Drive modes details: how can I be good to my truck while flogging the sh*t out of it?

[momike]

Whelp, I'm 1200 miles on the odometer and just starting to step out a bit with this rig.
First of all - oh my dog this thing is ridiculous. So loose, so powerful, so damn fun in the dirt and snow. Wow. Maybe too much truck. Or maybe not.



Anyhow, to the point: I'm wondering if there are any subtleties on drive modes. Trying to get my head around what to use when, and in particular to avoid breaking stuff. Here are some questions:

• Is 4A akin to all wheel drive like I’d find on an Outback? Or is it switching rapidly between 2H and 4H? Any reason not to just leave it on for the winter?
• Shift into 4H and 4A on the fly seems to be allowed, maybe not under acceleration, per the manual. However, is it totally fine to do this? Is there any additional wear or other considerations to this? Maybe an example: often I leave my house on a dirt road, travel on dry pavement for a time, then start to encounter patchy snow mixed with dry roads in high consequence locations. Do I just select 4A and call that good? Or is it better to switch between 2H and 4A as conditions dictate?
• I'm curious to see that in Baja mode the rear locker is on by default. That suggests that rear locker works for high speed rallying, but I would have expected the rear locker to be for special situations like slow speed crawling. It would seem to put stress on the system not to have the rear diff working when bombing around on rocky or hard packed terrain. (total noob and mechanical idiot here so very open to learning why I'm wrong, and also I may be thinking of old school mechanisms from back in the day?).
• Basically - is the rear locker strong and can stand up to high speed abuse?
• Slippery mode seems like the worst, least fun, most lame selection. I'm never even going to try it.
• Interesting that off road mode uses comfort steering and Baja uses off road steering. Why?
• Why would 4A not be selectable in Baja? Are there limitations in 4A for high speed off road use?
• And anything else that educated mechanics want to contribute would be aweome to hear.

Thanks!

Oh, in trying to get my head around things I'm summarizing what I see in the manual. At least for the ones that matter to me at the moment.

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[Hoss]

Too long. What did he say?

 

[NM Mike]

The locker is stronger than your driveline and u-joints. Per your manual, use the locked differential at speeds under 25 mph.
4 H is for off road use, typically under 55 mph. Do not use 4H on hard pavement, or ice covered pavement at high speeds.
Baja mode is for high speed off road use
Slippery mode is basically a traction control setting, for rainy slick, snow packed or icy roads. You don’t want a peppy throttle response. It applies the brakes slightly to a certain wheel if it looses traction. It’s not designed to be s fun or thrilling drive mode. It’s a keep your truck going straight in crappy weather mode.
I don’t have a raptor, so I don’t know how ford has the 4A setting configured. Maybe someone else will chime in on it.
Ford offers the raptor driving school, it might be a good option for you to learn sbout ghe modes, and how to drive your truck safely in different road tupes and conditions.

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