What happens when you screw up shifting to 4-LO?

Honestly, I never wheeled my JK that much. Plenty of 4-HI, never in 4-LO. When I got the JL I said I'd try and use 4-LO more and read the manual. OK, there's a dance: be moving 3-5 MPH, shift the trans to N, shift to 4-LO, trans back to D. I went to a gravel road to practice and 3 I pulled off without issue, but once I was going WAY too fast (like 11-13mph) and there was a hell of a BANG and a JOLT like I hit a huge pothole. BUT everything seemed OK and I was able to get it out of 4-LO and all has been well. That was a while back.

Yesterday I went out wheeling with my daughter on some muddy trails. I was in 4-hi, got down to 4-5mph, shifted into 4-LO. DAMMIT I FORGOT NEUTRAL!! BANG! JOLT! Everything seemed fine, I scolded myself, and made sure to hit N on the way out.

I know I shouldn't keep doing this. Its accidental. What is happening when that BANG JOLT occurs and how worried should I be that I've done some real damage?

As a funny anecdote for others who need to practice this dance; the first time I did it I was going too slow and the jeep stopped rolling before I got it into 4-LO. I had to push the jeep in neutral enough to get it up to 3 mph, jump in and shift it. People were driving by like WTF is this idiot doing.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
You're probably okay. You're just feeling the gears engage violently. Keep doing it and you'll most likely do damage to the chain in your t-case.

So you know, you can practically shift into 4LO at a standstill. If it doesn't go in, rocking your Jeep back and forth will typically all it to shift. In other words, you really want to be rolling VERY slowly when shifting into 4LO.
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
You still may be going a little too fast at 4-5 mph. Once you're going slow enough (and with practice) the dance is becomes easier. I'm usually less successful when doing it at a dead stop.

20190410_100946.jpg
 

You're probably okay. You're just feeling the gears engage violently. Keep doing it and you'll most likely do damage to the chain in your t-case.

So you know, you can practically shift into 4LO at a standstill. If it doesn't go in, rocking your Jeep back and forth will typically all it to shift. In other words, you really want to be rolling VERY slowly when shifting into 4LO.

Thanks Eddie! I’m assuming if the chain goes I’m FUBAR right?
 

JIMBOX

New member
:D Sometimes when mine is REALLY STUBBORN--I turn engine off(while coasting--1-2mph) then-clutch in--BINGO 4LO

W.E.

:wings: JIMBO
 

Jeeeep

Member
I usually tap the brakes to stop then take my foot off to get the roll, at the same time while shifting into neutral then shift into 4Lo as I take my foot off the brake.

The bang scared the hell out of me the first few times in the JK until I changed methods
 

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