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Max speed in 4 hi ???


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Well..... I see alot of SUV's flipped over, but that's usually in snow, and most of them are AWD now anyway...

 

I've heard the flipping over thing too, but it does seem rather strange. I guess if you try a tight turn in 4wd, the front wheels would want to roll just a bit farther than the back wheels, but can't, which could be equivalent to hitting just the front brakes, while turning. Which in a high center of gravity vehical might not be good.

 

Were they putting the trucks into 4wd all winter, or locking the front hubs? I can see keeping the hubs locked all winter, but keeping it in 4wd just seems silly.

 

This thread brings up an interesting question that I have been meaning to ask.

I listen to the radio program "Car Talk" on NPR. One morning a girl from Alaska called about her 86 4wd Subaru GL wagon. She said that her father and her brothers all put thier trucks in 4wd in October and left them that way until spring. She had been doing the same thing in the Sube. I guess she had heard not to do it and was calling to find out if it was bad for her car. They told her that if she operated the part time 4wd on dry pavement, it could cause the car to flip over. I have heard reasons why you aren't supposed to drive in "real" (not awd) 4wd on dry pavement, but never because you will flip.

Have you guys ever heard this?

 

Oh, and for the record, I used to drive 4 hours home from Harrisonburg in 4wd when it was snowing/sleeting/raining, usurally averaging around 70 mph.

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They told her that if she operated the part time 4wd on dry pavement, it could cause the car to flip over.

 

In real life, the subaru's center of gravity is too low for that to happen. A lifted subaru with no sway bar and no extra offset on the wheels *might* get enough momentum at very high speed to get up on two wheels. But generally this applies to trucks and SUV's.

 

GD

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Were they putting the trucks into 4wd all winter, or locking the front hubs? I can see keeping the hubs locked all winter, but keeping it in 4wd just seems silly.

 

Its been a while now and I can't remember exactly, but I had assumed she was saying that they were in 4wd all winter, not just had the hubs locked.

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Some day I will find out, if I could just learn how fit dilithium crystals in my hitachi carb.

 

I have a 87 GL D/R wagon and was wondering what is the max speed that I can go with it in 4 hi? I know that vehicles with transfer cases can only travel about 50 mph with 4 wheel engaged but being that it does not have a transfer case does this make a difference? I just don't want to cause any damage. Thanks for the help.
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i've heard of this dr krazy has a twin stick for his lifted sedan for 2wd low, he blows front axels left and right, since he did it

 

Hey I've only blown one (or has it been 2) front axles since I did that mod, and it was because I was jacking around trying to show off :rolleyes: . Remember also my lifted rig has 29" tires ;) . But you are correct Jeff IF I wanted to I could break a front axle on demand.

Back on subject the manual for my Sedan says 55mph for 4wd engaged, I have exceeded this in several of my Subarus with no problems. Heck the RX is full-time 4wd and it sees 80mph pretty much everyday...totally different tranny though.....

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You do have a "transfer like case". It operates the same excpet of re routing power to the front wheels. Dont go more then 50 on dry pavement. You can get torque bind and it will make the car hard to steer.

I have done 60 in 4wd high on 40 miles of snow covered (packed) /slushy highway with no problem (I was the only one on the road dumb enough to go to work).

 

nipper

 

Sounds like most winter days around here. Lots of dumb people going to work in the snow.

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When I had my 86 gl wagon, I had busted ther front axles and was too broke to make repairs. I pulled the 4wd lever and drove around in real wheel drive. When I put it in low and dumped the clutch, I thought the front wheels were going to come off the ground.

By the way, this was a terrible way to treat such a cool little car. I was young and dumb. Makes a good story though :)

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