Hello my first time here. I own my first 2012 Doge Ram 1500 Big Horn Truck I bought brand new 3 yrs ago and love it. My question is I never own a 4x4 but drove them when I was in the military . I live in MA an use my 4x4 to get out of my long drive way in 2 feet of snow, I'm going to OK this winter an need to know what is the best way to drive if the road to south gets snow an ice on my long travel .
I'm use to driving in worse snow falls in Michigan since I was 16 back in the '70 , can the truck be kept in 4x4 at 65-70mph for a long distant or will that burn my trainee up? What setting should I have it set at for snow icy roads ?

 

Welcome to the forum. Your owners manual will tell you all you need to know. When in 4x4, the front wheels need to be able to slip, so just make sure the roads are at least wet if you plan on keeping it to 4x4 all the time.

 

So the user guide says when shifting between 2WD to 4WD Auto or 4WD Lock can be made at speeds up to 55mph or at a stop but then it says , when shifting between 2WD to 4WD Auto or 4WD Lock to 4WD Low has to be done with transmission in Neutral. 4WD Low do not exceed 25mph . It says the 2WD an 4WD Auto to be use on Normal street an highway conditions on dry,hard surfaced roads, so my question is when the roads get black ice or wet snow what do I use 4WD Lock? an not exceed over 55mph? So this can be use for a long trip only because from where I'm going first is to IN an that's a 13 1/2 hr drive sleep over before my travel to OK witch is another 12hr ride, I hope I get lucky not to get in any snow storm.

 

I don't have a 4x4. I'm not sure exactly what 4x4 auto is. If it's like "all wheel drive", think Subaru, then that would probably be safe on dry roads which might turn slick.

In the ice, the first vehicles I see upside down in Arkansas are the 4x4's because the drivers think they are invincible. But when you have no traction, it doesn't matter how many wheels are being given torque. With a little weight in the back of the truck, you can get around pretty well in 2 wheel drive mode. There are times when 4x4 will be more stable. I get around okay in my 2 wd TRX with a 600 - 1000 lbs of rock in the bed for ballast. I also get around really well in my Mustang GT. I wish the TRX had traction-lok like the Mustang rather than the "hit the brake on the spinning wheel" computer traction control, but it works.

If you're not romping on the throttle, or going faster than conditions indicate, you'll be fine. I know guys with Jeeps who run full time 4x4 (I'm guessing it's the auto mode) all the time. They tell me they never switch to 4x4 lock mode where the front and rear are locked with respect to each other.

Your manual will probably tell you the difference between the modes.

 

Marcos, you'd use 4WD Lock on iceing or showing roads. You CAN shift to it at speed no more then 55mph, but you can drive on 4WD Lock over 55mph, if the road and your tires allow you to do it . Yes, you'd shift to 4wd low on N position and stopped car, but this mode usually use off roads

 

If you have 4wdAuto, you can leave it engaged all winter if you want. That basically locks the hubs so now your front end is constantly spinning but it kills your gas mileage. If you are on plowed roads, especially a highway, leave it in 2wd and go. If you hit ice no 4wd is going to help anyway. The best thing for slick roads is good tires. I'll take a 2wd with snow tires over a 4wd with stock street tires any day of the winter. Here in PA I hardly ever engage 4wd. Just to get up a hill or when there has been no snowplows yet when I leave for work.