G'day mate, Thats great you found the video helpful. I'm going to make another video on this topic soon. Thanks heaps for your feedback. If you have any questions, let me know mate. Cheers Tim.
Greetings from the United States! Great video!!! I just bought a 98 Dodge Durango and it's the first 4 wheel drive vehicle I've owned. You answered a lot of the questions I had. Cheers!
Gday Mike Thanks mate for dropping in from the States. I’m glad you found the video helpful. I also have another video on this topic, with real time driving 4wd tracks over different terrain. Have fun with your first 4wd mate. Cheers Tim
"Don't want to go breaking things and get wheels off the ground." Tim, you'd be one of the few mentioning this and following your own advice. Good to hear and see. The river crossing advice is not something many others make mention, regarding clutch failure. Top advice.
Michael Mears Gday Michael, For sure mate. I try and keep wheels on the ground as best I can. Wheels off the ground and spinning in the air might look good, but not ideal for traction on steep hills, and best way to break front end components. I greatly appreciate your reply and feedback mate. Cheers Tim.
G'day mate, Thanks very much for your feedback. Thats ace you found the video helpful. I also have another video on this topic where im driving tracks and taking about when and how to use 4h and 4l. Cheers Tim
Mate, your channel is such a valuable resource. I’ve learned so much from you already and only just stumbled on your channel today. As someone who is new to 4wd I really appreciate the beginners content. Especially the mechanical side of things. Cheers mate
Gday mate, That’s wicked you have found my videos helpful. If I can help you out with any info, let me know. Thanks a lot for your reply and feedback. Cheers Tim
Gday mate, That’s great you found this video helpful. I have another video on this topic. But it’s really time driving and I’m talking through what high and low range gears I’m using on tracks in the Vic High Country. Thanks again mate, great feedback Cheers Tim
G'day Noel, Thanks very much mate for your feedback. Thats great you found the video helpful. I also have another video on the same topic, while im driving 4WD tracks and talking about high and low range for the terrain im travelling over. Thanks mate. Cheers Tim
Gday mate, That’s great you found the video helpful. I also have another video on the same topic, with real time driving tracks and talking about what gears to use. Thanks for dropping in from NZ. I was in Queenstown last December. Cheers Tim.
Thanks for that Tim,l like to add a lot of people don't put it in 4x4 when they hit dirt roads,l generally do put it in on dirt because in simple terms gives you a lot better control.
G'day Greg, Yeah mate, thats for sure. I do sometimes on dirt roads, specially if its loose gravel like on marbles. Thanks for your reply mate. Cheers Tim.
That’s great mate you found this video helpful. I have another video on the same topic. But im real time driving 4wd tracks and talking about which gears to use in high range and low range. Thanks heaps for your feedback. Cheers Tim
Good onya Tim,good basic knowledge for beginners,and I guess a refresher for the rest of us.Low range is also good when you’re eating your pie and sauce on the run,less likelihood of it ending up in your lap,so there you go,I’m not a poet,I know.👍
G'day Wayne, Hahah :-) Yeah mate, that slower pace of low range will help that pie n sauce stay in your hands for sure. Would hate to loose it on the floor of ya rig. Lol Thanks for your reply mate. Cheers Tim.
No worries. That’s great you found the video helpful. I also have a more recent video on this topic while driving tracks, if you’d like to check that one out. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers Tim
Cheers Tim. Agree with all of that except going up hills in 4L (rocky hills yes, but not steep dirt tracks). I find holding it in 2nd gear in 4H is better for my n80 hilux because the traction control helps it climb beautifully. In 4L the traction control system is automatically shut off so you don't get the benefit.
G'day mate, Thanks for your feedback, im glad that you found the video helpful. Sand driving is a heap of fun, you have a great trip later this week, Cheers Tim.
Gday Matthew That’s great mate you found this video helpful. I also have another video on this topic. But I’m driving tracks and talking about when to use high range and low range gearing in real time. Thanks again mate Cheers Tim
Thank you so much ❤❤ I was at 1 point driving on a very steep & up hill gravel road & I used the 4 high range, still managed to go up safely but probably would've been better/safer with the 4 low range on 4×4, thank you again for sharing your video👍🌼
G'day Alan, Thats great mate you found this video helpful. I also have another video about how to use high and low range 4wd. Real time driving and talking about both gear ranges. Thanks mate for your reply. Cheers Tim
Gday mate, No worries at all. I’m glad the video helped you out. I have made a new video on high range vs low range. While I’m driving tracks, Not sure if you have watched that one also. Thanks for your feedback mate. Cheers Tim.
