[4ePikanini]

This is just my observation... I will stay with 4Hlc because this is what I am comfortable with.

I think this is the key. It's not about skill but style. I'm sure your experience and skill is far more advanced than mine in any case.

Maybe you prefer the slight understeer in 4HLc whereas I prefer the back stepping out slightly for oversteer.

I do agree that on really bad roads with bumps and corrugations I prefer 4HLc as well but on good gravel the 4H is my preference.

[RoelfleRoux]

YES,
Pikanini and Simon have it on the button.

The options are there, use what you are comfortable with. I like not selecting an option that has potential to cause "wind-up" and I like a bit of over steer and I support a losing provincial rugby team. We all have our own likes and dislikes.

[Tabatwa]

Personally I feel Super Select is to facilitate using 4H on a rad surface......for example you are driving up a pass that is covered in ice/snow....or in wet slippery conditions. It also is great to engage when towing a heavy trailer.

On garvel surfaces I do not see the advantage; rather a disadvantage. I always engage 4Hlc rather than 4H on a gravel or dirt road.

My tuppence worth.

[Transkeicowboy]

Use 4H in the twisty stuff on mountain passes as well as rainy days.

Otherwise use 2H on tar and engage 4Hlc on gravel roads.

4Llc on trails.

Slppery muddy conditions (especially hills) use rear diff-lock as well as 4Llc

[Mcnoogle]

Hi Guys,

My 22c worth.

2H - normal tarmac driving
4H - Wet tarmac and / heavy cross-winds, its amazing how much more stable the vehicle becomes when no longer in 2H.
Used to do most gravel in 4H, where a worse gravel road would be in 4HLc.
After reading all of the above, I think I'll change to majority gravel as 4HLc, as why not use the extra safety features if you have them.
In my humble opinion, If travelling fast on gravel, and 4HLc tends to cause a slight understeer (surely understeer is better then oversteer - as too much oversteer in the right (or wrong situation) could cause one to roll (and breaking at thet point just aggrevates things, whereas too much understeer would cause you to have to slow down a bit so as to make a corner better - something that can be controlled a lot easier than trying to prevent a roll.
Also, with regard to wear, I do believe that the advantage on your tyres would be with 4H as apposed to 2H, as although you have more traction, the spread is better, as such, you would have a little more wear on your front tyres, yet a fair amount less on your back tyres, as even in 2H, your front tyres are prone to some wear. The only time I use 4H not locked (on gravel)is when turning off a dry tar road, to go up a gravel road where I know my top speed will probably be less than 20 or so Km/h and will thereafter be going back on tar.
If I'm in a situation where I would rather deflate my tyres to 1.5-1.8 bar (as apposed to the standard 2.5 I use on tar) due to some extended gravel driving with possible corregation
etc, then I would most certainly engage the CDL.

[Gemaskerde Tuinvurk]

my theory falls out the window...

tackling wheel spin situations in high range you need to turn off stability control (ASC ). eg sand or mud

[Skillie]

Hi,

I did a 4x4 coarse with Andre de Villiers from Safari Centre/Routes. His vehicle of choice is a Pajero. He has a technical background on which he base the following advise. Also safety is his main concern, and he is of the school that you should use every safety feature that is in your control:

2H: Everyday tarmac driving

4H: Tarmac -If it just looks like rain

4HLc: Any gravel roads. He is of the opinion your handling improves because the forced 50:50 split. Why take the risk?

4LLc: Any gravel surface you will not exceed a low speed of say 45 km/h. This includes windy twee spoor paadjies. His reasoning is that while you are going slow, why not use all your gears and so increase your vehicles responsiveness.

I must say I agree with the above mostly, except on the practicality of the transfers. As far as I know. I must be stationary and in neutral to engage 4LLc or 4HLc. This is a slep. It is much faster to select 4H on the fly (below 80km/h - my own rule)

Regards,

[SimonB]

Skillie

You only need to be stationary switching into (or out of) 4Llc. You don't need to be stationary switching into 4HLc from 2H or 4H

[Lock]

" I experimented with this recently in sand: 4H almost comes to a standstill the first time one wheel starts to spin."

I had the same experience as the Masked Gardenfork. My 2002 Pajero will pull through loose sand in 2H with judicious application of the loud pedal. As soon as you feel it foundering, floor it and it will dig its way out. On the 2008 Pajero on the same stretch of road, 2H just shudders to a halt, and 4H struggles, regardless of how much loud pedal you try and use. Different driving style between the 2 models!

[Gemaskerde Tuinvurk]

" I experimented with this recently in sand: 4H almost comes to a standstill the first time one wheel starts to spin."

I had the same experience as the Masked Gardenfork. My 2002 Pajero will pull through loose sand in 2H with judicious application of the loud pedal. As soon as you feel it foundering, floor it and it will dig its way out. On the 2008 Pajero on the same stretch of road, 2H just shudders to a halt, and 4H struggles, regardless of how much loud pedal you try and use. Different driving style between the 2 models!

Its just the way stability control works - its assumes you are skidding (vehicle moving sideways), cuts the power and tries to brake the appropriate front and rear wheel to stop the side - e.g. if your rear is sliding out to the right, it will brake the right front wheel to stop the skid.

For sand and slippery surfaces, you will need to engage HLc, and then turn off stability control (ASC) - then power is not affected when wheels spin, and the specific wheel that is spinning is braked.