I’m just curious how many of you drive around in low range off-road. I’m not just talking about crawling activities at low speed, but actually drive around where your transmission is shifting into 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear while in 4 LOW (center TC locked or unlocked)

I have found myself doing this more and more and like it a lot. If I am cruising around in the desert sand I spend a lot of time driving in low range. I certainly don’t need the max speeds allowed in high range, and in low the truck feels like an absolute monster.

I do this primarily because of the available power and torque, it’s much easier to keep the revs up and “bogging down” in sand ceases to be an issue. Truck feels like a completely different animal, in a good way.

I’m a little curious if this type of use is accelerating some potential problem with the transmission or transfer-case, or if that’s just a normal operating condition.

I'm not sure if you've ever watched the Australian YouTube channel "4WD Action", but they use low range extensively in mud and on the beaches.

I usually drop into 4LO when I'm up in the mountain snow or mud. I also use it during winter time highway rescues here in CO when we are pulling vehicles out of ditches! 4LO paired with the CDL hasn't let me down yet.

I'm in low range the entire time while doing the wheeling that I do. Rock crawling and tight trails mostly. Even through mud low range is still fast enough.

I have not been off road enough to provide good input so sorry for my ignorance. But suggesting 4 low at 3rd 4th gear sounds like a really bad idea? I mean i can do 60+mph on the highway in 4th. Isn't 4 low only supposed to be used at very slow speeds?

I would think it would cause undue wear and tear.

As long as your engine RPMs are in a reasonable range I don't expect any extra wear. You can drive maybe 30mph in low range which will reach around 4k RPMs in the final gear.

I prefer 4low for speeds under 10mph. If I hit 20mph in low, I stop and switch to 4hugh.

While I generally would not disagree if this was a dirt fire road or hardpack trail, if you ever tried launching yourself up a sand dune in 4 high and have a 1-2 shift immediately start bogging down where you loose speed becomes a massive problem.

Perhaps I should consider a more aggressive gearing... 4.88 with a 33" tire.

It really is fun ripping around in such a low gear because the truck feels like it has a ton of power.

I drove in 4LO for most of the recent Kentucky Toyota Trail Ride.

How I use it also depends on the suspension but in short it goes like this:

I always use 4L in moderate or difficult terrain as well as when climbing and descending any actual grades even if smooth.

On high-clearance trails I used to use 4L with the stock suspension but now use 4H with MTS on sand.

For beaches, which we don't really do, we still have a Subaru

For dirt roads, I used to use 4H every time with the stock suspension but now I just use 2WD unless they have lots and/or sharp turns.

EDIT: on difficult rated trails I never get out of 4L. On moderate trails, it can vary by the specific trail. I used to be either in 4L or 4H but with the suspension improvements 4L is just too slow for a lot of terrain. I don't like the feel of going over 15 mph in 4L.

And 4 Low is way safer on steep hills going down and up. Put the shifter in the 1st gear and it will act as a brake. If the brakes ever did go out for whatever reason you wont be sliding down at 30mph.

I use low range whenever I'm on a road/trail where the max speed is unlikely to exceed 20-25 mph. Low range gives me 4 gears below 30 mph instead of two. Eases stress on the transmission and torque converter, much better control on steep hills, and leaves me ready for significant rocks and ledges when they pop up.

With an automatic transmission and a high torque engine like the 4.7 V8 you can get along on some pretty rough trails in high range, but you're leaving performance and control on the table. On the other hand, with my '94 with the wimpy 3.0 V6 and a 5 speed, driving in high range on any moderately rough or steep trail works really poorly. With my twin-stick on the '94, I use low range 2wd even on pavement or smooth gravel if the road is steeper than about 10-12%.

I drive low range any time I turn off maintained roads onto two track trails, no matter how mild they look. I’d rather be proactive and be ready if the trail suddenly throws a surprise, than struggle to shift into low range in a panic. This is especially handy with electronic transfer case controls, which may not be able to complete the shift because of drivetrain windup.

On my Tacoma TRD with manual transmission, two track trails often require constant shifting between first and second to keep the engine happy; whereas in 4-lo it is happily toodling along in 3rd or even 4th. On my 4Runner I leave the automatic transmission in manual mode and cap the upshifts at 2nd gear, sometimes 3rd.

Never have had any drivetrain/transfer case issues on any of my trucks/4Runner.

Unless I'm doing 35mph plus or bombing down desert roads its always 4LO when off road..

Way less wear and risk for overheating brakes on long steep descents. IIRC the manual even states NOT to use the brakes continuously for more than 30-60 seconds continuously. Something that's very easy to do when coasting down the side of a mountain or ridge line.

Immediate torque availability and not having to worry about up-shifts bogging down momentum.

And probably the biggest benefit..
Engine and especially the transmission run SIGNIFICANTLY cooler.
Off roading in high range can RAPIDLY get your transmission fluid temps up to 220+ (especially out here in AZ). Doing the same terrain in 4LO the trans fluid and coolant temps almost NEVER break 200, even with the AC cranked.

I think I’ll be running a 32.1 to 33” tire for the foreseeable future. I believe the stock gearing is 4.10 ratio and think 4.56 would provide the correction for the increase in tire size. Perhaps it would be worth considering 4.88 or more considering how I use the truck?

I’m obviously running around in low range because I like the performance of being geared pretty low. After gearing I suspect low will be too low to use in the manner I am now, but improved for when low is generally required. I just don’t want to be in a weird middle ground where 4H still isn’t low enough either for desert driving.

I am certainly willing to sacrifice top speed, but not to the level where I am in high doing 6000 RPM at 65 MPH

Just incase it matters… this is a V6 with a 4 Speed transmission. Not a daily driver, but I still drive on-road to get to my destinations.