No worries mate. Glad to hear the video was helpful for you. I have another video on the topic that you might also find helpful. Thanks for your feedback mate. Cheers Tim
No worries at all. Glad you found the video helpful. Not sure if you have seen the other video i have on the same topic. It goes into more detail and real time driving. I appreciate your feedback. Cheers Tim
No worries. That’s great if you found it helpful I also have another video on the same topic, but in a lot more detail. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers Tim
great video Tim. I remember going out around Woods Point with a few guys and 1 cheeky bloke taught us all a lesson on reduction gears in the transfer up a hill. Was a good day out.
You mentioned not changing gears in river crossing etc. I think this point isn't stressed enough. People get stuck in bog holes, rivers etc and start changing gears forward and in reverse etc.. What will usually happen unless your gear boot is sealed is all that water and crap can find its way in via the clutch fork and blow all sorts of seals.. gearboxes.. clutches etc.. I would be interested to actually see a video on this point and what maintenance tips to look out for after bog holes and river crossings where you have been changing gears or even stuck for some time.
G'day mate, Thats wicked feed back you have mentioned. Sounds like you have a good mechanical back ground. You are spot on when you say it's not spoken about with a manual and changing gears while the gear box and clutch are under water. I might have to look into a video on that one. Thanks heaps for your great reply and feed back mate. Cheers Tim.
@@chiphood2966 whilst not ideal, it can be fine. It depends on how well sealed everything is. Sometimes that bit of water (especially if it was salt water) can enter by the clutch fork and then over time (rather than immediately) it'll do the damage to the drivetrain.. In the end everything can be rebuilt and the usual maintenance after adventures in mud/water will help
Great information and explanations! I’ll definitely be putting your advice to use. Going into some areas I’ll be using both High and Low. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!👍👍 Howdy from Texas! 🤠 Love your accent. Gooday Mate! 👌✌️
Charlie Boutin Gday Charlie, That’s great you found the video helpful. Thanks for your reply and feedback, I greatly appreciate it. How’s things going in Texas? Cheers Tim
Tim Bates 4wd Adventures Thanks for the reply! Going great here. Temperatures starting to fall from the hot summer. Fish starting to bite. I’ll be traveling some soft, sandy and muddy riverbanks, and your information should help me from getting stuck (too much😅). 👍. Best wishes to you Tim. Have a great week!
Great video and advise. Make sure you are normalizing your audio and not letting it clip and distort when recording. You have a cool Aussie voice, it's a bummer that the audio is distorted and almost unlistenable. Most cameras have an auto gain function. Use that when recording especially if you can't monitor your levels while giving narration. I still learned a lot from the video and that's a rad truck you have there!
Gday Chris, Thanks for your feedback mate. I appreciate it. That was a one off audio issue video. I have another video on the same topic while driving tracks. Check that one out also if you like. Thanks again. Cheers Tim.
So the lower gearing of 4lo is understood, however I keep hearing how 4lo improves traction. I do not see how the lower gearing affects traction unless you simply mean less speed results in reduced likelihood of "traction break away" (meaning the tire spinning so fast it can not grab the traction available to it).
No worries mate. Glad you found the video helpful. I have another video on this topic. More detail while I’m driving the tracks. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers Tim.
Here in the northwest of the US we put lots of de-icer on the roads when the temps are too cold for it to work (we hate facts and science here) so 4 low is pretty good when they turn snow to grease. But if it's under 6 inches of snow I usually take my front wheel drive car just to make it easier.
G'day mate, No, the auto trans is inside a seal box and doesn't have the same issues as a manual. With the manual, if changing gears mid way through a river crossing, water can get in between the the clutch plate and fly wheel, and can create slipping. Last thing you want to have happen. Thanks for your question mate, greatly appreciate it. Cheers Tim.
That’s because it has a an active locking center diff that locks on its own depending on the terrain you are. For eg Normal mode in the TMS gives you 60/40 split I believe so the centre diff is unlocked, meaning you can use it on the black top without drivetrain issues. The other modes lock 50/50 depending on the mode giving you proper 4H
For beach trips, example bribie island, would you throw it into low 4 to get through the soft pack sand first? Or can you still stay in high 4 and stay in lower gears?
