Ranger 4WD / AWD system and drive modes

Has anyone seen any info about the following?

1) Will it have any kind of "auto" 4WD mode, or "AWD", if you will? For use on roads that are largely dry, but with slippery spots.

2) Has anyone seen information on the various drive modes, in terms of what they actually do? This site claims it alters "transmission gearing, throttle response, and steering control to deliver the best possible handling. " Transmission gearing? What? I assume they mean shift points.

3) Has anyone seen what the back looks like when the seats are folded up? I'm particularly interested in the extended cab. (The colorado is particularly bad here)

I don't think it has an auto mode, the selector knob just has 2hi, 4hi and 4lo.

I think the terrain management also plays with the traction control too.

They did not have the seats flipped up in Detroit but I did see the back door open. It is tight back there with a supercab.

FWIW both trucks there were mocked up demos made to represent what the NA truck will look like, so if the seats were flipped up it many not actually look like what we are going to get as far as support bracing.

The terrain management system will mess with the gearing a bit.

Modern automatics do not have a fixed set of ratios like older autos or manuals do. For example, on a 5R55 if you put it in manual 1st (1 on the selector) that is not the same gear ratio through the trans that you get for 1st gear when you put it in D.

You get different ratios from planetary gear sets by changing the components that are held, driving, and driven. The available ranges from a single gear set are under drive, direct drive, over drive, reverse under drive, and reverse over drive. Yeah, we could have reverse over drive, but they won't give it to us.

So when you have two gear sets like most newer 6+ speed autos have you can do even more fun things, like multiple gear ratios that are very close to each other. That's why some vehicles are now coming with 12 and 16 speed transmissions, they are trying to simulate the performance benefits of a CVT without all the problems of a CVT.

Back on topic... This means you can also change not just the shift points and converter lockup strategy, but the actual gear ratios used, in certain settings. For example the Torqshift 6 (ostensibly a six speed trans) has 7 gears, but only six are ever used at a time. During warm up it shifts 1 2 3 5 6 7. Once it is at temp it shifts 1 2 4 5 6 7. So when terrain management is set to snow or sand the trans may use different gearing than when it is set road.

Thanks for the detailed reply! I didn't realize that.

That's too bad about the lack of 4-Auto. It's a huge advantage for a street-driven truck on slippery roads.

matto said:

Thanks for the detailed reply! I didn't realize that.

That's too bad about the lack of 4-Auto. It's a huge advantage for a street-driven truck on slippery roads.

Click to expand...

I would rather find out the streets are slick when I try to go rather than when I try to stop.

matto said:

Thanks for the detailed reply! I didn't realize that.

That's too bad about the lack of 4-Auto. It's a huge advantage for a street-driven truck on slippery roads.

Click to expand...

I hate auto 4x4. It only activates after it sees the need, which is usually after the time that things could have been saved on the street.

I like my manual transfer case because I can anticipate my 4x4 needs and get it in and out much quicker than the automatic version can.

But I have things like intelligence and skill and eyeballs. Things that the computer can't even emulate.

adsm08 said:

I hate auto 4x4. It only activates after it sees the need, which is usually after the time that things could have been saved on the street.

I like my manual transfer case because I can anticipate my 4x4 needs and get it in and out much quicker than the automatic version can.

But I have things like intelligence and skill and eyeballs. Things that the computer can't even emulate.

Click to expand...

Our winter here in Southwest Idaho has been pretty lacking this year compared to last winter LOL. We had 8" of snow once this winter, rest of the winter has been an inch or less. Used the 4WD once this winter in the Bronco 2...its nice to have it but I've never had any issues turning 2 knobs and pulling a lever so the manual 4WD system is what I'd rather have as well. My 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee has the Selec-Trac 4WD giving 2WD/4WD high range part time/4WD high range full time/neutral for flat towing/4Lo. The full time 4WD mode provides a 48/52 torque split and open center differential allowing use in all weather and dry pavement without binding. This Jeep also has a limited slip rear differential...didn't get to use the 4WD at all in it this winter, been driving my Bronco 2 mostly.

Last winter we had 2 feet of snow, and even with regular all season tires on the Bronco 2, it did just fine in 4WD...many AWD's, FWD's, RWD's were just stuck because of the lack of traction, or the electronic nancies wouldn't let them move out of their own way...I DO NOT miss that crap at all when I hit the accelerator I want the tires to spin, not a computer to cut power and leave me sitting in the way of myself and others...sure some vehicles you can turn it off, others you can't, or only turns it off partially still leaving you stuck. I had a hub that was really noisy last winter and didn't get it replaced till later on in the winter so I wasn't driving the Bronco 2 much, but once the hub was replaced I found it did very well in the snow/ice mess we had, and if I get the winter tires I want it'll do even better I'm sure. Looking at a set of Blizacks for winter use, get a 2nd set of wheels so I can just swap them myself.

