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Running in 4 Hi in the rain

OldGuyNewJeep

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I’m not a poopy head! You’re a poopy head!
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Wanderingwheelz

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Ask a simple question and the a$$hats come out of the woodwork..
A modern Wrangler should perform great in the rain while in 2 wheel drive. If you are having problems it can almost certainly be attributed to the tires. (Just like any other vehicle that isn’t performing as well as it should in the rain.)
 

Martindfletcher

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A modern Wrangler should perform great in the rain while in 2 wheel drive. If you are having problems it can almost certainly be attributed to the tires. (Just like any other vehicle that isn’t performing as well as it should in the rain.)
Or the driver or suspension defect, :)
 

LLANERO

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A comma does not suggest additive. It's a list separator.
6th grade grammar
Who said it was an additive? A list can be A "and" B.

If you went to a private school, call them, you may still get your money back :giggle:
 

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Wanderingwheelz

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Its the tires, not the vehicle..
It’s also a factor of how much you mod a truck from what Jeep safety engineers designed it to be in factory form.

Many Wrangler owners replace the factory tires as soon as they buy it, which immediately washes away the synergy the truck was carefully designed to have. Tires are important. An extreme example: Porsche has “approved” tires for each vehicle that are thoroughly tested for synergy, performance and safety (usually two brands), and they get a specific “N” rating on the sidewall.

Maybe the aftermarket wheels and tires you go with will perform just as well, or better, in the rain. But maybe not. Me? If performance on wet roads was a concern of mine I’d leave the factory rubber on.
 

BlackRook

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I'm pretty sure that if you stick the Pirelli Scorpions from my Explorer on a Jeep, it'd do great in the rain. Yes, of course it'd suck at doing most things you expect a Jeep to do. But the point is that tires make the difference.

If you do choose a tire which gives poor traction in the rain, then naturally you'll slip. If you're slipping, then naturally your drivetrain won't bind up in 4wd (unless you take a really tight corner). Seems like a pretty obvious trade-off, no?
 

Boatbuilder88

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I don't know. But proper tires and driving habits are more important than AWD/4wd in almost all traction situations.

A good example is Subaru. They have a reputation of being snow eating winter machines. However, I have seen videos of a FWD Honda out preforming an AWD Subie in snowy/icy conditions because the Honda had proper snow tires and the Subie did not. I've also seen plenty of rigs with good MT tires get through nasty mud in 2wd while a street tire equipped vehicle in 4wd was stuck and spinning.
Agree. My FWD Honda Civic equipped with winter tires is significantly better (traction, braking, steering) in the snow than my AWD Subaru Impreza equipped with all-season tires.
 

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J0E

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I think 4-Hi would be fine to use on wet roads, since it would be similar to running it all the time in snowy climates.

I also think the manual says you shouldn’t go over 55mph in 4-Hi. Otherwise I think you’re good.
On snow it's stupid if you don't have a differential in the transfer case because that will force a spin. Anyone who races on ice (as I have) will tell you that.

Unless you have full time 4 WD, you don't have a differential in the transfer case. Why put all that strain on the driveline?

I don't know. But proper tires and driving habits are more important than AWD/4wd in almost all traction situations.

A good example is Subaru. They have a reputation of being snow eating winter machines. However, I have seen videos of a FWD Honda out preforming an AWD Subie in snowy/icy conditions because the Honda had proper snow tires and the Subie did not. I've also seen plenty of rigs with good MT tires get through nasty mud in 2wd while a street tire equipped vehicle in 4wd was stuck and spinning.
With 4 studded tires I could beat anyone ice racing, well except my friends with sub's and audi's with studs.

Holy crap. Most of the posters in that thread are long gone.

But yeah, I’ll put mine in 4hi if it’s raining bad enough or slick enough. I’ve done it for years on multiple vehicles. Nothing has ever broken.
Ya, my uncle said the same thing about smoking, never broke anything. What's the advantage?
 

The Last Cowboy

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Holy crap. Most of the posters in that thread are long gone.

But yeah, I’ll put mine in 4hi if it’s raining bad enough or slick enough. I’ve done it for years on multiple vehicles. Nothing has ever broken.
 
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blnewt

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The Last Cowboy

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Ya, my uncle said the same thing about smoking, never broke anything. What's the advantage?
It can go 2-3 months here with no measurable rain. Then we’ll get 2+ inches in an hour. The roads get super slick with all the oil and dust build up. It’s almost like driving on ice.
 

blnewt

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