Newbie question not in the FAQ...
 

So I'm new to the 4x4 scene and I did some offloading last weekend and I'm wondering if I did everything right...

A few of the trails were pretty "adventurous" so I put it in 4wd low the whole time. Is this bad? What is the maximum speed I should do in 4wd low? The trails were a mixture of climbing and crawling with some flat ground which allowed me to get up to 20mph…

Also, what is the max speed of 4WD hi?

Lastly, I also had the rear locker engaged the whole time. Is this common practice? It was all dirt with climbing areas that were rock…

4 Lo the entire trip is fine, many do it. The main reason why some people do it is because if you get to the point where you need 4 Lo it may be too late. As far a locker I would use it only when you need it.

Slow is good
 

When wheeling you need to remember that slow Is good. Excess speed will cause parts to fails. Go lightly on the gas pedal and you can stay in 4lo.

4WD hi can run highway (65 not 95) on surfaces with questionable traction, ice,snow, gravel roads,ect.

was in 4wd in colorado doing around 65-70 no issues.

The 4-hi can be used at a pretty decent speed (not that you'd really want to go that fast in 4wd, high or low), but I think that Jeep states that you can use it up to 55 mph.

I have been 4-wheeling for years all over the country and whenever I went it was usually with at least one other vehicle and usually more. First thing we did as we pulled into the trail area was put it into 4lo. Next thing we did was stop and lock the hubs it we didn't have auto hubs and at the same time we aired down to 10 or 15 psi depending on weight.
You can go 30 to 35 in low range if you are going for a short distance to the next hard section. If it is a long run go ahead and put it in 2hi or 4hi either one depending on what you are driving on. If it is hard packed dirt or solid rock I would put it in 2hi. Normally we would not go very quickly once we got on the trail since we were aired down and you don't want to ruin your tires by overheating them, so we would just poke along even if it got easy.
4hi can be used at any speed you would use 2hi for. You would not want to be using 4hi unless the road surface was slippery, like snow or ice or even loose gravel.
If you use 4hi on hard surfaces something can and usually will break. I work on drivelines for a living and have seen bring them in complaing that their 4 wheel drive isn't working. Do a few checks and sure enough the front diff isn't doing anything. Turn it by hand and hear some strange sounds. Open it up and find the pinion is in two pieces.
Sounds like you did ok out there.

your owners manual should list the max recommended speeds in 4hi and 4lo. i usually keep mine in 4lo on the trails because i love the gear reduction and like jayhawk said, it's kinda of hard to just drop it into 4lo and you don't want to be stuck with a case of "should've would've could've." as for the lockers, i don't use mine unless i can't make it otherwise without risking breakage or tearing up the trail too much. on the other hand, you want to be careful about engaging and disengaging your lockers over and over and over throughout the course of the day. some have found their rubi lockers to be a bit finicky so that's just something to keep in mind. oh, and welcome to the world of wheelin :thumbsup::beer:

Can you describe a situation where you are in 4hi but should have been in 4lo and now that you're in the thick of things, can't drop it in?

:thinking:

Your stuck in the mud. 4lo would have made it through. Now your stuck and can't roll forward or backward to engage 4 lo