Yeah good question mate. If you are going to use low range in soft sand. You might be able to use a slightly higher gear so as to avoid wheel spins. Only thing with using high range for the same example is. You might not get enough speed up to get through. Being on the beaches as you mention, at least it's going to be fairly flat. Hope that helps mate and thanks for your reply. Cheers Tim.
G'day mate, I generally don't use 4wd on a dry dirt road. Absolutely nothing wrong with engaging 4wd High range on a dirt road. I might deflate my tyres on a dry dirt road for a softer ride. But a wet dirt road, i would use 4wd high range for sure. Thanks for your question mate, i hope that answers it. Cheers Tim.
The High Range 4WD (HR4) mode is a mystery for many. We've just travelled the Great Central Road in WA from Leonora to Ularu. it's over 1000 kms of gravel and corrugations mixed with sand. We stayed in HR4 the whole way. If you want control then HR4 is the safe way to travel...80 to 90 km/hr with sure handling when you hit the soft stuff and no transmission wind-up.
G'day Mahn, Sounds like a wicked trip you have just done. Around that 80kph range would be tops for me in HR4. Sure gives you a lot more control on those dirt roads. Thanks for your reply and feed back mate. Cheers Tim.
@@timbates4wdadventures Absolutely. Horses for courses. That is the wonderful thing about what we do when we go off road. Understand the conditions and know your vehicle. You tell that story very well.
Hi mate im just a beginner user of this 4wd driving. Thanks for your input. It makes it easier for me which one im gonna use on diffrent terrain. Thanks mate. Just thinking when do i need to use the diff lock?
Gday mate, Thats great you found this video helpful. I have another video on this topic, where i go into a lot more detail as im driving the tracks. Might be worth checking out that one also. Only use diff locks in challenging terrain. But you need to be very careful when using them, specially if you haven't used them before. Thanks mate for your reply. Cheers Tim
another ripper vid mate. saw you heading out thurs morning. i was in the van headed to work unfortunately :( hopefully see you out on the tracks next time
G'day Rylan, Ahh righto, Im always heading up the highway to get to another location. Catch you in the bush some day for sure mate. Thanks for your reply and feed back. Cheers Tim.
As an avid 4wd'er for the past 37 years I was told of 1 golden rule at the very start and that is 1 low down 2 low up never 1 low up as the vehicle puts down more torque and is more likely to break traction, I have driven some very difficult tracks in my time and never used 1st low going up,
G'day mate, Thats great feed back for sure. 1st low for going down hills is the go for sure, stay off those brakes. About the only time i use 1 low is when driving up rock steps. With the reduction gears and 1st low, it's wicked for times like that. Thanks for your reply and feed back mate. Cheers Tim.
Got a friend that got one of these, watched this because I didn't know about them before, just one question, if your in low 4 and need to go higher would you change to high 1 or high 4 I'd think high 4 but just puzzling me
ok i'm sure this is s stupid questions, so in 4wd hi its using the same gearing as 2wd, but in 4wd low do you also need to put your shifter from drive to 1st to get the lowest gear? does it still use the same d,3,2,1 on the shifter just it's all lower geared or is 4wd low basically just 1 gear selection all of it's own?
Just getting into 4wding if I come to a complete stop and put it in low range and select 2nd gear, can I take off ? Or do I have to start in 1st then clutch in and go to second? Cheers
Gday mate, If you are on fairly level ground when you engage low range, you should be able to take off in 2nd gear. Generally 2nd gear low range is low enough for most 4wd’s to take off in that gear. Try it a few times in your 4wd, and see how yours goes. Hope that helps. Thanks for your reply. Cheers Tim.
Hi Tim very well explained really like it. However, i live in Dubai and have the same Y61 Nissan Patrol safari manual, we drive here in the desert which is what you have not covered in particular in this video. What i noticed from my experience in desert driving is that in high dunes i need to drive 4L and 3 rd gear to get to move my vehicle anywhere, although the speed is limited to 80 kmph w low 3rd gear. i think if i m driving in 4L 3rd gear it would not harm the engine that much right?
