My 2001 Blazer is equipped with lovely 4WD HI and LOW... I wanted to see if anyone knows whether its okay to drive the car in 4WD often.. or any tips or tricks.. (gas mileage) etc etc.. I find myself turning 4WD on if there is any precipitation on the ground.. is this hard on the vehicle.. is there any reason it can't be in 4WD all the time?
Just looking for the inside skinny since I can't find my owners manual handy..
Posted by DanA_F99_1977 (Member # 118) on :
You don't want to drive around in 4 wheel drive all the time. It is a lot of strain on the parts in the front(differential, u joints, axles,etc.). If it is dry especially. You probably noticed that you can feel the drag if you are backing and turnng at the same time. The differential takes a beating. You should put it in 4WD every now and then to get everything moving but don't leave it in 4WD. You don't need 4WD low for any normal driving. Maybe to pull a stump or climb a tree. I only use 4WD off road or in the snow. I got to use it this morning to get up the hill at the drive through window at Dunkin Donuts!!
[ 23. October 2002, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: DanA_F99_1977 ]
Posted by ONE BAD BIRD (Member # 1640) on :
I've had lots of four by fours... I wouldn't turn it on unless you have to... It does really cut down your fuel economy, and its not veyr good for it to have it on on dry pavement.
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
It gives me a better sense of stability on the highway and when i turn corners 4WD makes me feel like the wheels wont cut loose in the rain.
So basically only in the snow huh
What makes AWD vehicles different from 4WD vehicles? They are All wheel all the time.
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
J.R......do we need to come out there and show you how to do cookies in your Blazer now?
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
heheheahaha... uhh NO! leave me alone! damnit. Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
You better fly out here and visit so Steve can let you do donuts in the '69 before it gets dismantled............
Posted by Thom Mackesy (Member # 264) on :
quote:Originally posted by J.R. Mayer: It gives me a better sense of stability on the highway and when i turn corners 4WD makes me feel like the wheels wont cut loose in the rain.
So basically only in the snow huh
What makes AWD vehicles different from 4WD vehicles? They are All wheel all the time.
Don't use it if you are on dry paved roads, the wear and tear is terrible especially when turning. The drag you feel when turning in 4wd on dry pavement is because the wheels are trying to turn at different speeds but can't because they are locked together. This is where AWD is different. The center differential in AWD vehicles compensates for this. AWD is a good alternative for people who just have to deal with slippery pavement or snowy roads.
Important things to remember is that 4WD will not stop you any faster on slippery roads. Ice is still ice. It's more likely to slide sideways than fishtail because your spinning all four tires instead of two. Slow and steady is still the sensible rule in bad weather. The other guy still can't get out of your way.
Posted by Quasar99SS (Member # 709) on :
Thom and DanA have it covered pretty well. There are just a couple of things I'd add.
- Keeping 4WD on is also going to wear your tires more rapidly since they will be scuffing any time you take a turn.
- The AWD in my 93 Bravada uses a viscous clutch between the front and rear axles. This ends up letting all four wheels turn at different rates and avoids the problems that have been mentioned above.
Posted by DanPazich (Member # 1352) on :
btw finally took my first ride in my dad's Trailblazer LT that they bought back in July. Quite a nice ride! Didn't realize it had both AWD and 4WD. Love that inline 6
[ 24. October 2002, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: DanPazich ]
Posted by 35TH ED/ed (Member # 1709) on :
I find that if you dont have a good rain in the summer a rough gravel/dirt road for a 1/4 mile will help keep things free. Like every one said dry is bad.I like to use the 4x4 every mounth to keep problem free. just my 0.02. Posted by MM (Member # 1247) on :
Good rule.... drive as far as you can (ie on snow) in 2wd. When you get stuck THEN you put it in 4wd and go back..... any other time is a waste, IMHO. Posted by Camaro_Woody (Member # 1619) on :
4WD hi is for normal use off-road, 4WD low is for climbing over bolders or going up really steep grades of over 40 degrees or so. It will put your engine direct to the tires so they are always turning with full power, unlike going thought a gear reduction, or something like that. It has been so long sence I went off-roading, i forgot what it was like. My dad also has a TrailBlazer LTZ, and it is one of the nicest cars i have driven. I still would take my ss over it any day!!
Posted by SS3933 (Member # 1473) on :
I just got back from a nightmare 4WD trip with a buddy of mine. This isn't my vehicle and I didn't know much about them until now. See http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=105491 for pics. Anyway, the rear driveshaft broke about half way into the 4 hour highway trip to get to the trails (Telico). So, he pulls over takes out the rear drive shaft and attempts to drive this thing the rest of the way with one front wheel locked. Couldn't do both front wheels because it WOULD NOT TURN more than a lane change. Can you imagine one front wheel driving at highway speeds? We had the left front wheel locked so when you gave it gas this beast would change three lanes to the left! When you left off the gas excatly the opposite. VERY HARD to control and EXTREMELY scary. Now, this was a HEAVILY modified K-5 Blazer so I'm not sure how it would compare to "normal" 4WD vehicles but I can attest to the difficulty in driving on dry pavement with a locked front axle. Once we got there and got it fixed it was great.
[ 30. October 2002, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: SS3933 ]
Posted by chrisL (Member # 97) on :
ummmm. I know how to get rentals really dirty when on vacation.
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