4hi or 4lo?

[91rangerxlt]

ok i got a 96 ranger with the warn manual lockouts and a traction lock rear end. its a manual transmission. my buddy has a 96 gmc yukon with an automatick trans. he says he keeps his in 4hi in the sand, well when i try 4hi in my ranger it bogs down and dont wanna start after youve stopped in the sand. when you put it in 4lo bam no problem.it was like this with my old 1990 ranger too he says he only uses 4lo for pulling peopleout. what do you all think. is it just because mine is amanual and his is an automatic??? lets hear your thoughts.

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

i always run around in 4low, but up here in the muskeg and northern boreal forest, low gears, and lockers are a must. Usually in sand and mud thats not too deep, it stays in 4hi but i have 4.56s so its gonna move one way or another. Snow wheeling in my ranger is terrible, i'll get 10 feet and the ttb will plow all the snow up, while my friends 99 dakota and my other friends 97 f-150 go through snow like **** all (IFS) i hate wheeling in snow with my truck just for that reason. haha

 

[gw33gp]

The torque converter in a truck with an automatic transmission will slip if more torque is needed and is like being in a lower gear. It will also heat up more and could harm the transmission if a good transmission fluid cooler is not used. I like to keep my transfer case in low range when off-road unless I am going to be going faster than 25 to 30 mph. That way I have access to the low gears without having to stop.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I had always thought to run in 4-hi till you got bogged down an then throw it in 4lo...

When I took my one 4x4 (now sold :-( ) out with some buddies for wheeling up at college, they told me they were running in 4lo cuz their jeeps were 4cyl and they wouldn't go anywhere off road in 4hi. They also suggested that I run in 4lo even though I had a 2.9 V-6 cuz it would keep the auto tranny cooler.

In my choptop I run 4lo often because I have a better crawl ratio an the truck will go just about anywhere I point it in 4lo. I'll use 4hi on the road for the most part. I used my choptop to go up in the woods during hunting season, saw quite a few 4x4 trucks struggling with all the ice an mud. I tried the first day to run in 2wd an use some careful throttle an clutch work an trust in my rear locker, but when I couldn't make the top of a small rise I got out an locked in the hubs. Threw it down into 4lo an the truck walked right out of the ditch and anywhere I wanted it to go.

 

[Chance]

If I'm going fast... I'll do 4 hi. But pretty much everything else, 4lo 2nd gear.

 

[Destroyer000]

ive got a 4 liter 5spd an when ever i offroad i run 4 low 2nd gear.... torque is there... 4 high tends to be a big harder on the clutch.... i only use 4 high on snow covered roads..

 

[Viva*the*Ranger]

What ever works best for you man. That GMC is built differently, you can't compare you ranger to a truck in a different class.

 

[Z3CHYD]

Yea a GMC Yukon is a larger truck with more weight to ^
But for me i run my ranger like:
-2WD on the Street/dry dirt roads
-4WD Hi on mudd up to my hubs
-4WD Low in muh up to my doors, or muddy hills, and snow covered roads and ice
Before I go mudding i always engage the hubs to, because its a PIA to get out in shin deep mud to lock your hubs lol
but i keep my hubs unlocked on the road so i get better mileage

 

[Dzrtcj7]

You can run at least 55mph in low range .... so it is good for almost all offroad use ... don't ask how I know

 

[yodaman1151]

55mph in low range? depending on what size tires and gears you have i would say it sounds like you don't have the power to run hi range. i can't use hi range unless its on the snowy icy roads cuz i can't turn my 31" tires with my 3.73 gears in high range. i use 4 lo just cuz i like to go slower when wheeling anyways... my cherokee on the other hand rips in the sand in 4 hi.... gotta love those inline 6's

 

[4x4junkie]

The real difference here between your Ranger and the Yukon is stickshift vs. auto (and is why yours stalls out and his doesn't).
This doesn't really change when low should be used though. Your buddy really should drop it in low while in sand if he wants his transmission to last, as that's probably the worst terrain for building up heat in it (especially an auto). Low should be used in rocks and most mud too.
Hi range is more for typical snowy/icy highways, and semi-smooth hard dirt roads.


And like a couple others here mentioned, GEARS. If you're running oversized tires and have not regeared for them, that will only hinder your trucks movement on soft terrain even more.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You can run at least 55mph in low range .... so it is good for almost all offroad use ... don't ask how I know

That's interesting.... my choptop tops out in 4lo at about 35-40 mph in 5th gear.... lol. I know cuz I've done it. I've also noted a bit of a whine in 4th when running 4lo, but it goes away in 5th....

 

[91rangerxlt]

im running 235/75/15 tires with 3.73 gears. im not sure how all the gearing and stuff yall talk about goes. either way i got stuck today lol. sorry no pics didnt plan on it. made it through the first time and coming back the liberator a/ts got stuck. i hate them stupid tires lol

 

[Z3CHYD]

55mph in low range? depending on what size tires and gears you have i would say it sounds like you don't have the power to run hi range. i can't use hi range unless its on the snowy icy roads cuz i can't turn my 31" tires with my 3.73 gears in high range. i use 4 lo just cuz i like to go slower when wheeling anyways... my cherokee on the other hand rips in the sand in 4 hi.... gotta love those inline 6's

Hmm i run my truck in 4Hi and it runs fine, an i run 31s with stock gearing and my lil 2.9L 5-speed, also in 2WD i can roast em....lol