4x4 dial shifter

[John]

I own a 12 year old Power Wagon. It is an off road beast and far superior off road in my opinion. We use it hard as a ranch truck in Colorado frequently at 10,000 feet. In the spring it is often locked up with 4 chains on it when first trying to get our higher elevation grazing land open. It crashes through layers of snow an ice relatively reliably. Rarely it will get high centered when trying to drive over 5-6 feet of compressed ice/snow. Have to dig and winch once in awhile. I did have the sway bar disconnect fail to re-engage once when I was fooling around over in Moab in sand. I had to replace it. Otherwise, I just use the lockers and rarely the standard winch. Manual 4 wheel drive transfer case is obviously more reliable. I have had the little electric 4 wheel drive transfer case motors fail in other vehicles.

I would prefer a manual transfer case in my F350 diesel Tremor but obviously not offered. It has worked perfectly well so far but may fail some day. My wife and I bought the Tremor to tow much higher loads than the Power Wagon can and still be a little more capable from a traction standpoint than a regular F350. We have large trailers, tractors that need towing etc.

You just need to decide what is more important to you and your family: off road capability or payload/towing capability.

 

[richtor]

Wow - so many great replies. Thanks!



I get what you're saying. What I like about the floor shifter is you never reach for it by accident - its the only lever sticking through your floor. In some vehicles the dial shifter doesn't stand out enough from other dials - and you think you are shifting into 4-high when you hit ice/snow, and suddenly the radio is much louder. In my current truck I get into snow covered roads (I live at 8,500 feet so the roads are icy/snowy for 6 months) and I have to take my eyes off the road to make sure I'm going for the 4-wheel drive dial and not something else. I think Ford's dial is very well-placed both in terms of not being next to other dials of similar size, but it is also relatively high on the dash, so if you do need to look, you are not dropping your eyes down low (this is my read on the Ford dial after very little experience with it). I actually have similar complaints about HVAC controls in almost all new cars: you get the cheapest trim and the controls are usually pretty simple, and you can operate them without looking at them; you step up to heated seats or some higher trim, and you get complicated HVAC controls that you have to look at while you are driving. In my Toyota, I have to do three distinct things to change the temp of the air coming through the vents if the fan is off - its annoying because it is unnecessary!



Thanks this is good to hear!



I hear you. You pay a lot for a truck, you want things to be automatic and feel high-end. I'm just an analog guy. I still like rowing my own gears, and a manual t-case. I've never even owned an automatic transmission (almost 40 years of driving), and right now I have my first ever non-manual t-case. I've had lots of Jeeps and Toyotas, and one heavy duty truck (a 1989 5.9 Cummins, manual tranny, manual transfer case).



Thanks for the advice on the paint - I've heard from multiple sources that Ford's paint is much better than Ram.



Thanks! On the one hand, its too bad that the vacuum system is not 100% reliable, but on the other hand, Ford gives you the option to manually lock the hubs - and that is great. I spent a lot of years locking front hubs. Occasionally it is super-inconvenient, but overall, I sort of like it.



Thanks for the reply! Yup, there are big differences between the Ram PW and the Ford Tremor. But both can work for my end use, so it will come down to which features I prioritize. I like hearing from actual owners, even though I know this is not a scientific study with statistically significant results. Its just cool to hear from real humans - hence the forum. Despite the differences between the trucks, both can work for me, and so there are advantages and disadvantages with each. Take a variable like size. In town, and off-road, the Ram will be more maneuverable because it is 11 inches shorter. On the other hand, there will be times the extra room in the Ford - both in the bed, and in the second row (which is bigger and has a flat floor) - will be great. Everything is give and take. Take a variable like payload. Payload in the Ram is absurdly low for a 2500, but off-road that truck articulates like crazy, and on-road it rides a little better when unloaded. On the other hand, the Tremor can tow and haul like a boss, but cannot flex like the Ram (and doesn't have a front locker). I could go on and on but you don't want to hear that - so I kept the question narrow. I'm asking about the dial-shifter in the Ford because - if it is similar to the one I have now - I buy the Ram. That's how much I dislike the transfer case dial in my current rig. So while the dial may seem like a minor issue to some folks, it matters to me. When a truck is available to test drive, I'll get a little more time to work with it myself. I appreciate your reply!



That's good to hear - thanks!



Thanks - this is really helpful! I bought a 2019 4-Runner for my wife with a manual transfer case (not an option in the Tacoma) - and it works great! Just like every other manual t-case I've owned (and she loves it). I have no idea why Toyota went to the electronic dial in the Tacoma - but it sucks. Its great to hear from a Toyota owner who understands how lame the Tacoma electronic t-case is, and who has had good experiences with the Ford.

Thanks again to everyone who took a little time to reply!

Great use of the new multiple quote feature!

 

[EmanJackson]

New to the Super Duty Tremor, but had he same dial on our 2015 F150 with 200k on it. Live in the country so back roads all the time and using the dial a lot for 4x4. Never had an issues and works as it should.

 

[stickshifter]

I own a 12 year old Power Wagon. It is an off road beast and far superior off road in my opinion. We use it hard as a ranch truck in Colorado frequently at 10,000 feet. In the spring it is often locked up with 4 chains on it when first trying to get our higher elevation grazing land open. It crashes through layers of snow an ice relatively reliably. Rarely it will get high centered when trying to drive over 5-6 feet of compressed ice/snow. Have to dig and winch once in awhile. I did have the sway bar disconnect fail to re-engage once when I was fooling around over in Moab in sand. I had to replace it. Otherwise, I just use the lockers and rarely the standard winch. Manual 4 wheel drive transfer case is obviously more reliable. I have had the little electric 4 wheel drive transfer case motors fail in other vehicles.

