You can shift from 2-4wd with speed from 0 to 45 mph. The thing is I like to shift from a stand still and make sure it is in or out. But you can shift on the fly from 2 hi to 4 hi only any time in that range. For those with the Part Time transfer case you can shift on the fly but you are taking a very high chance of blowing up your transfer case. Part Time is only for Part Time and is not intended for use in this case. As for going between dry and slick roads if you are going straight then it is ok to allow your ride to stay in 4hi but on corners on dry you shouldn't be locked in. Drive Line bind can occur.

As for a note I prefer to shift parked.

 

4Low- Hold on to something
4High- I hate snow
Netrual- Tow me
2High- Lets ride

 

mine says 4wheel part time in 4 hi as well and i know he tcase was never replaced

 

Could be the switch sticking.

 

ok i have a 99 slt 5.2 4x4 my floor shifter goes 2wd , 4wd high , neutral , 4wd low on my dash indicator it lights up 4x4 part time in 4x4high and 4x4low my ?? is if i look at it on an angle on my dash i can see a 4wd full time lightthatNEVER COMES ON . was this a universal dash set up for all models ?? or do i have this 5th 4wd option thats not engaging or lighting up the full time indicator??? i have been a chevy guy and new to dodge i have been used to 2wd, 4wdft high, N , 4wdft low. trans in N, engage 4wd, R to lock hubs, go play!! is this the same method for dodge engagement or is it shift on the fly ????

 

So basicly 4x4pt is like my R/T's awd. You can switch from 2hi to 4x4pt and it only kicks in when you slip. Like my 02Envoy.

 

it is shift on the fly, however a lot of people prefer to shift while stopped to ensure the transfer case isnt damaged.
I however shift on the fly all the time and have not had any damage. If its bad that i need 4hi when I'm leaving, I'll put it in while I'm stopped, otherwise I'll shift when i need it.

 

Hey Rebel,

My options are the same as yours:

2Hi
4Hi
Neutral
4Lo

I guess we just don't have the fanciness of Traction Control in our goats.. It's ok, I like being old fashioned!

 

I just picked up a 2002 slt 4.7 4x4 last month - its got the electro shift **** from 2wd-4hi-4lo
I have noticed some noise in the rear when making slow tight turns that I asusme is a limited slip int he rear differential. I haven't noticed any binding in 4hi - but I have noticed it in 4lo (have only used it on gravel and mud)

so do the electroshift models have a different transfer case than the floor shifter models? and is the 4hi in mine a fully locked 4wd or is is a limited slip version like AWD (i also have a subaru with limited slips)

 

All Right I can not believe the disinformation here... It bugs me that there hasn't been a correct answer here in 2+ years... Everyone is close, but no cigar. I have a 99 Durango so my reply is regarding this one (SLT 5.2L)

OK:

2HI: Differential is disengaged 100% power to rear axel - drives like regular rear wheel drive car

4 Part Time: Most Traction you can get... Locks the diff so you get 50% Power to front axle and 50% power to the rear axle - if you feel safe driving over 50 mph in 4Part Time you don't need to be in it - axel bind will happen on dry road in about 5 miles above 50 mph

4 Full Time: OK Tractionin slippery conditions -great for awesome handling on a dry road - differential is working totransfer 100% power to the wheel that is slipping the most on the front or rear axel - THIS IS A KEY POINT!! READ ON...

This is what hasn't been addressed yet in this forum... unless you have a LSD (limited slip differential... (standard on the rear of 5.9 and on some 5.2s) which shifts power to a wheel that doesn't slip (usually in a 40%/60% configuration) then even though you are in 4 Full Time you aredriving the equivalent of a front or rear wheel drive car based upon the road condition under each wheel.

4x4 drivers need to understand that in most 4x4 trucks or suvs when you are in "4wheel drive" all you are getting is 2 wheel drive... here's why:

the tranny's (the ball in the middle of the axel with the gears transfering power from the drive lineat a 90 degree angle to the axel (front and rear) ) is designed to allow the wheel on the inside of a turn to rotate slower than the outside wheel so you don't get "wheel hop". If the tranny didn't allow for this then the inside wheel (which has less distance to travel in a turn)would want to travel the same distance as the outside wheel (which has a farther distance to travel)... this would cause the inside wheel to "hop" or literally skip because it would be trying to travel the same distance as the outside wheel. Older cars had this problem... (If you've ever seen the movie My Cousin Vinnie you may remember the key piece of evidence was that the car was a direct drive... when peeling out there were two tire marks for a burnout... not one. But I digress)

Try this... you may have experienced it already... when in 2Hi in your Durangogoing slow, crank the wheel hard in either direction and punch it... What happens? The inside wheels starts spinning out and the truck go nowhere... Do you understand now? The wheel with the LEAST traction gets all the power... whole lotta smoke and noise... not going anywhere... unless you have a LSD which senses when the inside wheel starts losing traction and then transfers about 40% of the power to the wheel that doesn't.

Now let's put your Durangoon some patchy ice. Just so happens that you stopped on a cold day in 2HI in your Durango... your rear right wheel is on a patch of ice and your rear left is ondry ground. You go to accelerate a little hard and suddenly that right rear wheel on a patch of icestarts spinning and your truck ain't moving. All power is going to your wheel that has the least traction.

Move the transmission into 4 Part Time... this locks the differential and transfers 50% of the power to the rear tranny and 50% to the front tranny... your front wheels are both on dry pavement... as you accelerate, you notice your rear right wheel spin, but the front wheels (on dry pavement) grab and get you going. Fantastic you made it!

What would have happened if you put the Durango in 4 Full Time? The rear wheel would have continued to spin, even though the differential was engaged... 100% of the power would have still gone to your rear right wheel, or any of the 4 wheels that would have been on ice.

Now here's the kicker, the 4x4 works great when all wheels have some form of traction, but the second that there is no tranction on one wheel in 4 Full Time you might as well be in 2 Hi.

Confused? Don't be... here's what you do... bad road conditions snow and ice 4 Part Time... don't go over 45 or 50 mph because another thing that many 4x4 owner don't understand is that 4x4 will get you going fast in slippery conditions but you can't stop... if you do need to stop in slippery condition, you will need to down shift with you automatic to really make a difference, the second you lose traction on the wheel it's gone... brake with the engine, not with the brakes.

Really bad conditions, 4 Low, don't go above 25mph, you really cant's

Slippery boat launch 4 Low

So when do I use 4 Full Time you ask? When you are on a windy road with plenty of traction, the wife and kids (or hubby and kids I guess) aren't in the truck and you want to get the performance of an AWD vehicle... try it some time on a 280 degree onramp turn... your truck will blow you away... the rear end will not swing out as your front tranction will pull thru the turn for you and you find you can keep up with the Porsche in front of you... until the straight away of course...

I really don't get why Dodge put the 4 Full Time in because you really don't need it unless you want to get your truck to perform like a race car, which is fun to have I suppose. I guess I would really prefer more options than less.

Enjoy