With the Rubi having a 4:1 transfer case would I be correct that 6th gear low range is pretty close to 1st gear high range? Would it be better to creep on a desert sand wash in 6th gear low range where you have options to shift down then stay in high range 1st gear where you can shift up if you want.

Mik

 

 

Stay in 3rd gear low if you're going slow. Or get a Sahara! Hahaha I said it!

 

Short answer: no.

Long answer (and more experienced guys, please chime in):

You are correct in that the 4-Low is essentially a gear reduction to maximize torque at the wheels.

A hpothetical would be say, you're almost redline at 4-High, in 1st gear, going 20-25 mph. Yes it would be true to say that you can be in 4-Low, in 5/6th gear, also going 20-25 mph.

The difference being is that in 4-High, you're spinning the input to the t-case at say 5000-5600 rpm while as being in 4-Low, you're spinning the input shaft at a multiplier much higher than that (depending on the gear), which is really not what it was designed to do.

Now for application, I'm going to rely on what I have been taught, which is to keep the engine in the correct powerband/torque ratio, which is really around 2000-4000 for general off-road use. Max speed at 4-Low is recommended to be below 25 mph. which if you can travel at that speed, is going to be in the sweet spot for the engine in 4-High, 2nd gear.