Using 4A when raining?

[adam1991]

4A is active even without slippage. Take it on a dirt road and around any turn you’ll feel it pulling. It’s a clutch system.

Turn the wheel like that and watch 4A disengage the fronts.

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[Sparkherd]

The front driveline is now turning instead of just the rear.

The front is ALWAYS turning.
Just not always connected at the transfer case.

 

[Sparkherd]

You know what they say:

Idiots are everyone driving faster than you and morons are everyone driving slower than you!

TRUTH!!!

 

[rdg04578]

The front is ALWAYS turning.
Just not always connected at the transfer case.

so this is the best explanation of what occurs in the front axles that I am aware of--this was from an earlier post on this forum:

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...tion-front-axles-spin-free-when-in-2wd.61058/

So… it’s not a super short answer as it depends if your Bronco has the front-axle disconnect or not.

The Bronco does not have locking hubs—they are permanently locked. There is no electromechanical or pneumatic/vacuum system on the Bronco to disconnect the hubs when in 2WD. So the front half-shafts are always spinning regardless.

Some of the Broncos with the ESOF transfer case (part-time 4x4) have a front-axle disconnect system (FAD). On those Broncos the half-shafts are always spinning but the front driveshaft is not. I believe all of the Broncos without locking axles (Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks), come with a FAD… but not 100% sure about that.

Broncos with EMTC transfer case (advance 4x4) do not have a front-axle disconnect system. On those vehicles, both the front half-shafts and the front driveshafts are always spinning. When in 2WD, the driveshaft itself is sitting in neutral in the transfer case, so no power is sent to front even though the front driveshaft is spinning.

This is primarily done for reliability reasons. Vacuum hub locking systems, like what most pickup trucks have, are not super reliable and tend to fail over time when corrosion/water gets involved. Plus on an off-road vehicle you have omni-present risk smashing your vehicle against the rock and breaking a vacuum line or something.

The downside by not having locking hubs is increased wear on the front driveline components and a small fuel economy hit. So I wouldn’t be surprise if we see aftermarket manual locking hubs come to market some day.

 

[NVCowboy]

I live in the desert southwest where rain is . . . what is this rain thing were discussing? When water eventually falls from the sky (its just rumors), the roads have been accumulating oil for the last how many ever months its been (many) and turn to glass / ice / snot when they first get wet. When this atmospherical anomaly happens, im happy to have an AWD setting. I do agree that i dont use it as an excuse for driving stupid. I really love my Bronco and would be crushed if I bent it.

 

[Sparkherd]

I live in the desert southwest where rain is . . . what is this rain thing were discussing? When water eventually falls from the sky (its just rumors), the roads have been accumulating oil for the last how many ever months its been (many) and turn to glass / ice / snot when they first get wet. When this atmospherical anomaly happens, im happy to have an AWD setting. I do agree that i dont use it as an excuse for driving stupid. I really love my Bronco and would be crushed if I bent it.

Recently, we have that same problem here in Texas.
The oil on the roads plus some light rain is almoist as slippery as ice...4A works gggggrrrrrreat in those conditions.
Still awaiting REAL inclement WX (be careful what you wish for) since we've had no ice/snow since I got the dayum thang in November 22.

 

[BigGreenPony]

How many of you use 4A when it is raining? Should it not be used while driving in the rain? Thoughts?

Almost every time it rains! It’s probably unnecessary, but it does give you extra confidence on the road.

 

[broncobase1]

Growing up in a time when everything was rear wheel drive, I get a chuckle every time a 25-40 year old, makes these comments in relation to 2wd and 4wd performing vertically no different on snow and ice.

I grew up in Minnesota when everything was RWD, and never had anything other than 2WD until I got my 22 Bronco. FWD with stability contol is far better than old RWD on snow & ice, but of course not as good as AWD. That said I have been on plenty of trips with FWD when I was about the only one not in the ditch, and the majority of vehicles in the ditch were AWD or 4WD vehicles. It has more to do with how you drive. Having AWD or 4WD DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DRIVE FASTER in adverse conditions. The biggest benefit of AWD or 4WD is not getting stuck, it doesn't help stopping distance and you can slide off the road just the same.

 

[MNBigfoot]

I grew up in Minnesota when everything was RWD, and never had anything other than 2WD until I got my 22 Bronco. FWD with stability contol is far better than old RWD on snow & ice, but of course not as good as AWD. That said I have been on plenty of trips with FWD when I was about the only one not in the ditch, and the majority of vehicles in the ditch were AWD or 4WD vehicles. It has more to do with how you drive. Having AWD or 4WD DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DRIVE FASTER in adverse conditions. The biggest benefit of AWD or 4WD is not getting stuck, it doesn't help stopping distance and you can slide off the road just the same.

I'm in rural MN, I have vertically no traffic, perhaps a stop sign every 7 or 20 miles depending on which way I'm traveling, I also commute 60 miles a day for work. 40 years ago, I like vertically every farmer had sand bags in their truck beds (or trunks), to keep their rear-end from floating out on icy roads. That is not necessary when driving in 4wd or AWD. There's no doubt driving a truck on an icy straight highway, that you can drive faster, safely in 4wd without having your rear end lose traction and put you in the ditch, than driving in RWD. So we'll have to agree to disagree. You won't see to many cars or trucks with FWD or AWD loaded with sand bags in the trunk/bed.

 

[adam1991]

I grew up in Minnesota when everything was RWD, and never had anything other than 2WD until I got my 22 Bronco. FWD with stability contol is far better than old RWD on snow & ice, but of course not as good as AWD. That said I have been on plenty of trips with FWD when I was about the only one not in the ditch, and the majority of vehicles in the ditch were AWD or 4WD vehicles. It has more to do with how you drive. Having AWD or 4WD DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DRIVE FASTER in adverse conditions. The biggest benefit of AWD or 4WD is not getting stuck, it doesn't help stopping distance and you can slide off the road just the same.

Tires matter.

 

[Paughco]

I use the SLIPPERY mode on pavement during knarley weather conditions. Heavy rain, snow, ice, etc. slippery mode activates 4A, and mellows out throttle response a bit.

 

[tourproto]

At 30,000 miles I think I’ve had my Bronco in 2WD for one mile if that. 4A is set it and forget it mode.

This is me. 4A all the time, wet or dry. I will put it in slippery GOAT mode if it is snowing or icy, but other than that 4A 100% of the time

 

[Uhdinator]

2H until I see the TC light coming on a few times as well as visual assesment.
Packed snow and Ice highway driving .....slippery mode or 4A so TC is available.
Deep snow.....4H so traction control is off and not reducing power. Lockers are for trails, not highways and limit turning. can make things worse in snow.

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