Just curious for those of you out there that have trucks and how you use 2WD/4WD. In the winter, when there is accumulation on the highway, do you typically keep it in 4WD even when driving at high speeds for long distances? Do you keep it on 2WD and flip it to 4WD when you see patches of road that look worse? Do you keep it in “auto??
I have a 2012 Tahoe. In mixed conditions (i.e. when there are some patches of snow/ice), I keep in in auto. When it’s actively snowing or the roads are still mostly snow-covered, I put it in 4WD. When the roads are mostly clear, like they are now, I just leave it in 2WD. My wife usually drives it, so I err on the side of caution.
Never had an auto option. I put it in 4wd as necessary then back to 2wd when not needed, throughout a single drive. If doing that be careful with the throttle until everything is locked in.
That said, I miss lockouts and a manual shifter and wish it was still an option on half tons. It was so much simpler. Really it was. Click it in, click it out as needed. Once clicked in it was in immediately, no rattling of gears. There was no delay waiting for lockouts and electric shifting.
Personally, I rarely use it. I’ll push the button if I have a un-plowed road with more than 6″ of snow on it, or when I’m ice fishing off the beaten path and its necessary. 4wd is not designed to be running 60-70mph. Just my 2 cents.
I have a 2012 Tahoe. In mixed conditions (i.e. when there are some patches of snow/ice), I keep in in auto. When it’s actively snowing or the roads are still mostly snow-covered, I put it in 4WD. When the roads are mostly clear, like they are now, I just leave it in 2WD.
This is exactly what I do. In the past when I didn’t have the auto option I would tend to use 2WD when I would currently use auto. This led to really having to tip toe around things, but I didn’t want the front end locked in when the roads were 85% fine. Its a pain going through round abouts on relatively dry pavement with it locked in.
If you need to have it in 4wd going over 40mph you are overdriving for the conditions. Also check your owners manual, I’m sure it says to turn off 4wd going over a certain speed.
I have a 2008 F150 so I do not have auto option. I find that I very rarely use my 4WD unless I am driving around on the lake later in the winter. I end up putting 2 sandbags in the back of my truck every winter and it makes a world of a difference and I find I hardly ever use 4WD anymore. The last few weekends I feel like I am constantly driving on icy and snowy roads which got me wondering what other people do with 4WD. Especially when I am white knuckling to go 50 in a 70 and then some guy in a huge truck pulling a trailer flies past me. I always wonder if they end up having issues from driving that fast in 4WD.
This is an excerpt from my manual. It does make mention of not using 4L over 45 mph, but does not mention any speed restrictions for 4H.
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Does the auto 4WD work well for you guys? My current truck is the first one that’s had Auto 4WD and I’m used to the old ways of selecting it manually. Might be a dumb question but is a truck’s automatic system smart enough to register that it needs to kick into 4WD? I just feel like I can see the conditions ahead of me in plenty of time, whereas the truck might not realize it needs to shift to 4WD until I’m already in it.
That said, I miss lockouts and a manual shifter and wish it was still an option on half tons. It was so much simpler. Really it was. Click it in, click it out as needed. Once clicked in it was in immediately, no rattling of gears. There was no delay waiting for lockouts and electric shifting.
Agreed. I HATE the “shift and wait” thing while the truck decides when it feels like engaging the 4 wheel. When I want it in 4 wheel I want it in NOW.
To the OP. I mostly run in 2 wheel and only use 4 wheel when the roads are snow covered.
Keeping your gas tank AT LEAST half full in winter adds weight in the back of the truck and makes a BIG difference for those “in between” times with patchy slippery spots. (It’s also safer than using cement blocks, etc. for weight in the back of the vehicle.)
Another thing I do when it’s slick is put the transmission in D, not overdrive, to keep it from shifting down while going up steep hills and suddenly sending WAY more power to the rear wheels…
Several years ago when living in CO I was eating lunch next to a state trooper during a really bad storm. He said 90% of the people that end up in the ditch have 4wd. I notice that around here quite often, in fact the last storm we had that was actual snow, on 94 through woodbury I counted 5 vehicles in the ditch and would guess 4 had 4wd.
