Adrenalin With AWD

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K

Kelly Hayes

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I looking at an Adrenalin with AWD & V8.

Having a 2001 St, various SUVs and Trucks with 4x4, I am unfamiliar with AWD.

Can the AWD handle deep snow and off-road conditions?

Does the AWD require any additional or special maintenance?

Thanks for all replys.

 
I do not have any experience with AWD, but common logic tells me that there should be a 4x4 locked setting so if you are having traction issues in AWD, locking it will be the same as 4x4 high.





Tom
 
AWD in most cases in my opinion is superior to 4WD. When going around a turn 4WD has to break the front tires loose and which thus causes you to loose traction. With AWD this does not happen since the outside tires can turn at a different rate than the inside, unlike 4WD. When in a slipping condition you get much less traction than if your tires had no slipping, think ABS brakes.



Unless your in a situation where you know the AWD will need to split the power 50/50, i see no need to engage 4WD. My 2009 Adrenalin has the option for a 4x4 locked setting, but i doubt i'll ever use it.
 
AWD uses sensors to split the power between the front and rear wheels when slippage is detected. Under normal driving circumstances most of the power is put to the rear wheels. These systems are not locked so cornering is of no concern. That being said I would stay away from the AWD system. I have had to replace more transfer cases, adn rebuild more front differentials on Ford AWD systems than any other vehicle I have ever worked on. Tire size is a critical issue on these vehicle, not so much the size of the tire but all the tires need to be of the same size.....this is not as easy as you may think it is to do. On the Ford AWD system if you have more than a 1/2" difference in size between a rear tire and a front tire the system will think that slippage is going on because it is reading 2 different wheel speeds, when this happens the system constantly tries to apply more power to the supposed slipping wheel, either front or back it can't spit power left and right. At first you don't notice it adn then slowly the vehicle will start to bind a little when you try to turn, when it does this it may already be too late as the fluid in the transfer case has been superheated, it's a domino effect from there.



If you do buy a Ford AWD you must dilligently make sure that the tires are within tolerance of each other. The front and rear tires will wear at different rates so tire rotation is critical on these vehicles, I recommend every oil change or not more than 5000 miles. If you blow a tire guess what...you can't get just one and may end up having to buy 4. When you do buy tires you must make sure that they are all within 1/2" in diameter, it really is not as easy as it seems to do this, buying higher end tires will usually take care of this problem but alot of "good" middle of the price range tires are off more than you think.



For the record most of todays 4wd smaller vehicles, such as the ST, run open differentials in the front end so when you turn the front end doesn't lock up and most 4wd locked settings simple mean that the power is output equally between the front and rear tires on a constant basis whereas the awd setting varies power between the 2.



The last Explorer that I fixed one of these systems was only about 3 years old and ended up running about $3500 after it was all said and done. Completely wiped out the t-case, front diff and the front driveshaft as well, not to mention all 4 tires had to be replaced even though they had good tread and were worn evenly...btw the extended warranty didn't pay on this because it was found that the tires were not within tolerance of each other which ultimately did cause the failure
 
It's pretty awesome in every weatther condition I've experianced in upstate, NY. I can't imagine owning anything but an AWD or 4x4 around here!
 
My 2003 Sport Trac binded when going through turns, whether it is an open diff or not, to be able to lock out the 4x4 it had to be either very wet roads or snow/ice. Problem is i never knew how slippery road conditions would be when raining, not wanting to bind up the front end and have to push through it with the throttle i just would not engage.



Then there would come that time when i would give it just enough gas to break loose the rear wheels while turning onto a main road way. Its not like i was Earnhardt Jr., but just trying to get into traffic without slowing others down.
 
My 2003 Sport Trac binded when going through turns, whether it is an open diff or not, to be able to lock out the 4x4 it had to be either very wet roads or snow/ice.
Click to expand...



You are not using the system correctly. Wet roads is not a real condition to use 4x4. Slippery snow? Yes. Ice? Yes. Mud? Yes. Water on the road? No.





Tom
 
Is the Adrenalin package all cosmetic appearance with no additional performance or Hp gain?

Also is ground clearance less than the 4x4 ST?

Thanks
 
Our first ownership experience with an AWD vehicle was with a '04 Mountaineer. Since we got that vehicle my wife has vowed never to own a non-AWD car...and we live in southern PA...hardly the snow belt.



On icy and otherwise slick roads AWD is one less thing to worry about. It works great in snow depths up to that which would bottom-out the vehicle...I know, we had one 30" storm that I had to play in.



TJR
 

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