# When to drive a truck in 4-High?



## Safar (Mar 23, 2020)

Sorry, it has nothing to do with Rideshare.

Doing 4-Low is not hard to figure out, and it has many applications. When do you guys usually do 4-High? I do it when it is raining and I do 25-45 MPH. I don't really feel anything, honestly speaking. Can't wait for snow season! I may try 4-Highing on sand and in mud in near future.


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## NicFit (Jan 18, 2020)

You can use 4-high any time, though read your owners manual and make sure it’s not speed limited. Using it for the rain I’m not too sure about. 4 wheel drive is more for loose dirt and unpacked snow. My vehicle can go 2 wheel, all wheel and 4 wheel. I always drive in awd as you never know when your going to hit a loose patch and it handles corners better. 2 wheel I’d save a little on gas but probably less then a 1/2 mpg savings. I’d only use 4 wheel in mine if I was on loose dirt, mud or unpacked snow. When I drive on salted snow roads I leave it in awd. Reason is when it slips awd will correct it and remove power to that wheel. 4 wheel does not and can send you into a spin. Rain is the same way, you could only lose traction in one wheel. Do some research and figure out what your car is capable of and what conditions match what your using it for. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a vehicle without awd anymore, it’s the safest and makes sense for me since I always drive in different environments though it is more expensive and does cost a little extra I feel the safety out ways the cost


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## HPClays (Jun 27, 2016)

I've done a lot of offroad driving since I was pre-driving age. I was taught to stay in two wheel drive to get where you're going, and only use four wheel drive to get out when you get stuck and get home.

If you're driving around on a road, two wheel drive is all you need. If 2 wheel drive can't hack it, you should slow down or go home.

Short spurts of four wheel make sense for deep snow and known ice patches, but if you're driving around on ice for the rates Uber pays, you are a gambler that will eventually lose.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Safar said:


> Sorry, it has nothing to do with Rideshare.
> 
> Doing 4-Low is not hard to figure out, and it has many applications. When do you guys usually do 4-High? I do it when it is raining and I do 25-45 MPH. I don't really feel anything, honestly speaking. Can't wait for snow season! I may try 4-Highing on sand and in mud in near future.


So many variables, what kind of vehicle (Make/Model), what driveline. Typically, 4 hi would be used on improved dirt roads, where potential slip is possible, or in low traction situations on pavement. Rain does not count as low traction though, they are normally talking about snow. Generally 4hi, you should feel a slight difference, especially while turning or hard acceleration.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

When you need torque more than mpg.
Like backing your huge ass boat
down a wet ramp or rock crawling...


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

HPClays said:


> I've done a lot of offroad driving since I was pre-driving age. I was taught to stay in two wheel drive to get where you're going, and only use four wheel drive to get out when you get stuck and get home.
> 
> If you're driving around on a road, two wheel drive is all you need. If 2 wheel drive can't hack it, you should slow down or go home.
> 
> Short spurts of four wheel make sense for deep snow and known ice patches, but if you're driving around on ice for the rates Uber pays, you are a gambler that will eventually lose.


I've always thought it best to use 2WD then switch to 4WD BEFORE you need it.

For instance, there's a paved road that I frequent in Mexico. After about 10 miles there begins a LONG, very curvy down slope with some patchs of dirt that fall on the pavement and make it very slippery. To prevent sliding and losing control I always stop and change over to 4WD before I start the descent.

I learned to engage 4WD before you need it a long time ago when I was dating my ex. On my very first trip to see her I slid out of control driving UP a dirt road in 2WD.

A friend of mine who was a seminarist got out of the truck after I first started sliding to try and direct me over the best part of the dirt road.

I attempted to go up the road and lost traction, I just slid back and back and back for about a hundred feet.

All of a sudden my friend the seminarist drops to his knees and starts praying. This guy was fairly light skinned but he turned white as a sheet of paper. I'm thinking WTF is wrong with him?

Luckily just before I slid backwards over a cliff, one wheel slid off the edge of the road and the truck fell on to the pumpkin. I didn't see the edge or the cliff until I got stuck and got out to see.

The pumpkin and one wheel were left on the road and the other wheel was in the air.

Another 3 feet and I would have gone off the cliff and down to the river.

I started riding my horse instead after that incident, lol. There was also about a 5 mile stretch of cow trails where you couldn't drive a vehicle anyway riding a horse made more sense but I didn't know that at the time.

Just curious why you would wait until you need 4WD to engage it? Is it a snow thing?


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