iiM RuSHiN

I saw somewhere that you shouldn't use 4 high for the trails? Why is that? And with a 6 speed manual what gear should I start in in 4 low?

karls

First part is a lie. You're fine using 4 high for trails.

Second part- if you need 4 low then typically it's for torque so you would start out in 1. If you need to get the tires spinning a little quicker then go for 2. I've started out in 3 a few times.

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familytime

Define trails? There are many types of trails that i would'nt use 4 hi

Off Pavement

Most of my trail use is in 4low with my 6 speed manual. I "speedily" run along at about 15MPH with 20 being my top speed on the trail in 5th or 6th. I seldom need to use the brakes to slow down on decents in 4low as long as I'm in a low enough gear, and I usually start off in 3rd gear when level, or 2nd if on an incline. First gear is for crawlin and there isn't many times I've needed to slide into 1st.

I don't use 4 high often as I'm a firm believer in "go as slow as possible, but as fast as necessary". My wheeling is in the desert or mountains with little or no mud to content with, so I've never run into a situation where I needed to carry a lot of wheel speed through an obstacle like you would encounter with sand or mud.

Sirtreysif

Same here, I tend to use 4H when the trails are smoother but I dont want to have my rear tires spinning mud all the time. But if I am in rougher terrain, hills rocks, etc., I find 4L to appear so much easier on the drivetrain. I also have an automatic that my left leg thanks my for at the end of the day.

Cam36

I mainly stay in 4low on almost all trails over at Rausch Creek, unless they are just a green logging trail or something of that nature. I feel like its a lot easier on the motor and tranny then constantly on the clutch off the clutch in 4hi.

JKred

99.9% if the time I'm in 4lo. I've never been above 15-20mph on any of the trails I run. 4lo will put less wear and tear in the drive train (especially the clutch) and require less work from the motor

jk_sea

It depends on where you're at, and what you're doing.

Many of the trails here in the mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest require the use of 4-low. You need to be going slow enough to not break something mechanical, yet maintain enough power to overcome obstacles, rocks, and steep terrain, and keep the engine running in an optimal RPM range for power and cooling. The above advice sticks...never 4-low on pavement, and 15mph is about the fastest I would ever travel in 4-low. I start off in 1st gear and rarely shift to 2nd.

On trails, the goal with 4-low is to use the clutch as little as possible and keep shifts to a minimum.(Or, if you have an automatic, to keep it in the most powerful gear and optimal cooling for the transmission. In automatic vehicle, I lock the transmission in 1st gear). Slow, steady.

The only place I use 4-hi is on-road with compact snow-ice up to about 45mph if conditions are flat and predictable. Or, on particularly muddy dirt roads where I'm traveling between about 15-35mph.

I've never encountered sand driving, and for typical gravel roads that aren't too steep to lug the vehicle, I'll keep it in 2-hi.

no clue

I use 4 lo in deep sand and slow moving areas and 4 hi on flat hard-pack dirt trails.

kbp810

I prefer to keep in 4 low on good trails; aside from not having to shift as often, I've got the low end torque at the ready in case I happen to need it (without losing momentum if I had to stop to shift from 4 high to 4 low)

For the typical Michigan trail though (the average forest road/ORV route), I generally just stick with 2 high, lol.