Like others said, 4wd is for 50mph or less and bad conditions but it won’t stop you any faster on hard pack or ice. I shutter at the false confidence it gives people in bad conditions.
Call me stubborn, but I almost never use my 4WD. I used it for the first time this year on Monday, when my driveway was glare ice and I couldn’t get my ice house in it’s spot.
Several years ago when living in CO I was eating lunch next to a state trooper during a really bad storm. He said 90% of the people that end up in the ditch have 4wd. I notice that around here quite often, in fact the last storm we had that was actual snow, on 94 through woodbury I counted 5 vehicles in the ditch and would guess 4 had 4wd.
Like others said, 4wd is for 50mph or less and bad conditions but it won’t stop you any faster on hard pack or ice. I shutter at the false confidence it gives people in bad conditions.
I agree. I do like putting it in 4WD (manual, thankfully) when at a stop light when there is a lot of snow or ice to limit the spinning, and then pop it back into 2WD when it’s clear again.
So what’s the general consensus for max speed someone should drive with 4wd locked in? Thought about this the other day when roads were not dry but not terrible and light traffic
Does the auto 4WD work well for you guys?
Yeah, I have played with it a bit, and it works quite well.
Does the auto 4WD work well for you guys? My current truck is the first one that’s had Auto 4WD and I’m used to the old ways of selecting it manually. Might be a dumb question but is a truck’s automatic system smart enough to register that it needs to kick into 4WD? I just feel like I can see the conditions ahead of me in plenty of time, whereas the truck might not realize it needs to shift to 4WD until I’m already in it.
I used to worry about this situation when I first got an AWD SUV–the idea that as a driver with eyes, I can SEE the bad sh!t coming and lock in the 4WD before it’s needed.
Well, with 15 years of AWD SUV ownership now, and significant amounts of time spent in off-pavement winter driving, I can tell you that the AWD is basically instant anyway. AS soon as 1 wheel rotates an inch more than any of the others, the truck compensates.
I’ve just had no real-life problems with AWD or auto 4WD except…
If your vehicle has traction control, learn how to disengage it. I found out the hard way that when you get really stuck in snow, the traction control works against you by putting the brakes on on spinning wheels. Well, when your stuck in snow, all your wheels are probably going to be slipping while trying to get out, so the traction control basically keeps your wheels from turning at all except if they have traction at the time.
It’s a little hard to explain, but to get out of being bottomed out in a drift, you want all wheels spinning. Turning off the traction control accomplishes this and the vehicle acts then like an old time 4 WD.
Grouse
I use 4wd high on the highway and for buzzing around town if it’s slippery.it really great when pulling out of stop signs etc and if you need to get out of someone’s way your not gonna sit and spin.i use 4w low when crawling or pulling something around a field or lake if need
Anytime the road is partially covered with any amount of snow or ice I use auto 4wd. If its completely covered with no breaks to pavement, full time 4wd.
And of course if its worse, full time 4wd as well.
No sense having it and not using it when it adds so much stability. When I put the hammer down on the slippery with my IDO suggested Hankooks I want all 4 meat monsters to hook up. I’ll drag race anybody from a slippery stop whether they participate or not. 
Does the auto 4WD work well for you guys? My current truck is the first one that’s had Auto 4WD and I’m used to the old ways of selecting it manually. Might be a dumb question but is a truck’s automatic system smart enough to register that it needs to kick into 4WD? I just feel like I can see the conditions ahead of me in plenty of time, whereas the truck might not realize it needs to shift to 4WD until I’m already in it.
I think it works very well in GM trucks. You get maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 rear wheel rotation before it kicks in. Noticeable but hardly. It will save your ass from jack knifing a trailer FOR SURE.
My new truck does not have auto 4wd like my last and I have missed it driving around town. When I’m on the lake or in the woods I always just put it in 4wd.
I like my subaru now, no spinning just go!
Sorry I had to, when I had my truck I just use 2wd mostly unless the roads are crap then 4wd comes on.
I have a 2002 Silverado and I only use 4WD when I absolutely have to. Pulling my fish house on and off the lake, and when the roads are really bad.
