How to Disengage 4 Wheel Drive on a Jeep in 5 Easy Steps


It may be possible that your vehicle is stuck in the 4-wheel drive state. This can happen due to a range of factors, including lack of lubrication. If you have not driven your Jeep for a long time, this situation might arise.

However, you will be pleased to know that this problem is not such a big deal and is fairly easy to remediate.

5 Easy Steps to Disengage 4 Wheel Drive on a Jeep

While driving on hard and dry tracks, you must make sure that you are driving in the 2-wheel mode. If you drive in the 4-wheel mode on surfaces such as highways, this can result in damage and reduced fuel efficiency.

Here is how you can disengage your Jeep from the 4-wheel drive state.

Step 1- Check out the manual hubs and ensure that free mode is selected.

Step 2- Switch your vehicle to the 4-wheel drive state.

Step 3- Start driving and keep going for at least a quarter-mile.

Step 4- Brake your vehicle to a stop. Switch from 4-wheel drive to 2-wheel drive.

Step 5- Engage the reverse gear and drive in reverse for around 15-20 feet.

There are innumerable reasons why Jeep owners like their vehicles so much. Not only does it have a wide assortment of features and functions, but its off-road driving capabilities are also unmatched.

One key off-road driving feature is 4-wheel drive. You can switch to 4-wheel drive mode so that you can gain extra traction if you are driving on difficult terrain. 4-wheel drive is just what you need when you require greater control on tough tracks.

The key issue with the 4-wheel drive capability is that many people don’t really know how to use it.  As a result, they get stuck in the 4-wheel driving mode.

After reading this simple guide, you will hopefully have a good idea of how it’s done.

Engaging 4-Wheel Drive in a Jeep

The 4-wheel drive option is great for off-road driving on difficult roads. It provides greater traction for driving nimbly on slippery surfaces.

However, one issue that is seen quite often is that many people don’t know how to engage and disengage from 4-wheel drive. However, shifting to and from the 4-wheel drive is not too hard.

In addition to learning about how to disengage from the 4-wheel drive state, you should also know about the benefits of this driving mode as well as how to activate it in your Jeep.

All Jeeps have 4-wheel drive capability. However, they can have various systems for 4-wheel drive. One of the key steps you should be taking is to consult the manufacturer’s manual and learn how it’s done.

Benefits of 4-Wheel Drive

Although 4-wheel drive offers a range of benefits, it does not mean that you should be driving in this state all the time. The 4-wheel drive system is designed so that you can enhance traction on the toughest surfaces.

For example, you will want to engage this system when driving on icy and rocky tracks. If the road surface is highly uneven and/or slippery, then that is a good time to activate the 4-wheel drive mode.

The 4-wheel drive mechanism also adds weight to your vehicle, which may be good for driving on tough tracks since greater weight can translate to better traction.

This system greatly improves the off-road driving capability of the Jeep. It is mainly due to this factor that the Jeep is such a good vehicle for off-road driving and driving on roads in poor condition.

Types of 4-Wheel Drive in Jeeps

Before you can use the 4-wheel drive system, you will have to know about the different states that your vehicle can be in. That is, you should know which positions your 4-wheel drive system can shift to.

You should look at the knob of your 4-wheel drive system to know how many gear positions are possible.

These are the shift positions that are normally found in Jeeps.

2H or 2 Hi

You can shift to this position if you won’t be driving on tough surfaces. So if you are navigating through highways, roads, and even hard surfaces, you can switch to this position. You won’t be having too many on such surfaces. Hence, you can engage in this position.

4H or 4H

In this position, the front wheels will be engaged and will thus turn together. Hence, both front wheels and back wheels will receive power. Due to this reason, your Jeep will have greater traction on wet and slippery surfaces.

However, you should not activate this driving mode when driving normally on the road. This gear position is meant to be used if you are driving on sand, snow, or other surfaces that are hard to drive on. When you switch your vehicle to this driving mode, then the 4-wheel drive symbol on the dashboard will be activated.

If you need to shift to this position from 2H, it is not necessary for your vehicle to first come to a complete stop. You can engage the system even while your vehicle is moving.

Bottom Line

We hope you would have understood how to disengage a 4-wheel drive Jeep. After reading this guide, you will know that using the 4-wheel system is fairly straightforward. However, you should make sure that you read the manual that came with your car and follow all stated precautions.

And remember, you should not have the 4-wheel drive system activated at all times. Disengage this system if you are driving on roads in good condition.

Mark Anders

I love my Jeep and will share my years of knowledge with you here! Stay with me and read on!

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