Going in 4WD over 45 mph

[Hound Dog]

How would you suggest I keep up with traffic in less than ideal circumstances?

Keep up with traffic? Well if the Honda civic beside you is doing 70 in a snowstorm then the snowstorm is not bad enough to warrant 4wd.

Yes you can go 70 in 4wd but it is in loose traction. I have done this in jeeps but it was off road "hold my beer and watch this" kind of shit.

I drive in DC traffic with lunatic tourists and crazy liberals. I don't run across many who do 70 in a snowstorm.

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[Deleted member 59498]

You should go 4h with locking all 4 wheels! 70 mph!

 

[mwilk012]

I don’t think that the OP needs any of us here to lecture him about how to drive.

His question is simple: “can I drive in 4H in mixed snowy conditions above 45mph?” The answer to that, I think, is “yes“ as long as you are not on clear pavement as that will have a tendency to tear up your drivetrain.

That isn’t the question OP asked. He asked about shifting into 4wd, and whether or not he needs to slow down to less than 45mph to shift into 4wd. The answer is yes, you must slow down.

 

[Black Jeep Convertible]

What if you need to make it up a steep sand dune and need a lot of speed and 4WD?

 

[mwilk012]

What if you need to make it up a steep sand dune and need a lot of speed and 4WD?

you should have been in 4wd already.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I cannot tell you how many miles I've driven on dirt/mud/gravel/sandy roads in 4wd (not AWD) at speed well above 45 mph, in all of my trucks and my Jeep in 4wd Hi.

Mechanically, there is no issue as long as the surface allows tire slippage, which is why you would want 4wd anyway.

Safety is a different issue. Many Jeepers do rock crawling and other activities in there Jeeps that has higher risk than driving over 45 mph on a low traction road. You want "safe", stay home and drive a Jeep video game.

 

[COBill]

Where are you able to go 70mph in a snowstorm?

I-70 between Denver and the ski areas and I-25 anywhere in Colorado.

 

[higbyz]

Bottom line, if you live in serious snow country and you are ordering a new Jeep, get selec- trac and you will never have this issue. My Jeep has it and my wife's Jeep does not. Hers is a pita . Gotta have slippery roads to be in 4wd , and road conditions vary , even in snow events.

 

[wolf]

UH YES.

Bottom line is this - in any situation where you need 4WD, you SHOULD NOT be doing more than 45mph. It's not even a matter of mechanical damage at this point, it's not being stupid.

 

[wolf]

Drove many years in my Jeeps and to answer your question follow what the manual says. I have driven in 4wd on snow and ice across Kansas through co at 45/60 mph. Not much traffic. When there was I just waved and let them pass. Usually pass them in the ditch or worse up the highway. Pulled u-haul trailer in 4wd at 60 behind my golden eagle. With no problems. The thing to remember is in four wheel drive and you start sliding you got four wheels sliding. It’s funny to see the slat rats on I-70 upside down sliding down the interstate. That’s probably why they put their slats on top of the car lol.

 

[Friday2322]

How would you suggest I keep up with traffic in less than ideal circumstances?

Get off the highway and let the Darwin Award contestants compete?

 

[aldo98229]

Drove many years in my Jeeps and to answer your question follow what the manual says. I have driven in 4wd on snow and ice across Kansas through co at 45/60 mph. Not much traffic. When there was I just waved and let them pass. Usually pass them in the ditch or worse up the highway. Pulled u-haul trailer in 4wd at 60 behind my golden eagle. With no problems. The thing to remember is in four wheel drive and you start sliding you got four wheels sliding. It’s funny to see the slat rats on I-70 upside down sliding down the interstate. That’s probably why they put their slats on top of the car lol.

Funny how it is always the Audis, Mercedes and BMWs that end up in the ditch. Even the ones with “AWD” slapped on the trunk.

They seem to forget those expensive Nurburgring-rated tires do squat the moment it gets a little cold.

 

[aldo98229]

Bottom line, if you live in serious snow country and you are ordering a new Jeep, get selec- trac and you will never this issue. My Jeep has it and my wife's Jeep does not. Hers is a pita . Gotta have slippery roads to be in 4wd , and road conditions vary , even in snow events.

^^^ this!

You have to experience Selec-Trac first-hand to appreciate just how good it is.

It is the best feature on my JL. And it is the one true bargain on JL’s long option list, IMO.

 

[TheRaven]

Funny how it is always the Audis, Mercedes and BMWs that end up in the ditch. Even the ones with “AWD” slapped on the trunk.

They seem to forget those expensive Nurburgring-rated tires do squat the moment it gets a little cold.

My wife used to be a big Subaru fan, and I think the biggest takeaway, for me, from experiencing the Subaru enthusiast ethos was that by and large, people don't grasp the fact that AWD and 4WD only assist in acceleration. Those systems do NOTHING for stopping, and stopping is FAR more important. The attitudes of the Subaru guys were that they could do whatever they wanted in bad weather because they had AWD...they acted as if their cars ran on magic.

 

[KrispyKotex]

On my JK, I could shift into 4H at 55mph and have no issues. On the JL, you have to drop under 45mph. It’s harder shifting into 4H on the JL, so I normally drop to under 30mph. I understand you might be on an interstate and dropping speed might be dangerous, but the JL should be under 45. Also as mentioned, 4wd only helps with accelerating off the line, after that you’re just like any other vehicle. Jeep’s usually have more aggressive tires, so it may help a bit more, but you’re still braking and potentially skidding like everyone else.

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