G'day Rajat, Thanks a lot for dropping in from Dubai. Yes, using low range in a higher gear would work pretty well. That way you will minimise wheel spin a lot more than using a lower gear in low range. Thanks mate for your reply, i do appreciate it. Cheers Tim.
Depends on a few things. How steep the sand hills are. How soft the sand is. I sometimes you low range but start in a higher gear. Hope that helps mate. Cheers Tim
Is it okay to drive in 4W low, with the front hubs unlocked/free? I do this when I am driving in reverse. Reserse is geared higher than my first gear and I need to back up a hill to get out to the street from my drive way.
G'day mate, I have done that with a trailer on the back. It was just a short reverse up a driveway in 4WD low and free wheeling hubs. The standard hubs on the Patrol are free wheeling hubs, where they don't need to be locked in to engage 4WD. I now have after market hubs, and i lock them all the time. Out in the bush, lock those front hubs in is the go. Cheers Tim.
greetings from Florence Italy good evening I ask you a legitimate question if it is possible that you will be able to give me the right answer! (good morning can you tell me why many owners of 4x4 par time vehicles are called 4wd low in English! wet asphalt when it rains they insert the 4x4 hi the fast 4x4 since many 4x4 vehicles don't have a center differential??)
G'day mate, It would really depend on how badly the stuck 4WD is that you are recovering. If it was a snatch recovery. I would be in 2nd gear low range with the bogged 4WD in 1st gear low range. Second gear low range in the recovering 4wd would normally be the go for maximum traction. 1st gear low range maybe to low and you might find the recovering 4WD will start spinning tyres. Hope that helps out a bit mate in what you were asking. Thanks for your reply mate. Cheers Tim.
@@timbates4wdadventures I've never done a recovery and/or gone off road enough...videos like this one and your recovery gear video are valuable and excellent. Thanks for the great video and response.
G'day Logan, It's not idea driving with 4WD high still engaged while driving on the black top. You can get whats called, driving line wind up and can be sometimes hard to get out of. How ever, driving on a dirt road in 4WD high range is fine. On the black top there's no slippage under the tyres when going around corners, where as on a dirt road, the tyres will slip on the gravel corners and not bind up. I hope that answers your question mate. Cheers Tim.
I need help please. I own a 100 series Toyota Land Cruiser, 2007, V6 Petrol, Model FZJ100L-GNPNKV, Engine 1FZ-FE My question is, does my front diff get locked if my transfer case stick is in high range and I press the central diff lock button???
Hello, Thank you for the vedio. Hey when I shift my truck gear from 2H to 4L I hear something hitting.(sounds like something locking) I can even feel it. It is normal?
@@leejaehoon6598 What model vehicle do you have? When i shift the low range transfer gearing in my Patrol, it moves between the gearing quite easy and without any noises or crunching.
Tim Bates 4wd Adventures f 150 2018 brand new. I wouldn’t say it is noise and crushing. I just tried and it more likely clipping. I might be too sensitive.
G'day Jordan, In soft powery sand, i would be trying to get out in 4H in 1st gear. Only problem with being bogged in low range, the motor will rev a lot easier and there for you will spin the tyres a heap easier, and fair chance of digging you deeper. High range will give you a lot more torque and less chance of spinning those tyres deeper in the sand. All else falls mate, get those tyre pressures down to around 12-15psi and bounce out. Hope that helps a bit mate. Thanks for your question. Cheers Tim.
Tim Bates 4wd Adventures hi Tim, I thought that if you’re stuck in the sand low 4 - 2nd gear would be the way to try and get out as there would be less spin etc. Is there a way to simulate crawl control?
Was wondering, if it's raining heavily and I wanted to sped out of a roundabout junction (bitumen) without spinning just the rear tyres, can I shift into 4H upon coming to a stop? Vehicle is Triton 3.2 auto with Easy Select 4WD. Cheers.
Hi Tim, you mentioned using 4WD Lo when driving on Steep hills in first gear, I have a automatic 4x4 vehicle, does that still apply to me ? should I switch from automatic to semi-automatic mode and drive in first gear while driving on steep hills?
Gday mate. In an automatic transmission 4wd, depending how steep the hill is. I would still be driving in 1st low range in your auto. So much more control at a slower pace. Thanks for your question mate. Let me know if you need any more info. Cheers Tim.