4A necessary for Iowa?

[BroncoBeachBuggy]

I have 4A, and yeah I use it in heavy rain and patchy snow to pavement. That said, my pervious two trucks were 4H/4L and 2H like you have and never had a prob with 2H in heavy rain and snow to pavement. That is what traction control is for. If you are on a really slick road you could spin out in 4H or 2H. If you are starting in snow, but will hit pavement, go easy in 2H when starting as RWD will fishtail. Or start in 4H and change to 2H when you hit pavement. Nice thing is you can do this on the fly (not with 4L, though).

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[brkdncr]

4A is a variable clutch system apparently.

As someone that’s dealt with Iowa weather yes you should have gotten it. It’s much easier to leave it in 4A and not worry as much about ice and snow when there’s also dry pavement.

https://www.blueovaltrucks.com/tech-articles/understanding-the-4wd-in-your-ford/

 

[mpeugeot]

Did you not get the better setup? Yep...
Is it catastrophic? No

The stock OBX tires are pretty damn good with everything you can throw at them with the notable exception of sidewall strength.

They are quiet on road, light for better mpg, and wear really well, they are surprisingly good off-road and get the job done most of the time without a hitch. They are excellent for daily driving. However, they are an all season tire and the Nokian would be much better in the winter.

The 4wd system will be fine when you need it and 2wd is more than adequate for most situations. In snow, 4hi with no lockers is what you want most of the time (unless you have 4A). I just run 4A in my Bronco all the time (over 100k miles), but my F-150 doesn't have 4A, so I only go into 4wd when I really need it (like reasonably heavy snow).

The traction control in the F-150 and the Bronco in 2hi and 4hi are excellent and will help tremendously. You will get a better appreciation for the proper use of the transfer case by not having 4A, much like a person who learned to drive a manual transmission car before driving an automatic transmission car.

 

[tock13]

If I could have gotten the sasquatch package without the advanced t-case I would have in a heartbeat. The key in bad weather is be smart. No reason 4H can't get you through rain, sleet or snow.

I don't think you made a bad choice at all, I actually think your husband lead you down the right road. Learn to use what you have and you will be far better off because you will rely on your knowledge of the conditions your driving in instead of just sticking it in 4A and not thinking about whats really going on.

I put my Bronco, and my Toyota pickup for that matter, in 4H every time I hit dirt roads. Smooths out the washboards on hills and keeps the rear end from walking around. I have never used 4A and probably won't. I have never actually even used GOAT modes, for me 2H, 4H and 4L are all I have ever had so that's I seem to use now. I do miss an actual transfer case shifter though. less is more sometimes.

 

[Brian_B]

5 vehicles over a million miles, this bindings at highway speeds on a straight road, is highly exaggerated, mostly spoken of by a generation that always had 4A.

I don’t discount your experience. I would, however, like to pose two rhetorical questions:

Would you do the same thing with a locker and put a million miles on it? 4WD locks front and rear, locker locks left and right - so…

Do you think they still build things the way they used to?

 

[1st 75th ranger]

I'm in love with my new bronco but I'm having second thoughts about whether I made the right choice. Mine is a 4 cylinder without 4A.
4A was a big deal for me because of snow/ice during the winter in Iowa. My husband convinced me that I didn't need 4A and that I could just learn how to use 4L and 4H. Did I mess up super bad not going with my gut and waiting for a v6 with 4A? I doubt there's much of anything I can do at this point but just wondering if I fucked up or if 4A is needed.

yes 4a is the set it and forget it mode
i use it exclusively in nj for the extra safety and grip
ps
watch your message read out of power distribution ...it shows its working all the time

 

[JinKat]

yes 4a is the set it and forget it mode
i use it exclusively in nj for the extra safety and grip
ps
watch your message read out of power distribution ...it shows its working all the time

Love my bronco- just wish it had 4a. Oh well. Someday

 

[frdfan]

Love my bronco- just wish it had 4a. Oh well. Someday

One question not asked is, where are you driving? Are you driving country roads (gravel/rock), or on paved streets, Interstate, etc? I'm across the river from you so we have similar weather. Last winter I used 4H for a grand total of 4-5 days, and 4L once for like a block. If you're driving in town on pavement, you'll be fine with what you have. If you're in the country, 4H and 4L will get you out of most road conditions without needing a tractor to pull you out.

