Hey guys I just bought a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport with the v6 and 4wd (This is my first 4wd car) with 197k miles to use as my daily driver once it starts getting outside…
My question is:
Does the car have to be in neutral and completely stopped when switching from 2wd to both 4lo or 4 hi and vice versa? Or can you switch freely to and from 2w/4wd lo and hi while moving without damaging anything? I have read mixed things online. Some people say it must be completely stopped and in neutral before switching, others say it’s ok to switch from 2wd to 4wd while drivng as long as you’re not pressing the throttle while switching. What is the right way? Is it vehicle specific? Thanks
Your 01 might be a shift on the fly transfer case. You need to obtain an owners manual to be sure.
I prefer stopping, shift to neutral, then switch into or out of 4WD.
It does not. IIRC those had vacuum-pulse hubs, they are shift-on-the-fly at speeds up to 55 MPH (officially).
On older vehicles (those with manual hubs) you literally had to stop the vehicle, and lock the hubs manually, as in with your hands. Then you got back in the vehicle and while stationary, you would move the transfer case from 2HI to 4HI. On most modern vehicles you just push a button or turn a knob and the hubs lock automatically and the transfer case shifts into 4WD.
To get into 4-Lo, usually you have to be stopped, you place the transmission in neutral, then you shift the transfer case into 4-Lo. You usually cannot go from 4-Hi to 4-Lo without first stopping. This probably where the “Some people say it must be completely stopped and in neutral before switching” thing is coming into play.
No, that’s not how it works. You do have to be stopped to shift into and out of 4-Lo. To go from 2WD to 4-Hi you do not need to be stopped. Keep in mind 4-Lo is usually not used much, at least not as much as 4-Hi is. 4-Lo would only be used in situations where you need a lot of torque multiplication or descending a very steep grade off road, usually at speeds around 1-10 MPH. 4-Hi is used at normal vehicle speeds (in theory). Your owner’s manual should cover all this.
Here’s a link to Ford and their manuals for the 2001 Explorer. Note the 4wheeling supplement near the bottom of the list. Download any or all for Ford’s official manuals.
All I am going to say is that if you switch from 4hi to 4low on any 4WD vehicle (if the vehicle even lets you) while driving down the road, you will be able to carry parts of the transfer case and possible trans, driveline and or engine in your pocket while walking home…
If I read it right, your transfer case low is 2.48:1 ratio…
One thing is certain, there’s little chance of damage or abnormal wear to any of the vehicle’s parts if you only shift among the possible configurations when stopped. My 4WD Ford truck has manually-operated hubs (meaning I get out and engage/disengage them myself). With the hubs already engaged, it is possible on mine to shift between the three modes (2WD, 4WD-hi, 4WD-lo) with the vehicle moving I suppose, but I only shift when stopped. My philosophy, replacing damaged parts is a big time-consuming chore and can be pretty expensive, so why take the risk just to save a few minutes? Welcome to the Ford 4WD club btw! Just curious, is your Explorer Full-time 4WD, or part time? The latter allows for a 2WD free-running hub mode, less wear and tear and potentially better mpg. And the latter doesn’t require a center differential in the transfer case.
