984runnerONE

ok when your on 4 wheel drive high, how fast can you go? whats the MPH recommended.
and when your on 4 wheel drive low, how fast can you go on this one?...getting snow and wet road here in WA, bout to go snowboarding..i need to know how fast i can go.... hit this up!!

jimbo74

i dotn know if there is a set speed, but in 4hi pretty much any speed thats safe for conditions (dont be using 4 ho on the dry pavement) and for 4low, jsut as long as you need it and i personally wouldnt go any faster than 25 mph in 4lo

outdoorfever

i think 4lo is like a no no to go faster than 5

4hi is up to anyspeed, just dont shift in or out at faster than 35.

MTL_4runner

Be very careful with 4wd low (I usually only change it at a dead stop).

4wd high, I agree 35 mph is a good number for going into it but you can change back to 2wd at really any speed (let up on the gas when doing it).
Unless the roads are covered in snow, don't use 4wd on the highways (2wd is better gas mileage anyway).

tweeker4X4

My 98 says not to shift into 4hi at faster than 50mph. There is no need to go fast in 4low thats not really what its for.

gwhayduke

You'll find that sometimes at fairly high speeds (50mph) in 4Hi, the handling will get squirrely on you. You just have to test it yourself each time.But it's ok to drive it at those speeds. As for 4Lo, you can still use all 5 gears so 25-30 mph is reasonable. On smooth dirt road, I still use 2wd mainly. The handling is more predictable (at least for me) at 50+ mph.

lee

mine just makes a weird moaning/groaning noise at 50 in 4hi... but once i exceed 50 its gone.

i drove 2 hrs in bad ice-rain on the highway once.. so i was going like 65 to 75 in 4hi for 2 hrs. no problem at all.

Paul H.

You drove 65mph on ice covered roads? Are you nuts. You were very very lucky. I have seen people in 4wd wreck at much slower speeds. AS i have said before 4wd will not save you if you drive to fast on bad roads.

lee

no no, not ice covered roads.. it was just an icy rain... it wasnt really sticking, and everyone was comfortable between 65 and 75. i wasnt tearing through like a maniac!

but that was the reason the 4wd was on... i dont usually need 4wd if im going that fast.

leebee

hey 98!

i think jim hit the nail on the head when he said depending on road condtitions. if the conditions are not the greatest, 4hi will be the best choice, but for everyones best interests, SLOW DOWN! you want to get where you are going and back, if it takes you 5-10 minutes longer to get there in one piece, so much the better. dont think about how fast you can get there but how safe.

lee

89-4run

Here is something I've been wondering. Can I shift out of 4hi or into it in a first gen going less than 35mph? I've always have come to a complete stop. Sorry if that question is offtopic in this thread

rivercat

just remember a 4wd doesn't stop quicker then a 2wd. i work for a ski area and i see more wrecked and rolled 4wds then 2wds, i think due to over confidence and driving to fast... on the other hand i love ripping up the unplowed left hand lane in 4wd while everyone else is crawlin' in the right...
compression braking in 4wd on ice can also be useful as the 4wd keeps the front tire from locking up sort of like crappy ABS

BruceTS

4hi I drive just as fast as 2wd, in 4low I think 35mph or there abouts.

Paul H.

If you have the ADD hubs, then you can shift in and out at speeds up to 50mph. If you have manual hubs then I believe you have to stop, turn the hubs to unlock and back up 50 feet. Correct me if I'm wrong fellas. That was the way it was in my friends 88 Pathfinder.

Ironmike4x4

Do NOT go over 25mph in 4lo. We've seen too many people come in because their 4lo wasnt working. Why? 2 reasons, gearing higher than 1st gear and also going above 25. The planetary gears are made for torque not for speed so they can only go so fast before stripping or burning the gears. 4Hi is ok but as others have said the handling gets worse over that.

Bigblock

pathfinder? no o/d in lo! too many rpm in tranny and t/c.20 or 25 is pushing it in mine 4.88 gears.

Flamedx4

Yes, in a first gen you can shift in and out of 4hi at most any speed. Just leave your hubs locked in. I drove mine this way for days at a time when the roads were bad, and shifted in and out of 4hi as needed. Remember that you must be going straight too, it binds a bit and doesn't want to shift if you aren't pretty straight, even at crawl speeds.

If your hubs aren't locked in you're not going to get into 4wd unless you stop completley because the rear driveshaft will be turning very fast and front driveshaft will be not turning. Grinding noises result, but no shifting.