 

[Beachbum]

I'm in love with my new bronco but I'm having second thoughts about whether I made the right choice. Mine is a 4 cylinder without 4A.
4A was a big deal for me because of snow/ice during the winter in Iowa. My husband convinced me that I didn't need 4A and that I could just learn how to use 4L and 4H. Did I mess up super bad not going with my gut and waiting for a v6 with 4A? I doubt there's much of anything I can do at this point but just wondering if I fucked up or if 4A is needed.

I added 4A since my SAS didn't come with it for the roads in PA during Winter. Peace of mind for me. I went out and tested it in snow covered roads and snow drifts and wouldn't go without it now. For me it was a no brainer. I could go without some of the other options but 4A is really nice.

 

[BlueWaffle]

4a isn't necessary for anywhere.

**spoken as a northerner who's winter beater is a 2wd mini truck.

 

[1st 75th ranger]

One question not asked is, where are you driving? Are you driving country roads (gravel/rock), or on paved streets, Interstate, etc? I'm across the river from you so we have similar weather. Last winter I used 4H for a grand total of 4-5 days, and 4L once for like a block. If you're driving in town on pavement, you'll be fine with what you have. If you're in the country, 4H and 4L will get you out of most road conditions without needing a tractor to pull you out.

i leave mine in 4a as it moves power around when needed and may give a little handling edge even on dry pavement in corners it stays there rain snow dirt roads grass fields and dry rds of course ...i off road often and do use 4h 4l and even goats modes at times
i just feel 4a is when i dont expect but need it
2021 bd 4dr softy 2.7 sas
bov...full knn airintake with downpipes full borla touring exhaust 36x12.5x17 mt tie rod upgrades
and 4k worth of alpine and sub ugrades lol

 

[grannas211]

I have a '23 Wildtrak (So V6 and 4A). I also live in Pennsylvania so we get a fair amount of snow. Last winter I drove in 2H most of the winter. Really snowed, I put it in 4H. I think you'll be more than fine. Enjoy your Bronco.

 

[JEMSA]

I may be biased having grown up in the era of rear wheel drives, hilly country, and rudimentary snow removal in a time when there seemed to be a heck of a lot more snow fall than present…

I’d say you may be better off without it, in that all vehicles have four wheel stop which doesn’t work that great in slippery conditions and being able to go better leads to over estimating ability to stop. And that now a days, road clearing usually is done so rapidly and completely that except for the one day a year the storm overwhelms the road crews for a few hours - in which case better to sit tight anyways. And should there be an emergency that day, even Base Bronco is pretty darn capable with good tires.

 

[Snacktime]

4A is technology, something that was invented to sell cars at a higher price. Its part of the removal of you need to think while driving. Spent a whole winter in Iowa working night shift at a 24/7 facility. No issues leaving it in 4wd pretty much all winter due to Road Ice and those crappy snow drifts. This included power drifting, racing snowmobiles and hitting snow drifts higher than the hood. Pretty much every other person at work drove an older 4wd truck with a plow all winter.

 

[Chrome_Pony]

I have Auto, but I wouldn't worry about having 4HI only. Good tires (especially winter only tires with softer compound and more siping), OEM traction controls with wheelspeed and other sensors, and common sense will keep you out of trouble on the road. You as the driver will need to be aware of tire slip availability.

Dry pavement used to grenade transfer cases, and occasionally still can, as the grippy offroad tires cannot slip on dry hot pavement enough to prevent binding:

Hence the recommendation to use it only in snowy or icy conditions, where wheel slip is a normal occurrence. I don't know where using 4x4 in the rain came from, apparently some place with trash road construction and maintenance or straight up monsoons, because good tires and reasonable speed will nearly always prevent any need for 4HI in the rain.

Alaskans have run a plethora of modern, old and clapped out rigs in 4HI all winter forever, so if there were going to be a concentration of exploded or damaged transfer cases from 4HI continuously on on snow and icy pavement or at speeds (often much) higher than 55 on that same snow and icy pavement being dangerous, we would have seen it long ago.

Use the BCM between your ears, you'll be fine, and so will the Bronco.

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