I would prefer a manual transfer case in my F350 diesel Tremor but obviously not offered. It has worked perfectly well so far but may fail some day. My wife and I bought the Tremor to tow much higher loads than the Power Wagon can and still be a little more capable from a traction standpoint than a regular F350. We have large trailers, tractors that need towing etc.

You just need to decide what is more important to you and your family: off road capability or payload/towing capability.

Yes, you are right - ultimately the decision comes down to off road capability vs payload and towing. It's a tough call for my intended use since both trucks will work for me, but with different advantages and disadvantages. Thanks for the reply!

P.S. I looked at some 2008 Power Wagons with manual transmissions (my preference) - they were all pretty beat on. That's a great truck you've got - hang on to it!

 

[Bokal]

I’m currently cross-shopping the 7.3 Tremor against the Power Wagon. I’ve driven the PW a few times and I’ve driven a 7.3 once but not with the Tremor package; you have to order one where I live - there aren’t any to test drive. But I have a good sense of the differences between the trucks - on paper. For my needs, there are positives and negatives with each. My question for you folks is about the dial for shifting into 4 wheel drive / low range / rear locker. My current truck is my first one with a dial - I’ve always owned manual transmissions and manual transfer case. I don’t like the dial in my current truck (2017 Tacoma). 4 high usually engages well, but it feels lame, cheap, and... tinny (like a soda can, I guess). 4 low is a slow shift with lots of beeping and waiting. All my manual t-cases dropped right into low. So.... how do folks like the dial in the Ford Super Duty? It feels much better to me than my Tacoma, but I’ve only used it once. It may sound stupid to some folks, but the manual transfer case in the PW is one of its big draws for me. Of course, the Tremor is awesome, or I wouldn’t be on this site asking this question! Any experience with the dial you’d like to describe will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Baddestt]

Will these work on the 2020/2021 super duties? I'd imagine they will, it seems it is the same hub set up since 2005. I have the warn manual locking hubs on my 2007 f250 and they are awesome, much more durable and dependable than the stock autolocking hubs. Only downside to the warns, is you have to get out and switch the dial from "free" to "lock", then you can switch the selector on the dash to 4wd.

Warn Truck Jeep Suv Hubs Wheels

Shop WARN locking hubs and wheel accessories for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. Disconnect your front drivetrain to reduce wear and improve fuel economy when four-wheel drive isn't needed.

www.warn.com

 

[Colfaxent]

Will these work on the 2020/2021 super duties? I'd imagine they will, it seems it is the same hub set up since 2005. I have the warn manual locking hubs on my 2007 f250 and they are awesome, much more durable and dependable than the stock autolocking hubs. Only downside to the warns, is you have to get out and switch the dial from "free" to "lock", then you can switch the selector on the dash to 4wd.

Warn Truck Jeep Suv Hubs Wheels

Shop WARN locking hubs and wheel accessories for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. Disconnect your front drivetrain to reduce wear and improve fuel economy when four-wheel drive isn't needed.

www.warn.com

Why would you want manual hubs from Warn when you already have manual hubs if you want to use them. Your standard hub is auto and manual, manual is a mechanical lock up in the hub just like Warn. So you already have manual hubs if you want. Save your money. IMHO

 

[BigJack601]

My only rant about the dial is how flimsy it feels. Not a big thing, but compared to my 13 F150, it just feels a bit chincy!?‍?‍

 

[Patriot]

Longest post I have ever read hahahaha

I stopped for ️️ ?

 

[jhblaze1]

I’m currently cross-shopping the 7.3 Tremor against the Power Wagon. I’ve driven the PW a few times and I’ve driven a 7.3 once but not with the Tremor package; you have to order one where I live - there aren’t any to test drive. But I have a good sense of the differences between the trucks - on paper. For my needs, there are positives and negatives with each. My question for you folks is about the dial for shifting into 4 wheel drive / low range / rear locker. My current truck is my first one with a dial - I’ve always owned manual transmissions and manual transfer case. I don’t like the dial in my current truck (2017 Tacoma). 4 high usually engages well, but it feels lame, cheap, and... tinny (like a soda can, I guess). 4 low is a slow shift with lots of beeping and waiting. All my manual t-cases dropped right into low. So.... how do folks like the dial in the Ford Super Duty? It feels much better to me than my Tacoma, but I’ve only used it once. It may sound stupid to some folks, but the manual transfer case in the PW is one of its big draws for me. Of course, the Tremor is awesome, or I wouldn’t be on this site asking this question! Any experience with the dial you’d like to describe will be appreciated. Thanks!

I hate the dial. It feels flimsy and cheap. I'd much prefer to grab a lever and yank it into gear. Too much electronic faggotry in vehicles these days that just lead to another unnecessary failure point. Not a fan, at all, of the column shifter either. But TBH, I hate auto transmissions in general and would love this truck an order of magnitude more if it was a manual tranny.

 

[stickshifter]

I hate the dial. It feels flimsy and cheap. I'd much prefer to grab a lever and yank it into gear. Too much electronic faggotry in vehicles these days that just lead to another unnecessary failure point. Not a fan, at all, of the column shifter either. But TBH, I hate auto transmissions in general and would love this truck an order of magnitude more if it was a manual tranny.

Yeah, give me a manual transmission and a manual transfer case. Jeep is the last...