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See, when we're brand new to off-roading
or owning a true selectable four-wheel drive vehicle,
naturally our instincts are to use four high.
And maybe that's because four high works great
on the road, highway, desert trails,
or forest service roads at speeds that are much faster
than more than just a crawl.
And we have just become accustomed to using four high.
Or maybe we just rarely ever had to use four low.
In fact, when I was just a young lad,
long before I could even drive,
the only time I ever saw anyone use four low
is, well, when my dad was pulling
his 30 foot cabin cruiser boat
out of the water at the harbor.
But, besides that, four low was never really even a thing.
It's often pretty rare to use anything else
other than four low when we're off roading.
Even when I know we're about to hit
some higher speed sections,
the transfer case goes back into two wheel drive.
Being here in Wisconsin,
about the only other time to use four high,
well, it gets used during snow storms,
but I realized that using the four wheel drive,
regardless if it's four high or four low
is pretty situational.
So then the question is,
when and what types of different scenarios
should we be using four low in the transfer case?
Well, for starters,
anytime there are obstacles like rock gardens
or rock ledges, tree stumps, or downed logs,
loose rocky terrain,
or any of those types of obstacles
where you'll need the utmost vehicle control
combined with slower speeds.
It's also important to make sure
that before you even get to those types of obstacles
that your vehicle has already been shifted into four low.
This way, you're not trying to shift the transfer case
when the drive line may be bound up
or there's pressure against the tires.
If that's the case, there's a good chance
you may not be able to even shift the transfer case
because of the pressure that's on the drive line.
Whenever you are about to hit the trail or obstacle
and need to shift into four low,
first, stop the vehicle completely
and shift the transmission into neutral,
then shift the four wheel drive into four low.
Sometimes using a bit of force,
or if it's electronic just wait until you either hear
the four wheel drive system engage
or the dash light indicates you're in four low, and then go.
Sometimes if the four low
hasn't been engaged in a hot minute,
then it might take a little extra finesse
to get the transfer case into four low
by slightly rocking the vehicle
or slowly driving in reverse for about a full tire rotation
and then maybe forwards for another two or three
tire rotations or so just before the system engages.
Just make sure and be 100% confident
you're in four low before proceeding
as to not shock the drive line.
Once there is substantial pressure on it,
after you're already into the obstacle.
Doing that will sometimes lead to breaking something
and either causing an expensive repair bill
or leaving you stranded out on the trails.
So just make sure to take your time,
stop completely and verify you're engaged in four low
before hitting the obstacle.
Another excellent use of four low is when you need to pull
somebody out of a stuck situation
and need the extra torque from the engine.
Just like a 10 speed bicycle or a motorcycle,
the lower the gear is, the easier it is for you to pedal
or the engine is to work.
So whenever you're in a situation where you know
you're going to need as much power out of the engine
as possible, make sure you're in four low.
There are a couple of off-road situations
where it requires good judgment
as to whether to be in four low or four high.
One of them being steep hills.
Sometimes a really steep incline needs a lot of momentum
to get all the way up to the top without losing traction,
halfway up the hill due to not carrying enough speed
before you even get to the base of the hill.
If that's the case
and speed is going to be your best friend,
then shift into four high and let her fly
and don't let up until you've crested the top of the hill.
Just make sure and know what's on the other side
or on top of the hill first, before hitting it.
If you've ever seen the crazy high horsepower sand rails
hit hills in the dunes,
then that's basically what you have to do
on the bigger steeper hills.
On the contrary though, going downhill
it's best to use four low
as the engine is going to be your brakes
and not so much the use of your actual brake.
On a steep decline using too much of your brakes
will cause them to heat up to sometimes
to the point where they'll get so hot,
that they won't even work anymore.
And if you're not in four low, well,
then there's nothing else stopping you from a potential
plunge to the bottom of the depths of that hill,
where you might be meeting your maker
and nobody wants that.
The other conditional situation is in the mud.
Thick, gooey mud with a hard bottom
that's not too deep and four low would just be fine.
But if you need to clean out your tires at any point
and really need a lot of wheel speed,
then four high might be the way to go.
If your engine and axle gearing
gives you enough power to spin the large heavy tires
at a speed where they'll clean out.
Sometimes the mud just might be too thick and the engine
isn't powerful enough to really spin the tires.
So you may end up in four low
and then shifting the transmission up a gear or two
to help get that wheel speed you're looking for.
See, the thing is with mud is that
there are a lot of different variables
that come into play when trying to get through it.
Is it thick, heavy mud?
Is there a hard bottom to latch onto?
Is it watery and sloppy mud with no bottom?
Is it virtually quick sand and your buddies
spend five hours getting you unstuck
because you buried the Anthem power Wagon
at Gay Beach in Upper Michigan
so bad that at one point we literally thought
we were going to have to leave it there.
But that's a whole nother story for another time.
Now there are a few other things to be cautious of
when four low that could also
cause some catastrophic damage,
like blowing up your engine.
The cause and effect of using a lower gear
is that you're going to be working your engine
in a higher RPM range and in hard throttle situations,
it's much easier for the engine to go beyond that threshold
of where those RPMs are supposed to go.
Many or most newer vehicles have a built in RPM limiter,
which is most commonly referred to as a rev limiter
so that the engine doesn't go beyond its working capacity.
That doesn't mean that the rev limiter is a sure stop way
of preventing you from blowing it to pieces,
but it usually helps.
So just make sure and be aware of your engine's
safe operating RPM range.
Another disadvantage to having the advantage
of low range gear is that because the engine
output power is basically multiplied
the forces on the drive train will also be multiplied
and will be much more greater than when using four high.
Meaning if you get one of your tires
jammed up into a spot and hit the gas too hard,
there's a good chance you're going to find the weak spot
in your drive train and something's going to break.
So using four low also means practicing
a little bit more finesse with the throttle as well.
So if you are just getting started
in the sport of off-roading
or are new to a selectable four wheel drive system,
it really all just boils down to getting some seat time
to get to know your vehicle,
how to use it and how to get the most control
and capabilities out of it as possible.
Best way to do that is to find a small group
of experienced off-roading friends
and go out with them as much as possible
to practice using your vehicle
in a variety of different situations first,
before going off the deep end
and well, trying to walk before you can even crawl.
See what I did there, crawl.
You got it, right, Zack.
Doing that will be detrimental to your future
off-roading success and well,
will save you from many stucks and embarrassments
for years to come.
But what we really want to hear from you guys
is what other types of situations
would you use four low in or have used four low in?
Or even if you guys have any really good stories
about getting stuck?
Well, make sure and let us know in the comments below.
Or even if you guys do have any other questions
about using four low, just let us know.
Other than that, guys,
if you liked today's video,
make sure and hit that thumbs up
and that subscribe button.
Also don't forget wheels, tires, suspension,
and accessories for your off-road vehicle
can all be found right on our website
at trailbuiltoffroad.com
And guys, as always, we appreciate all of you
for watching and all of your support.
I'm Josh from Trail Built
and we'll see you guys out on the trail.
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