Lets say you just finished a rocky section on the trail that required 4LO. Obviously, you'll be on 4LO utilizing 1 or 2nd gear but when you finish the said rocky section, driving to your next obstacle, does it make sense to keep it in 4LO and drive your jeep in 4 or 5th gear to pick up some speed and keep the RPM down? I personally hate shifting from 4HI to 4LO due to the fact that it takes time and it's very cumbersome. How or what do you guys do in this situation? I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter but am I putting extra stress on gears by driving in 4LO in 4,5 or 6th gear?

 

I don't know if it makes any difference. I've always heard that 4LO is easier on the tranny and the engine because of the gearing. I guess it would depend on the speeds you're reaching. If I intend on driving over 20mph, I put it back in high. Maybe one of the more knowledgeable members on here can help ya out!

 

This is true keep speeds below 20 and 4 lo is your friend anything above this then use 4 hi. 4lo multiplies your torque with lower gearing allowing you to maintain ultra slow speeds without stalling. Great for crawling but not for hi speed. I prefer to take obsticles slow and steady using the gas only as needed to maintain momentum and do most of my wheeling in 4 lo with no problems. I'll go to 4 hi or 2wd between obsticles or trail riding.

 

I figure with the manual, I've got a selection of 12 forward gears.

I use them all, as appropriate. Keep the rpms where you and the Jeep are happy. Drive on.

Often I'm in two wheel drive on Forest Service & BLM roads. Four high when a little extra traction is needed, like in snow or mud. Four low when I need the low gears for an obstacle. Nice and easy to move back forth between the three.

CW

 

In my brief wanderings, I've found I'm uncomfortable with going over about 15mph in 4-low. I'm pretty slow on the trail and don't mind just crawling along if my next obstacle is in sight or even a little ways down the trail. I'll shift to 2nd gear but not beyond that. I can hear the gears in the t-case spinning real fast and they don't need that kind of abuse if I intend to keep my Jeep stock and in good shape for a long time. Chances are I'll slip it back into 2wd if the going is easy for a while. About the only place I use 4-hi is during on-road snow conditions or if there's a lot of mud on mostly flat ground.

 

I use 4lo for steep descents and ascents, obstacles/rocks and deep mud or crazy soft sand to minimize wheel spin and put maximum torque to the ground/crawl . 4 hi for beach driving at high speed, loose gravel trails and snow, 2wd for everything else.