w Auto needed for safe traction in winter?

[Rjacks258]

I was talking about my old fullsize bronco which doesn't have 4A.

Good to know about the straight line though! Is changing lanes or highway curves fine as wll?

Gotcha.
I’m sure. it’s what most 4wd owners did/do in the snow and wet conditions.
I have used my other truck in 4H on the road.
But the F250 must stay straight, the front diff is always locked so it will bind with anything more than a lane change. That truck will take me out of 4H at like 45mph, but the limit in 4L is 70. Go figure. .

And weren’t you in King of the Hill? Lol

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[rtaylor]

I never owned a truck and only had sports cars with RWD or AWD cars. I live in New England with bad weather and have a very long steep driveway which RWD cars cannot get up if its the slightest bit of frost or snow on it.

The variable torque split of Bronco 4A (similar to AWD) performs better in many conditions. Manually switching to 4H when the road is not fully slick can lead to vibration and control issues (drags tire when turning due to lack of center diff). Using 4A can be safer in mixed conditions, as long as you don't use it for an excuse to drive faster.

If you choose the manual 2H/4H approach, be sure that your front tires have more tread than the rear (for control, you want the rear tires dragging, not the front tires pushed).

 

[Laminar]

What I'm discovering is that some people are just fine driving reeeally reeeally slow in mixed or slick conditions. Any gas at all on wet or patchy pavement and you'll be one-wheel-peeling your way to nowhere since the Bronco doesn't have an LSD and the locker (just like 4H) is only made for low speed off-roading. 4A fixes all of that - gas it and go.

Do you need it? No! You can always just drive really really slow out there. But not everyone wants to creep away from every single stop sign.

(Man, I wish someone would have made a 4A thread before, it seems like a really important topic that should have already been covered before.)

 

[AZ_Liberty]

Having been driving for over 30 years, I have never owned a single vehicle that was either AWD or had 4A.

So... No.

For that long driveway, Posi-track would have been nice though. Put it in 4H if you get stuck.

 

[Rusty Sheckelford]

Gotcha.
I’m sure. it’s what most 4wd owners did/do in the snow and wet conditions.
I have used my other truck in 4H on the road.
But the F250 must stay straight, the front diff is always locked so it will bind with anything more than a lane change. That truck will take me out of 4H at like 45mph, but the limit in 4L is 70. Go figure. .

And weren’t you in King of the Hill? Lol

 

[lemonslush]

What I'm discovering is that some people are just fine driving reeeally reeeally slow in mixed or slick conditions. Any gas at all on wet or patchy pavement and you'll be one-wheel-peeling your way to nowhere since the Bronco doesn't have an LSD and the locker (just like 4H) is only made for low speed off-roading. 4A fixes all of that - gas it and go.

Do you need it? No! You can always just drive really really slow out there. But not everyone wants to creep away from every single stop sign.

(Man, I wish someone would have made a 4A thread before, it seems like a really important topic that should have already been covered before.)

Does your BD have 4w auto?

 

[GroovyGhost]

I drove various Wranglers in 4H shifting in and out as necessary for the last 25 years. So I will echo others in that it is not necessary, however the 4A on my Bronco sure is nice and easy.

 

[CT203]

This is not true. I have a 2009 JK Sahara Unlimited. There are times, conditions permiting, that I drive 60mph on the xway, and 50mph around town. I have never had one issue with the drive train and 130K miles on the OD.

I had no issues until 140K, a friend at 125K. I wish you luck!

 

[vzqhsg]

I had no issues until 140K, a friend at 125K. I wish you luck!

What problems? Were they user caused?

 

[CT203]

What problems? Were they user caused?

Brain fart but I think it was a torque converter issue? I wound up needing a $4k rebuilt put in as I waited for my Bronco. That was a kick in the nuts, as it’s not something you can really get back on a trade in or often even in a private sale on a high mileage vehicle. I was told the JK transmission was only designed to last around 1520-180k miles.

 

[lemonslush]

I wonder if it could be added aftermarket? most likely a huge expense

 

[Laminar]

Does your BD have 4w auto?

I ended up buying an F-150 instead of a Bronco since I needed more tow capability than a small crossover, but it does have 4A.

 

[lemonslush]

ya im kinda leaning towards not taking the order. My wife on the other hands like "its fine shut up"

 

[Bronco1971]

Right answer! There's not a hard limit on 4H speed. But in the conditions in which 4H would be required you'd have to be insane to be driving over 55mph

These are heavy SOB's and not even 4A will help you come to a stop in the conditions you describe.

There are quite a lot of people who seem to think that 4WD/AWD makes you invincible in inclement weather. It never ceases to amaze me how people in an Audis, Subarus, Tahoes, Broncos, Pickups, etc., will fly past me in bad weather when I'm going just under the speed limit. The reality of the physics involved is apparently lost on them. Traction circle anyone?

The secret to driving in bad weather is always the same, slow the eff down.

 

[lemonslush]

There are quite a lot of people who seem to think that 4WD/AWD makes you invincible in inclement weather. It never ceases to amaze me how people in an Audis, Subarus, Tahoes, Broncos, Pickups, etc., will fly past me in bad weather when I'm going just under the speed limit. The reality of the physics involved is apparently lost on them. Traction circle anyone?

The secret to driving in bad weather is always the same, slow the eff down.

After a few days of my wife saying We dont need 4a I decided to just go with the current one I have on reserve.

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