4X4 in reverse

[Kevin Currie]

We got hit with winter today so i got to try 4X4 for the first time in my life.

Just got my ST back in August and I have always had 2 wheel drives in the past.



When i backup in 4 wheel drive there is a hesitation and a vibration as though the parking brake is on. Is this normal?:unsure:

 

[A1cntrler]

Need some more information. What were the road conditions, was it 4 low or 4 high?? lots of people will switch to 4wd when it isn't necessary (wet pavement). 4wd should only be used on snow packed roads or ground.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

What A1 said.



I suspect you were still in 4WD when backing up on mostly dry pavement. I'm told that's a "No No", and the Owner's Manual says such, thought clearly Ford doesn't do a good job educating people of this fact.



You only need 4WD when off-road, or on snow covered roadways.



TJR

 

[Kevin Currie]

It was 4x4 High.

It was ICY roads so slush and ice... very slippery



So this studdering is always going to be there?

Is it doing any damage?



When winter hits us full force its going to be 3 feet of snow here... so how do others deal with backing out of a driveway?



I recall my Mechanic saying something about when switching from 4x4 to 2x2 to backup to disengage. I dont fuilly understand the 4x4 drive train.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

kcm,



If you need 4x4 to back out of your driveway then you probably shouldn't be out driving.



If there are 3' feet of snow on the roads, again, you probably shouldn't be driving.



Seriously though, 4x4 isn't going to help you much backing out of a driveway. Use it at highway speeds, engaged only on roads that are fully snow covered. In parking lots and driveways, you should disengage most of the time, unless there really is several inches of snow covering everything, then there's no problem.



Most people feel that binding up that you felt because they are on mostly dry pavement, trying to turn tight into a parking space, or swing around and back up in reverse. It will harm the drivetrain if you keep it up.



TJR

 

[Kevin Currie]

Actually it isnt that i need 4X4 to backup.

I drove somewhere with the 4X4 on then parked and never put it back to 2 wheel drive.

I had to backup and it was still in 4x4.



Im new to 4x4 so i have no idea what i should be doing this winter.

If im parked in 4x4 and need to backup should i switch it off then backup then switch it back on when moving forward?



The video below is the city where im from and this happened in January. Its what prompted me to want a 4x4.

 

[Todd Z]

The 4x4 on the ST will give a binding herky jerky feeling when you turn the wheels, IT is normal.... you will experience the same going forward with the wheels turned..



Todd Z

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Kcm,



Try to use 4wd only when going forward, on main roads. Before entering parking lots, driveways, etc, switch back to 2wd. Then, when back on the snow-covered roads switch back to 4wd as needed.



I only used my 4WD about once a year, but then again, we don't often get the snow here in southern PA that you get in Canada, and when we do, it only lasts a day or two.



TJR

 

[Ryan Roberson]

This will be my 4th winter with my st. I have backed out of my driveway numerous times with 4 wheel drive engaged and have not had a problem yet, if everything is smooth and not jerking there should not be a problem that I see. I also engage 4wd during the summer when it is pouring down rain just to keep things moving, I also use 4wd on boat ramps when necessary when the front wheels are dry and the back wheels are submerged.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Ryan, if the roads are really slick, or covered with snow, then no issue. If pavement is dry and you are going straight (like on a boat ramp, or backing straight out of a garage) then again, no issue with 4wd. The bad combination is dry pavement and turning in a short radius, if backing up or going forward while in 4wd. When you do that, you get a bucking/binding feeling/sound.



TJR

 

[Kevin Currie]

Okay then that was what i experienced.

I was backing out in 4 wheel drive and i did have the wheels turned.

I did notice that on slow turns going forward it does the same thing.

I was told that when the tires are turned then they are not in sync with each other. Kinda makes sense.

 

[CountyMounty]

I use 4wd to back up my driveway all the time when it is storming so I will be facing out the driveway when it comes time to go again. I have never had a problem using 4wd in reverse. Of course I have experienced the occasional binding and noise that is common with most 4wd vehicles. I use 4wd very frequently in the winter time. Where I live many of the roads will not be completely clear for days or even weeks at a time. The main highways will clear to bare tar but many of the secondary roads will be slushy if above freezing or packed snow/ice if below. That is just the way it is around here there may be day after day where the ST stays right in 4wd going to and from work. I live about 5 miles from where I work and 4 1/2 miles of that is secondary roads.

 

[Johnny O]

Okay then that was what i experienced.

I was backing out in 4 wheel drive and i did have the wheels turned.

I did notice that on slow turns going forward it does the same thing.

I was told that when the tires are turned then they are not in sync with each other. Kinda makes sense.

Correct. That is normal.

It will drive different than a 2wd. On snow covered roads in 4wd the front end will want to push when turning, i.e. go fairly straight ("Skippy, gimme a turn of wedge and a half-pound in the right front." ). So when turning you want to let off the gas a little and coast around a corner, a little gas, a little off, etc. so you see how the front tires are grabbing (or not). The sharper the corner the worse it is. When I'm on snow covered streets in town I often switch off the 4wd when turning a corner then turn it back on when the wheels are straight.

Also know that while a 4wd will GO better in snow than a 2wd, they don't STOP any better. What kind of traction you have for turning and stopping, or don't have, is more a function of the tires than anything else. For snow all-terrains are better than mud-terrains.

 

[Kevin Currie]

I tried backing up again with 4x4 on and the wheels turned but this time on a slippery surface and that wasnt noticable.



Im just experiencing 4x4 for the first time this year and so far im LOVIN it.

We got hit with melting snow then it froze so our roads are slippery and our side streets are pure ice. My ST is a god send for this compared to my 2WD ranger i had last year. That thing was like riding a bicycle underwater. I use to have to backup and floor it just to get outta the winter hole i was parked in.