Don't think I'd care for the auto 4WD that only engages when it thinks you need it...which in most cases is too late. When I engage 4WD I want it engaged because I need it, not because I might want it LOL. I think Ram has this 4Auto setting in some of their 1500 models but once again its only going to engage when it thinks it should not when you really need it.


Highlighted the most important part in ADSM's post.

Yeah, the Explorer had the Auto/high/low crap that can't ever be fully disengaged, which I hated. I actually had a customer at my last job who almost killed himself with that system. He was looking for a rear bearing noise, didn't understand the "auto 4x4" setting on his Explorer, only jacked up the rear wheels, climbed under, and told his kid to hit the gas.

The Expedition has 2/auto/high/low which is nicer because at least I can turn it off completely. It still takes its time engaging.

I live the manual 4x4 because not only do I have the ability to judge ahead of time when I think 4x4 would be good to have, like if I am coming to a spot that I know ices, but I can have it engaged much faster with a stick than I can with a button. I think that more than anything is my big objection to e-shift 4x4 systems. I have been driving stick since I started driving, I know what I am doing, and it takes me half a second to reach down and pull the stick back and have it in 4x4. Every e-shift system I have ever had takes at least 3-4 seconds longer to engage.

Auto 4wd has been pretty seamless for me. So seamless you can’t tell it engage... which I don’t like.

When I first met my wife she thought her edge was AWD but never had to use it...

85_Ranger4x4 said:

Auto 4wd has been pretty seamless for me. So seamless you can’t tell it engage... which I don’t like.

When I first met my wife she thought her edge was AWD but never had to use it...

Click to expand...

The edge system is weird. If it's the system I am thinking of (never had to do much to the Edge's AWD except replace the PTUs left and right) has no driver inputs. It is still part time though, based on a Volvo system that uses a little fluid pump in the diff to engage and disengage the rear wheels.

adsm08 said:

The edge system is weird. If it's the system I am thinking of (never had to do much to the Edge's AWD except replace the PTUs left and right) has no driver inputs. It is still part time though, based on a Volvo system that uses a little fluid pump in the diff to engage and disengage the rear wheels.

Click to expand...

Mom’s Explorer was about the same, they just go.

adsm08 said:

Yeah, the Explorer had the Auto/high/low crap that can't ever be fully disengaged, which I hated. I actually had a customer at my last job who almost killed himself with that system. He was looking for a rear bearing noise, didn't understand the "auto 4x4" setting on his Explorer, only jacked up the rear wheels, climbed under, and told his kid to hit the gas.

The Expedition has 2/auto/high/low which is nicer because at least I can turn it off completely. It still takes its time engaging.

I live the manual 4x4 because not only do I have the ability to judge ahead of time when I think 4x4 would be good to have, like if I am coming to a spot that I know ices, but I can have it engaged much faster with a stick than I can with a button. I think that more than anything is my big objection to e-shift 4x4 systems. I have been driving stick since I started driving, I know what I am doing, and it takes me half a second to reach down and pull the stick back and have it in 4x4. Every e-shift system I have ever had takes at least 3-4 seconds longer to engage.

Click to expand...

I'm the same way, that lever is within easy reach, and when I know I'm headed to an area where 4wd is going to most likely be needed or I think I may need it I turn the hubs in before I leave the house, doesn't hurt a thing and for the very negligible fuel economy loss I could care less, once the hubs are locked its shift on the fly anyhow, just a second to pull a lever....all e-shift vehicles I've used take several seconds to engage on a good day, if its cold it may take quite a while and you may have to stop completely before it completes the shift...that manual t-case don't care if its cold or not.

I had a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4x4 5.7L V8 for 9 years, last winter we had 2 feet of snow, it got locked in 4WD that first snow and it was in 4WD for a month straight because I knew as cold as it was that it would take several seconds to a minute or more to get it back into 4WD and with 2 feet of snow to plow through in and out of the driveway plus the snow the snow plow threw back into the driveway that 2WD was not an option LOL. I was pushing snow with the skidplate on the truck...I was dragging the differentials and whole undercarriage of my Bronco 2 through that mess but never once did I have to worry about whether it was going to go into 4WD or not...that was after I got the front hubs replaced, the previous owner really did a number on them so I replaced both when they started getting noisy LOL. Lock in the hubs pull the lever and go no wondering if its engaged or not.

I prefer a manual transmission and don't mind driving them at all...yep far less expensive to maintain, $2400 to have the A4LD automatic rebuilt in my Bronco 2, lesson learned, buy a manual next time LOL...well my 84 Bronco 2 was a manual, far more fun to drive, and no drive train issues just rust issues LOL. Wish I would have waited and got another Bronco 2 with a manual...the 3 speed automatics in the Rangers and Bronco 2's seemed to be much better, at least the auto in my 84 Ranger was and it did a lot of towing all across the country. I believe those were C5's? My 88 F250 4x4 460's 3 speed auto is still going strong even with almost 500k on it, a C6 in it I believe?