top speed in four high?

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There are only a couple of drawbacks to leaving the hubs locked and they are: 1) increased fuel consumption and 2) increased inner axle seal wear

Neither should be a deterent to safety in the winter though.
 
first sign of snow falling or freezing I lock in the hubs . stay that way untill thaw . The increase in fuel consumption is virtualy nil...a little maybe , but not that much .

Daryl
 
Awesome. I figured that because we can switch from 2H to 4H at almost any speed, going straight, that it would be a good idea to keep the hubs locked in case I was on the highway and weather got bad.

I'm glad that a Canadian does the same!
 
fuel consumption: there are several variables on my driving, but recently I had the hubs locked for most of a tank of fuel, consuption went from my normal about 22mpg down to about 19mpg. Not that big a deal. I'm sure that if I had been in 4wd less of that time (and not spent 40 minutes extracting myself from a mud pit), I would have gotten better mileage.
Just a data point.
 
Mace said:
They are saying if conditions warrant 4wd you should not drive over 30.


I disagree...

I disagree also, there are tons of AWD cars out there, and from what I have read it is safer to have an AWD or 4wd type car for bad weather conditions. If in 2wd and you lose traction to one wheel you have only on e left, but in 4wd you have 3 left. 4wd makes a world of difference with hydroplaneing


I leave my hubs locked, you never know what the weather is going to be like here in VA. I use 4hi when it rains. I haven't had to drive this cruiser in snow yet but I hope to soon. I haven't noticed a difference between 2HI and 4HI as far as braking, but when I use 4HI I am usually more cautious and allow my self more time to brake. I generally don't drive my cruiser above 60-65 mph just because I am in no hurry while driving the cruiser. But I have reached 70 mph in 4 HI no problem. IMO I would not drive that fast for very long in 4 hi but why not.


B
 
I'm open to new ideas, but I figure if I can be driving 70mph, I might as well be in 2wd.

If I'm wrong, convince me. If the weather is bad enough to need 4wd, than I don't need to go 70mph.

(I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't want to damage my '60.)
 
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batman said:
I disagree also, there are tons of AWD cars out there, and from what I have read it is safer to have an AWD or 4wd type car for bad weather conditions. If in 2wd and you lose traction to one wheel you have only on e left, but in 4wd you have 3 left. 4wd makes a world of difference with hydroplaneing


B

if you have lockers of LSDs on both ends, yes.
\
if open diffs:

2wd with one sliping wheel --> 0 wheel drive

4wd with one slipping wheel --> 2 wheel drive provided the other axle has traction for both sides
 
sandcruiser said:
..I had the hubs locked for most of a tank of fuel, consuption went from my normal about 22mpg down to about 19mpg.

Steve

Those must be the BIG Costa Rican gallons, eh?

M
 
batman said:
I disagree also, there are tons of AWD cars out there, and from what I have read it is safer to have an AWD or 4wd type car for bad weather conditions. If in 2wd and you lose traction to one wheel you have only on e left, but in 4wd you have 3 left. 4wd makes a world of difference with hydroplaneing

B


The key difference being AWD. 60s are not AWD. If you're OK with a part time 4wd transfer case causing driveline windup which can cause your tires to break traction on ice, then leave it in 4wd and have at it. In stop and go traffic on snow, I love the 4wd. It makes it easy to accelerate. On the highway, in icy conditions, I leave it in 2wd. Yea, its easier to break traction with the rear wheels but at least the fronts can still steer. It gives you a much better feel for how slippery the road conditions are.
 
batman said:
I disagree also, there are tons of AWD cars out there, and from what I have read it is safer to have an AWD or 4wd type car for bad weather conditions. If in 2wd and you lose traction to one wheel you have only on e left, but in 4wd you have 3 left. 4wd makes a world of difference with hydroplaneing


I leave my hubs locked, you never know what the weather is going to be like here in VA. I use 4hi when it rains. I haven't had to drive this cruiser in snow yet but I hope to soon. I haven't noticed a difference between 2HI and 4HI as far as braking, but when I use 4HI I am usually more cautious and allow my self more time to brake. I generally don't drive my cruiser above 60-65 mph just because I am in no hurry while driving the cruiser. But I have reached 70 mph in 4 HI no problem. IMO I would not drive that fast for very long in 4 hi but why not.


B

Drive fast (know your limits) in 4wd in the white stuff but I'm not sure about in the rain!!! Wouldn't this lead to excessive wear or possible damage? Things shouldn't be that slippery in the rain. Wouldn't you eat your tires up this way as well?
 
fjman said:
Things shouldn't be that slippery in the rain. Wouldn't you eat your tires up this way as well?