Call me stubborn, but I almost never use my 4WD. I used it for the first time this year on Monday, when my driveway was glare ice and I couldn’t get my ice house in it’s spot.
I am the same way… Used my 4 on Sunday for the 1st time… Parked off the road and got hung up so used it to back out. The only time I tend to use it on the roads are when it is ice or deep snow and I need some help getting going after a stop sign. Auto is good for that. Never use it on the highway unless it is Horse S***. Bad enough where people are only going 20-30 mph max anyways.
Several years ago when living in CO I was eating lunch next to a state trooper during a really bad storm. He said 90% of the people that end up in the ditch have 4wd. I notice that around here quite often, in fact the last storm we had that was actual snow, on 94 through woodbury I counted 5 vehicles in the ditch and would guess 4 had 4wd.
Like others said, 4wd is for 50mph or less and bad conditions but it won’t stop you any faster on hard pack or ice. I shutter at the false confidence it gives people in bad conditions.
It’s hilarious watching a big jacked up truck fly by you in a snow storm only to come upon them again a few minutes later in the ditch. 
To answer the Auto 4wd question, my current truck does not have it, but my previous 2001 ZR2 Blazer had it and it was awesome. I actually kept it in Auto year round because it showed a noticeable difference in performance. Not just traction, but the truck seemed to just run better with it as well, with more gitup and go on dry roads.
2003 Tahoe Z71 and now a 2014 Silverado. Same basic setups
2wd = highway over 60mph
Auto = Intended for mixed conditions. Around town and speeds less than 60mph.
4wd = only for fully covered roads. Can be harmful if used on dry pavement. Almost never use.
4wd w/traction control off = on lakes or in the crap.
2014 auto engages much quicker and better than my 2003. My wife’s awd Subaru is still better but the gap is now quite small.
In the winter I almost always turn traction control and stabilitrak off every time I start the vehicle which is a pain since you must hold the button in for 10 seconds to also disable stabilitrak. I cant stand those nanny controls on my vehicle and they definitely hinder my instinctual driving habits developed over 30 years of driving.
I don’t have auto, but I use 4wd it when I need it. Today I was coming up Cedar north of 140th, with all the cars sitting in traffic causing black ice I put in in 4wd because I was busting loose going up the hill. by the time I got to 35E back to 2wd.
and yes I also look at the vehicles in the ditch and most are 4wd.
FWIW – I was listening to Paul Brand auto talk some years ago when someone asked how fast can you drive in 4wd – His response was “just fast enough as to not have the gears blow out the side of your transfer case” 
ice fish every week in the winter and drive all over town. I probably put my vehicle in 4wd about 10x a year and half of those times its just to get it some use to make sure it still works. most helpful times for me are actually on slippery steep boat launches. ive been on some where I don’t know if I would have got up the hill without it.
Several years ago when living in CO I was eating lunch next to a state trooper during a really bad storm. He said 90% of the people that end up in the ditch have 4wd. I notice that around here quite often, in fact the last storm we had that was actual snow, on 94 through woodbury I counted 5 vehicles in the ditch and would guess 4 had 4wd.
Like others said, 4wd is for 50mph or less and bad conditions but it won’t stop you any faster on hard pack or ice. I shutter at the false confidence it gives people in bad conditions.
My dad was a state trooper for 30 years and always said the same thing when working in winter storms.
I don’t like the idea of switching from 2 to 4 or vice versa while movimg so I never use auto. If I feel like I should be doing less than 40 mph and roads are iffy I’ll have it in 4 high, if I feel safe going faster than that then no need to be in 4wd.
Biggest thing in inclement conditions is to slow down regardless and that it’s quiteasy often stopping not going that is the real issue. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Far too many people think they can just throw it in 4wd amd continue driving as if it were wide open and clear.
Auto 4wd and traction control remind me of anti-lock brakes.
They are way safer than your driving skills, period. It isn’t even close.
Professional drivers without this technology couldn’t keep up with the average soccer mom with it.
So, if your vehicle has auto 4wd or awd and/or traction control, USE IT.
Except off road. there use 4wd high or low and turn off traction control.
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