How many of you frequently drive in 4 auto?

[sconrad24]

In my experience, Subarus are significantly more likely to have Winter Tires than Jeeps. Jeep people love their ATs too much in winter. If the Subaru has winter tires and the Jeep is on KO2s, the Jeep will never keep up with it without crashing.

Yeah differences in location for sure. Out here winter tires are not common. Temps do not stay below 40 enough to make them worth it. More often than not, a cuv owner would not be paying attention to tread. In those cases I'd go with the Jeep with ATs. But I agree if I was driving in a storm I'd prefer the Subaru with winter tires especially at highway speeds.

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[CJ SCION]

I have only been through one full battery and have the transfer case selector in 2-hi. I will give 4-auto a try to see if there is a little more gitty-up than 2-hi.

2-hi with the 4 cylinder plus battery output is way cool, right back in the seat you go!

After giving it a go in 4-auto, I will only use it during winter driving with snow or icy roads. During my sampling, the ICE is engaged when using 4-auto. Cast a vote for only when needed.

In my experience, Subarus are significantly more likely to have Winter Tires than Jeeps. Jeep people love their ATs too much in winter. If the Subaru has winter tires and the Jeep is on KO2s, the Jeep will never keep up with it without crashing.

This is flat out absurd. In 40 years of driving 4x4 pickups and various Jeep models, I know better. Will accept a competition with you and your Subaru any time any where against me in a Jeep. Gotta make it worth my time in the wager department though, no kid stuff. I have purchased dozens of sets of BFG all terrain TA's since they first started production. It is a legendary tire for a reason although the tread pattern was borrowed from the old power cat.

Not to say Subaru is no good at all.

 

[Reinen]

Yeah differences in location for sure. Out here winter tires are not common. Temps do not stay below 40 enough to make them worth it. More often than not, a cuv owner would not be paying attention to tread. In those cases I'd go with the Jeep with ATs. But I agree if I was driving in a storm I'd prefer the Subaru with winter tires especially at highway speeds.

Difference in location for sure. Where I am winter tires are mandatory, if not by law by sheer practicality. We've already had 5.5 feet of snow and it isn't even November yet. I'm on winter tires nearly 6 months of the year. I did one winter on K02s and I will not do that again. That was scary, felt like an invalid.

But back to the topic, you can see why I generally set it to 4WD Auto all winter and leave it there. For the remainder of the year I'm either on-road in 2WD or off-road in 4WD HI/LO.

 

[sentience]

It might be purely academic, but I’m interested to see if anyone knows the expected clutch pack life of the Selec-Trac system? And also, how involved replacing something like that might be?

Yes, you can probably get away with setting it to 4WD Auto and forget it. But driving with it on may activate the clutch in situations where, if you were in a JK or other part time only system, you might not have bothered.

 

[Reinen]

After giving it a go in 4-auto, I will only use it during winter driving with snow or icy roads. During my sampling, the ICE is engaged when using 4-auto. Cast a vote for only when needed.

This is flat out absurd. In 40 years of driving 4x4 pickups and various Jeep models, I know better. Will accept a competition with you and your Subaru any time any where against me in a Jeep. Gotta make it worth my time in the wager department though, no kid stuff. I have purchased dozens of sets of BFG all terrain TA's since they first started production. It is a legendary tire for a reason although the tread pattern was borrowed from the old power cat.

Not to say Subaru is no good at all.

smh. ...pickup truck people. Full of winter overconfidence and usually the ones in slide-off accidents. Pickups are always the most important vehicles to watch out for on winter roads. They crash all the time.

Here's a sucker's bet for you.
Follow me in a Subaru w/ winter tires on a slick winter road two car lengths behind. I'll slam on the brakes. If you hit me you buy me a new Subaru. If not you can have the Subaru. I'm guaranteed to win. Your "legendary" AT's have more than double the stopping distance and even less cornering ability than Hakkas or Blizzaks. It's physically impossible for you stop in time and I can easily swerve in front of you faster than you can try to avoid me. It will be even worse if you're in 4WD HI.

Moving forward is the least important part of winter tire performance. If your stopping & cornering ability sucks (which 3PMSF doesn't even test) you're better off not moving forward at all.

Seriously, try some winter tires. It will completely change your scale of what winter tire performance is. Night & day different.

But this is getting off-topic for this thread so I'm gonna drop this.

 

[Reinen]

It might be purely academic, but I’m interested to see if anyone knows the expected clutch pack life of the Selec-Trac system?

Yes, you can probably get away with setting it to 4WD Auto and forget it. But driving with it on may activate the clutch in situations where, if you were in a JK or other part time only system, you might not have bothered.

It's hard to say what the expected clutch pack life is because it completely depends on driving style and conditions. It only engages when you break traction on the rear tires. In winter that can be fairly common but you can also drive like a bat out of hell in the summer and burn rubber on dry pavement too. So it's a question of how aggressive a driver you are and how long your winters are.

FWIW, I've never heard of a transfer case clutch pack failing. Not to say they don't fail but it doesn't seem common at all.

 

[sentience]

Honestly, neither have I. But this is the first time we’ve seen that specific system in a dedicated off road vehicle application (Wrangler).

I totally get that driving styles factor into it’s expected life value. But that is also true of tires and brakes, and we have general guidelines for those.

 

[sconrad24]

It might be purely academic, but I’m interested to see if anyone knows the expected clutch pack life of the Selec-Trac system? And also, how involved replacing something like that might be?

Yes, you can probably get away with setting it to 4WD Auto and forget it. But driving with it on may activate the clutch in situations where, if you were in a JK or other part time only system, you might not have bothered.

I think the flip side is there times where I've been in 2wd but probably should have been in 4 hi. Thats the beauty of 4 auto. Not having keeping switching based on road conditions.... I guess if you are keeping the Jeep forever just drive in 4 auto full time until you hit 59,000 miles or 5 years. Go to a dealer and have them open up the transfer case and then we will have the answer on clutch pack life. (totally kidding).

 

[michail]

smh. ...pickup truck people. Full of winter overconfidence and usually the ones in slide-off accidents. Pickups are always the most important vehicles to watch out for on winter roads. They crash all the time.

Here's a sucker's bet for you.
Follow me in a Subaru w/ winter tires on a slick winter road two car lengths behind. I'll slam on the brakes. If you hit me you buy me a new Subaru. If not you can have the Subaru. I'm guaranteed to win. Your "legendary" AT's have more than double the stopping distance and even less cornering ability than Hakkas or Blizzaks. It's physically impossible for you stop in time and I can easily swerve in front of you faster than you can try to avoid me. It will be even worse if you're in 4WD HI.

Moving forward is the least important part of winter tire performance. If your stopping & cornering ability sucks (which 3PMSF doesn't even test) you're better off not moving forward at all.

Seriously, try some winter tires. It will completely change your scale of what winter tire performance is. Night & day different.

But this is getting off-topic for this thread so I'm gonna drop this.

Never underestimate a Subaru!

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