A neat discovery while in low range...

I discovered something this last weekend. I guess I just never noticed it before.

We’re up on top of some steep rolling hills after a two mile and 25 degree climb up. We followed a power line road on the other side, but it trended away from where we were generally heading. It also plunged downhill to the point of being committed should we have gone much farther. (We’re talking STEEP)

What I noticed was when shifting between reverse and forward in low range, the forward gear you were in last stays the same. In other words, you back up while going down a steep hill and when you pull the shifter back again, it goes back into 1 or 2 instead of all the way to 4. (Whatever it was to begin with) BTW, it won’t do D in low range, you’re limited to 4th.

That makes it really nice if maneuvering around on steep stuff as you won't jump to 4th and lose control when you go back to a forward gear. (Think about that infamous crash video of the Ford Bronco on the Lion's Back in Moab)

While in high range and going back into a forward mode, and it just goes straight to ‘D’ which makes sense for road driving.

Now, THAT’S thinking, Jeep!

That's a pretty sweet feature. But having been a Ford fan for as long as I can remember, (I'm bracing for the beating here, too :P) That is a Blazer on lions back. And to give the GM fans the benefit of the doubt, it WAS a woman driving so it was pretty much doomed from the start. Hehe

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Originally Posted by XK N00b

That's a pretty sweet feature. But having been a Ford fan for as long as I can remember, (I'm bracing for the beating here, too :P) That is a Blazer on lions back. And to give the GM fans the benefit of the doubt, it WAS a woman driving so it was pretty much doomed from the start. Hehe

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I had to go find it on youtube. Yup, that's a Blazer alright.

I wonder what the whole story is there. Even if brakes were lost, if it was in low range and held in 1st, (Even with an automatic) it might've been a scary ride, but not a 60 MPH crash over the edge. Did a drive line break? But then again, the transfer case should be locked front and rear in low range, so she'd still have an axle on one end or the other for speed control. Did they start down the slope in high range and just lose it?

I can see if you're not ALREADY in a low gear on the steep stuff, you might lose it. That's why I like the stay-in-what-was-selected-last feature. Makes me think of Imogene Pass, the Cork Screw, etc. in Colorado. You head down in 3rd or 4th, and it's already a goner. It will take off so fast, a downshift (if it even happened) would cause a skid on a road that's only 1.1 Jeep widths wide in the first place.

I think I know what video you guys are talking about and it was a break failure they had. I believe they said they were in D LOL stupid people and the breaks blew and thats all she wrote. They were interviewed on one of those amazing video show on one of those channels.

Yep goes back to the same number. It will always start in first though no matter what gear number it says on the console. It also holds 1st as long as possible before going to second so you can actually put it in 3rd and it will stay in first till you get some speed going. If you slow down by braking it will go back to first and stay there as well even if the gear selector says otherwise. My 07 4.7l has 5 speeds in Lo. I know there were some differences on the 06 models.

It makes it nice. Another thing that's nice is the almost 3:1 low range. Most 4x4 SUV's have a 2:1 low, and in serious climbing, it ain't enough.

What comes to mind for me is the Corkscrew in Colorado. Even short wheelbase Jeeps can't always turn sharp enough for those switchbacks, since they were cut out of that 45 degree rock slope for pack mules. When you reverse to make the corner, your front end is hanging over a precipice. Having it ''get away from you'' on that slope, and you're in for a very bad ride to the bottom. Brakes would be pretty worthless there.