Not 4 Wheel drive.

[gpfishingdude]

We launched the boat this morning so that I could change out the bunk boards on the trailer. I switch to 4 wheel low before backing all the way down the ramp and then let the wife back me in. After I backed the boat off the trailer the wife was trying to pull the trailer out. The truck spun in the slime at the edge of the water. I docked the boat and tried pulling the trailer out while she stuck floor mats under the rear wheels. The floor mats shot out into the lake like frisbees and didn't do much for traction. I managed to burn through the slime enough to get up the ramp. I found out later that I have to go through a series of shifts-- forward-neutral-reverse until the low range light comes on besides the 4x4 light that comes on as soon as the switch is turned. From now on I will make sure it is really in 4 wheel drive before I back all the way down the ramp. The new bunk boards look good but I want to add more support brackets under them.

 

[Tony T.]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

I need to replace my carpet on my bunks, one of them for sure is in real bad shape. Did you use the bunk carpet or just any marine carpet like you can get at Home Depot or Lowes?

Tony

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

what kind of truck are you having the problem with? most I have ever had to do is shift from Reverse to neutral to Drive for low to get the T-case to shift, and just pull the lever back for hi

 

[tommytoon]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

i replaced my bunks and coverd them with plastic, best thing i ever did boat goes on and off alot easier and lasts alot longer

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

What kind of truck do you have? Were both rear wheels spinning, or just one?

 

[smoedog]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

my 05 expedition i can put it in 4H at any time but to go 4L I have to be at a stop in N, same thing to get out of 4L.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

A lot of 4x4s need to be put in Drive and moved forward slightly for 4WD to engage.

 

[treker]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

my 05 expedition i can put it in 4H at any time but to go 4L I have to be at a stop in N, same thing to get out of 4L.

Found out about that one winter with my Excursion, thought I was locked in to 4 low for ever, tried eveything except the netural part to get out of 4 low. Didn't feel like much of an idiot that day. Not sure about the Expedition, but 4 low in the V10 is really LOW

 

[dlngr]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

The owners manual for my Dakota says roll about 2-3 miles per hour,put trans in neutral,and switch to 4 wd. Alternate method is at stand still and trans in neutral,switch on 4wd,and drive FORWARD.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

Unless you have a very heavy boat there is also no reason to have to use "4-LO". That amounts to about a 64:1 gear ratio. Hardly necessary.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

I am not having trouble with the 2000 F350 diesel truck, I just didn't know that I have to wait until I get the LOW RANGE light to come on before it is really in 4 wheel low. From now on I will make sure it really is in 4 wheel- low range- before backing down to the slime line on the ramp. I covered the bunks with outdoor carpet from Home Depot and don't know, yet,how it is going to hold up. I used untreated lumber and waterproofed it myself by painting it with spar urethane. I covered all of the screws with 3M 5200 to try to keep the water from seeping in around them. Yes! Both rear wheels were spinning in the slime in about 2" of water and I smoked the tires awhile to get out. Mr. Sivertip-- This was while pulling the empty trailer out after launching- I didn't back as far down when I reloaded the boat so it pulled out just fine.

 

[Shortbuss]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

You had to use 4low with a diesel?? How heavy of a boat? I have never used 4wd in my f150 yet to launch or recover.

 

[2300max]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

I am not having trouble with the 2000 F350 diesel truck, I just didn't know that I have to wait until I get the LOW RANGE light to come on before it is really in 4 wheel low. From now on I will make sure it really is in 4 wheel- low range- before backing down to the slime line on the ramp. I covered the bunks with outdoor carpet from Home Depot and don't know, yet,how it is going to hold up. I used untreated lumber and waterproofed it myself by painting it with spar urethane. I covered all of the screws with 3M 5200 to try to keep the water from seeping in around them. Yes! Both rear wheels were spinning in the slime in about 2" of water and I smoked the tires awhile to get out. Mr. Sivertip-- This was while pulling the empty trailer out after launching- I didn't back as far down when I reloaded the boat so it pulled out just fine.

Wow! You must have a heavy boat , or the ramp is in bad shape...I have an 06 6.0 F-350 crew cab, and my boat and trailer easily wieghs in around 6500-7000 lbs and never use 4 wheel drive. When I launced with my 2000 V-10 250 same boat never needed 4 wheel drive either. Do you have auto hubs or manual?

 

[Sabbath]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

Unless it's telling you it's locked in, it's not.

Plus you'll notice that the steering characteristics change slightly when it's in 4H.

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

With the newer push button four wheel drives, boy I miss the old "grab the handle" and shift it into 4 wheel drive, you will find that vehicles will not always shift. At the boat ramp I have found that due to the angle of the ramp, the application of the brakes in contrast to the pressure of the transfercase, driveshafts and differentials, that the encoder motor will not always shift the transfercase.

I have found that once you push the button allow the vehicle to move backward slightly and it will shift. If it still does not put it into neutral taking all pressure off of the drivetrain and it will shift. If it still does not you could be having problems with the encoder motor.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

So how big is this boat? I pull a 24' Wellcraft with twin 150"s and have never had the slightest bit of wheel spin. I always launch in regular drive but the Durango is AWD.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

I love 4 lo at the ramp, couldn't make life easier than that.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

With the newer push button four wheel drives, boy I miss the old "grab the handle" and shift it into 4 wheel drive, you will find that vehicles will not always shift. At the boat ramp I have found that due to the angle of the ramp, the application of the brakes in contrast to the pressure of the transfercase, driveshafts and differentials, that the encoder motor will not always shift the transfercase.

I have found that once you push the button allow the vehicle to move backward slightly and it will shift. If it still does not put it into neutral taking all pressure off of the drivetrain and it will shift. If it still does not you could be having problems with the encoder motor.

Beat me to it...

 

[gpfishingdude]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

It wasn't a matter of power- the big diesel has plenty of that. It was a matter of getting down in too far and the slime at the ramp being slicker than cat snot. That is why I was trying to get the 4 wheel engaged because the front wheels were still up on the dry where they would have got good traction if they would have been pulling. In the end I got out by spinning the tires and then holding the brake real quick and doing this over and over until it finally started creeping up the ramp a little at a time.

 

[ghamby]

Re: Not 4 Wheel drive.

Man if have to put the Dakota in 4 low, I'm in deep kimchee. If I do I drive forward a few feet. I don't back up too far either. That might be
left over from my Ranger days.