Michael

I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.

Is this normal? Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Mike

Advocate

"Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote in message
news:21Lmf.7373$Dk.2545@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
> Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
> hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
> a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
> did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
> and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>
> Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>
Well, as I wasn't sitting in the cab with you, it's hard to say. If you were
cutting the front wheels hard and felt the truck "hopping" then yes, this is
normal.

Michael

"Advocate" <Advo@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4BLmf.637988$xm3.310034@attbi_s21...
>
> "Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote in message news:21Lmf.7373$Dk.2545@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>>I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
>> Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
>> hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
>> a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
>> did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
>> and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>>
>> Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>>
> Well, as I wasn't sitting in the cab with you, it's hard to say. If you were cutting the front wheels hard and felt the truck
> "hopping" then yes, this is normal.

Thanks, A. I was getting worried.

Mark Jones

Michael wrote:
> "Advocate" <Advo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4BLmf.637988$xm3.310034@attbi_s21...
>>
>> "Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote in message
>> news:21Lmf.7373$Dk.2545@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>>> I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
>>> Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
>>> hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
>>> a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
>>> did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
>>> and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>>>
>>> Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>>>
>> Well, as I wasn't sitting in the cab with you, it's hard to say. If
>> you were cutting the front wheels hard and felt the truck "hopping"
>> then yes, this is normal.
>
> Thanks, A. I was getting worried.
It is also not a good thing to be doing to your truck.

Ron in NY

"Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote:

>I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
>Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
>hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
>a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
>did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
>and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>
>Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mike
===============================================================
Mike,

This is normal with any 4WD vehicle when trying to make tight turns. You
should try to avoid tight turns, as that is the easiest way to destroy the
U-joints at the outer ends of the front axle. Make long sweeping turns--not
tight ones. If you have to get into a tight parking space, disengage the 4WD.


RON
========================================================
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

TheSnoMan

Michael wrote:
> "Advocate" <Advo@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4BLmf.637988$xm3.310034@attbi_s21...
>
>>"Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote in message news:21Lmf.7373$Dk.2545@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>>
>>>I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
>>>Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
>>>hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
>>>a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
>>>did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
>>>and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>>>
>>>Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>>>
>>
>>Well, as I wasn't sitting in the cab with you, it's hard to say. If you were cutting the front wheels hard and felt the truck
>>"hopping" then yes, this is normal.
>
>
> Thanks, A. I was getting worried.
>
>

You are experiancing torque steer form the fact that your front axle
ujoints are not constant velocity and they can bind a lot in a tight
turn with good traction. My advice to you is to not try to bind id it
much because it can shorten the life expectance of front end some. Use
2wd for tight turns when traction is good. A 4x4 with a IFS front end
with CV joints in it does not bind anywhere near as bad in tight turns.

--

-----------------
www.thesnoman.com

Michael

"TheSnoMan" <admin@snoman.com> wrote in message news:x30nf.2564$nm.950@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Michael wrote:
>> "Advocate" <Advo@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4BLmf.637988$xm3.310034@attbi_s21...
>>
>>>"Michael" <emdeedubyatrois@cornell.edu> wrote in message news:21Lmf.7373$Dk.2545@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>>>
>>>>I have a 2003 F150 with a normal/high/low 4X4 switch on the dash.
>>>>Out in the snow tonight, in a parking lot, the truck became very
>>>>hard to maneuver in high four wheel drive getting in and out of
>>>>a parking space in snow covered lot. In a somewhat tight turn, it
>>>>did not want to go forwards or back, so I straightened the wheels
>>>>and put in two wheel drive and slid out of there.
>>>>
>>>>Is this normal? Any thoughts?
>>>>
>>>
>>>Well, as I wasn't sitting in the cab with you, it's hard to say. If you were cutting the front wheels hard and felt the truck
>>>"hopping" then yes, this is normal.
>>
>>
>> Thanks, A. I was getting worried.
>>
>>
>
> You are experiancing torque steer form the fact that your front axle ujoints are not constant velocity and they can bind a lot in
> a tight turn with good traction. My advice to you is to not try to bind id it much because it can shorten the life expectance of
> front end some. Use 2wd for tight turns when traction is good. A 4x4 with a IFS front end with CV joints in it does not bind
> anywhere near as bad in tight turns.

Thanks for the good advice, guys. I appreciate it.

I've driven a Ford truck for many many years. This is
my first with a 4 wheel drive.

Mike

StreetMedic

> I've driven a Ford truck for many many years. This is
> my first with a 4 wheel drive.
>
> Mike

Hiya, Mike,

I'm still very much a FWD newbie myself. Try here:

http://www.4x4abc.com/

Some good stuff. And, as I recall, I first saw the link posted by
someone else in this group. Good peeps in here.

S-M

Mark Jones

StreetMedic wrote:
>> I've driven a Ford truck for many many years. This is
>> my first with a 4 wheel drive.
>>
>> Mike
>
> Hiya, Mike,
>
> I'm still very much a FWD newbie myself. Try here:
>
> http://www.4x4abc.com/
>
> Some good stuff. And, as I recall, I first saw the link posted by
> someone else in this group. Good peeps in here.
That is 4WD, not FWD. Unless you meant to say "Front Wheel Drive".

StreetMedic

"Mark Jones" <noemail@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:9nsnf.3335$nm.1119@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net.gnresend...
> StreetMedic wrote:
>>> I've driven a Ford truck for many many years. This is
>>> my first with a 4 wheel drive.
>>>
>>> Mike
>>
>> Hiya, Mike,
>>
>> I'm still very much a FWD newbie myself. Try here:
>>
>> http://www.4x4abc.com/
>>
>> Some good stuff. And, as I recall, I first saw the link posted by
>> someone else in this group. Good peeps in here.
> That is 4WD, not FWD. Unless you meant to say "Front Wheel Drive".

Nope. You're right. My mistake.

But, hey, I said I was a newbie ;-)