Come out to Vegas and drive in the rain.

Please..
 
Mace said:
I have done 70....

There really is no max speed. It is what the conditions allow..

Same here, as long as there is nobody in front of you for a long ways when it's still snowy/icy...

You will feel a vibration in the front end (nothing major, just that many more parts working) as you go faster and faster, so pretty much all you have to worry about is the wear on the front end components. Obviously, going faster is going to increase wear, but by how much, I honestly don't know. These things are built pretty stout, and I have yet to hear of a front end grenading because the driver was going too fast in 4HI :D
 
fjman said:


Rain.. It is worse when it rains out here than any snow I have ever driven in.
 
Ok Guys - think Subaru STi or Mistu EVO or Audi Q-Coupe - hundreds of horsepower and AWD!! Four wheel drifts all the way - right foot planted, left foot modulating................Not exactly cruiser material I know, but hey - a man's gotta have his toys and thrills.

On the Cruiser side of the coin it's BIG and Heavy and SLOW. This means the driving dynamics are inherently different from the cars above. I have lived everywhere from Texas to Alaska and really would urge caution and sensibility when it comes to inclement weather - that means rain, sleet or snow. Each requires it's own level of caution and if you use your cruiser properly - it WILL take you through it all. It's just not an AWD sports car. Here is a great link for everything you ever wanted to know about 4WD (full time and part time), AWD, FWD and RWD:

http://mozart.chat.net/~jeske/unsolicitedDave/legacy/awd.html

This is probably one of the best articles I've read on the subject. Enjoy.
 
Slow N Steady said:
Ok Guys - think Subaru STi or Mistu EVO or Audi Q-Coupe - hundreds of horsepower and AWD!! Four wheel drifts all the way - right foot planted, left foot modulating................Not exactly cruiser material I know, but hey - a man's gotta have his toys and thrills.

On the Cruiser side of the coin it's BIG and Heavy and SLOW. This means the driving dynamics are inherently different from the cars above. I have lived everywhere from Texas to Alaska and really would urge caution and sensibility when it comes to inclement weather - that means rain, sleet or snow. Each requires it's own level of caution and if you use your cruiser properly - it WILL take you through it all. It's just not an AWD sports car. Here is a great link for everything you ever wanted to know about 4WD (full time and part time), AWD, FWD and RWD:

http://mozart.chat.net/~jeske/unsolicitedDave/legacy/awd.html

This is probably one of the best articles I've read on the subject. Enjoy.


Thanks for the link, I understood how AWD worked but I was unaware that there were a few different types of AWD. To me the article that you posted a link to was about two different animals. Yea the AWD is geared more for on road use and in that article they were discussing AWD in the racing application, then comparing it to a manual selectable 4wd situation. Again two different animals. Of course any smart driver when selecting his capable 4wd vehicle in 4wd should be aware of the way 4wd changes his maneuverability and handling while driving in on taxable roads. In our case driving a 60 series cruiser on the hwy in speeds over 55 while 4wd is engaged in inclement weather is probably not a good idea. In my case when I use 4WD on taxable roads is in bad weather conditions. I do not drive over 55mph and I am also more reserved to other drivers and on road situations, via allowing myself more time to respond to anything that I might have to maneuver around and avoid. In my experience I have had good results while driving in 4WD in the rain. I have experienced less hydroplaning or even none that I can think of while the 4WD was engaged in rain conditions. Driving in the snow is also environmental. If you live some place where they are set up for public deicing you might be able to drive a little faster. On the other hand if you live in Houston TX and it snows your SOL. Houston does not have a public deicing. They will put salt and sand on the roads but they do not have snow plows. So driving conditions in inclement weather is environmental. If you live in Main where they have to proper tools to deice the roads you will be safer to drive at higher speeds than If you live in Houston TX and it snows. If you live in Houston TX and it snows and then drive 55mph in 4WD, AWD,FWD,and RWD your and idiot in my book. So back to the original question at hand "TOP SPEED IN 4-HI". The owners manual does not recommend speeds over 55 or 60 mph.

Bruce
 
You guys ever been in a 4 wheel drift at 60 on a dirt road???


4wd is very nice..
 
Mace said:
You guys ever been in a 4 wheel drift at 60 on a dirt road???


4wd is very nice..


It appears that Mace and I are on the same page.:beer: :beer:
 

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