Manual drivers - 4Hi vs 4Lo?

[Tethmes]

When I'm trail riding in my Mom's auto rubi, I stay in 4H and never give it a second thought. When I'm in a manual it really just depends on if I'm leading or following. Leading is a lot easier as you just get to set the pace. Following I've usually found myself in 4L 2nd gear in my Dad's TJ or my old Blazer just to keep from having to use the clutch constantly. I suspect it will be the same with my JL now that I have it, but haven't gotten to take it out on any trails yet since it's only 2 weeks old.

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[dchemphill1]

I have a auto but like to use manual mode and run 4lo. Go low and slow, enjoy the ride! Life moves so damned fast that it is nice to just slow down once in awhile.

 

[Jim1964]

That consensus probably comes from the same group who drive into an obstacle using 2WD and then hold up traffic while they try to shift modes in the worst possible place.

Use all your available tools to make progress as easy as possible and less strain on the vehicle, and less trail wear.

You can identify the good drivers by the steady progress and comparative lack of drama.

 

[bjm00se]

Some folks tend to treat 4lo as just an extra-low granny gear. So they'll go 6-5-4-3-2-1 then 1-4lo.

But the transfer case is truly dual range, and just as all your gears work in 4hi, they all also work in 4lo.

When I stop to air down, That's when I also switch to 4-lo.

So I tend to take advantage of 'em all, and only go back to 4hi if the road is really opening up for wide open distances and I'm doing some high-speed (25mph+) dirt road running.

The transfer case is pretty noisy when using the overdrive gears, so yeah if I'm finding myself in overdrive much, and I expect to stay there, that's when I think about looking for an opportunity to switch back to 4hi.

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