Betty The Bronco
New member
Whats the diffrence between the Overdrive button and the 4x4 button?
4x4 vs. Overdrive
- Thread starter Betty The Bronco
- Start date
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muladesigns1
New member
one button puts you in 4 wheel drive and the other button puts you in overdrive
you are kidding rite?
Betty The Bronco
New member
BLADE262US
Active member
The OD button actually shuts off your OD its on by default everytime you start your truck . The 4X4 button you know puts power to your front wheels and the 4Low button shifts the T case into 4X4 low ranges only when the vehicle is stopped and in neutral . Again muladesigns1 I will remind you that there are no dumb questions and we do NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES make people feel dump for asking questions here do not make me keep reminding you of this 
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />Yes, Betty, Blade is correct. The "OD" or overdrive button engages the fourth gear in your transmission to reduce engine RPM's and increase fuel mileage. The gear ratio is somewhere around 0.75:1, compared to 1:1 or higher for the other gears in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. I would suggest leaving it on all the time for normal highway driving, The only time you should turn OD off is when towing a trailer. Towing puts more strain on the transmission and will burn up the OD on hilly roads.
The "Low Range 4x4" button is only for when you engage four wheel drive on non-paved roads. Four wheel - High range is good most of the time for gravel roads, mud, dirt trails, etc. When you need to crawl over rocks or go really slow, the four wheel low range will slow your speed down. The engine will still rev fairly high (2500-3000 RPM), but the 2.72:1 gear reduction in the transfer case will reduce your tire speed. Low Range is also good for pulling a stuck vehicle out or pull-starting a tractor or road grader. JSM84
The "Low Range 4x4" button is only for when you engage four wheel drive on non-paved roads. Four wheel - High range is good most of the time for gravel roads, mud, dirt trails, etc. When you need to crawl over rocks or go really slow, the four wheel low range will slow your speed down. The engine will still rev fairly high (2500-3000 RPM), but the 2.72:1 gear reduction in the transfer case will reduce your tire speed. Low Range is also good for pulling a stuck vehicle out or pull-starting a tractor or road grader. JSM84
footmaster
New member
i must have OD off in order to engage.....is their any way to fiz this? when OD is on its like a neutral
thornbirdguy
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michibronc
New member
My '96 won't shift into 4-High unless I'm stopped. I've got the manual 4wd with a shift lever on the floor. Are the newer Broncos supposed to be shift on the fly?
Roadkill
New member
Here is what the '96 Owners Manual says about your truck (if you still have the automatic hubs):
Edit:
Since "transfer-shifting" questions are so common, I just posted that whole section out of the Owners Manual HERE in the Tech Support Forum. It covers shifting with all combinations of auto/manual hubs and manual or "toutch-drive" transfer cases.
Last edited by a moderator:
michibronc
New member
Thanks for the info, Roadkill. It's nice to see the owners manual because I purchased used and a previous owner lost it (or sold it on ebay!).
Roadkill
New member
I have a digital copy of the entire '96 owner's manual but it is too large to post here on Broncozone. (3mb) If you send me a PM with your e-mail, I can send you the whole thing. It's also available for free from the MyFord Website.
BroncoJeff
fLoWmAsTeRs=RuMbLe
My 88 will stay in 4L but for some reason it likes to pop out of 4H every now and then.
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