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These guides are for people who already own a 4x4 truck or SUV. Each model guide gives the 4WD hardware by trim, engines, towing and payload, fitment differences between generations and body styles, and the model's NHTSA recall history, with links to its problems, mod-priority and fitment pages. Everything is compiled from manufacturer specifications, NHTSA records and other published sources, cited at the bottom of each page; see how we rank for the method.
Brands and Models Covered
- Toyota: Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra, Land Cruiser, Sequoia
- Chevrolet/GMC: Silverado/Sierra 1500, Colorado/Canyon, Tahoe/Yukon
- Ford: F-150, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Ranger, Super Duty, Expedition
- Jeep: Wrangler, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee
- Ram: 1500, 2500/3500
Chevrolet and GMC share one hub because their twins (Silverado and Sierra, Colorado and Canyon, Tahoe and Yukon) share frames, engines and transfer cases, and NHTSA usually lists both badges in the same recall campaign.
At a Glance: Which Kind of 4WD Do You Have?
| System | How it works | OK on dry pavement? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time 4WD | 2H, 4H, 4L; no center differential, so 4H and 4L lock the front and rear driveshafts together | Only in 2H | Jeep Command-Trac and Rock-Trac; Ford F-150 XL–XLT; base Bronco |
| Automatic or on-demand 4WD | Adds an Auto or 4A setting that engages the front axle as needed | Yes, in Auto | GM AutoTrac; Ford Torque On Demand; Bronco Advanced 4x4 |
| Full-time 4WD | A clutch or center differential lets front and rear turn at different speeds | Yes | Jeep Selec-Trac; Grand Cherokee Quadra-Trac II |
| Crossover 4x4 without low range | Power-transfer unit and clutch-type rear drive unit; no 4L | Yes | Ford Bronco Sport |
Why Part-Time 4WD Doesn't Belong on Dry Pavement
In a turn, the front and rear wheels need to turn at slightly different speeds. A full-time system allows that through its center differential or clutch; a part-time case can't, because 4H and 4L lock both driveshafts to the same speed. On loose or wet ground the tires slip enough to relieve the strain. On dry pavement they can't, so the driveline binds: Jeep describes "crow hop," a bang or shudder and tire scuffing, and warns it can lead to early part failure. Chevrolet likewise tells owners not to use 4 Hi or 4 Lo on dry surfaces, and to stay below 45 mph in 4 Lo.
Lockers, Limited-Slips and Crawl Ratio
A locking differential forces both wheels on an axle to turn at the same speed, so torque reaches the tire that still has grip when the other is in the air or on ice. Manufacturers limit where they work: on GM trucks the front locker releases above about 15 mph and both axles lock only in Terrain mode or 4 Lo, and Jeep and Ford both say their lockers are not for dry pavement. Factory lockers on the models covered here include front and rear Tru-Loks on the Wrangler and Gladiator Rubicon, front and rear lockers on the Colorado ZR2, Silverado ZR2, Canyon and Sierra AT4X, Bronco Badlands and Raptor, and Ranger Raptor. Some trucks use a limited-slip instead, such as the rear electronic limited-slip of the Grand Cherokee's Quadra-Drive II.
Crawl ratio is first gear × transfer-case low range × axle ratio, and a higher number means slower, more controlled crawling. A 2026 Gladiator Rubicon works out to 4.71 × 4.0 × 4.10 = 77.2:1. Ford quotes 57.19:1 for a Bronco with the base case and 10-speed automatic, 67.80:1 with the Advanced 4x4 case, and 94.75:1 with the Advanced case and seven-speed manual. The Bronco Sport, with no low range, is rated at 18:1.
Reading a Recall Entry
Every model guide ends its specifications with an NHTSA recall table. The unit counts are NHTSA's "potentially affected" figures, and they often cover several models at once: campaign 26V363, for example, counts 1,076,999 Wranglers and Gladiators together. Many campaigns also depend on equipment, not just year. GM's 19V761 covers only 4WD trucks and SUVs with the 5.3L V8 and a 3.08 rear axle, and Jeep's clutch recall 23V116 applies only to manual-transmission Wranglers and Gladiators. The only way to know whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether the repair was done, is to enter its VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owner Guides vs the Gear Hub
Category questions, such as which winch to buy or how a locker works in general, are covered in Resources. Model questions, such as how to put a Tacoma in 4WD or what to upgrade first on a Wrangler, are covered here, and each owner page links to the matching gear page.
Toyota, Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Jeep and Ram are trademarks of their respective owners. 4x4 & Overlanding is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any vehicle manufacturer.
Sources
- Jeep — 4x4 FAQ & Glossary — Part-time 4WD has no center differential and should not be used on dry pavement (binding, crow hop); full-time 4WD and AWD definitions; crawl ratio definition; locking differentials not for dry, paved roads.
- Chevrolet — How to Use AutoTrac — AutoTrac two-speed transfer case modes (2WD, Auto, 4 Hi, 4 Lo, Neutral); Auto usable on any surface; do not use 4 Hi or 4 Lo on dry surfaces; 4 Lo not above 45 mph; shifting into or out of 4 Lo below 3 mph.
- Chevrolet — How to Use Locking Differentials — What front and rear eLockers do; both axles lock only in Terrain Mode or 4Lo; front locker disengages above about 15 mph; rear locker usable up to 50 mph in Terrain or Off-Road mode.
- Ford — Ford Ranger Off-Road: Take On Your Terrain — Ford's electronic-locking rear differential forces both rear wheels to turn at the same speed and is not intended for dry pavement.
- Ford — 2026 F-150 Technical Specifications — F-150 transfer cases by trim: part-time on XL/STX/XLT, Torque On Demand on Lariat/King Ranch/Platinum.
- Ford — 2026 Bronco Technical Specifications — Bronco part-time and Advanced 4x4 cases, crawl ratios of 57.19:1 and 67.80:1 (automatic) and 94.75:1 (Advanced 4x4 with manual); Badlands and Raptor lockers.
- Ford — 2025 Bronco Sport Technical Specifications — Bronco Sport power-transfer unit and clutch rear drive unit, no two-speed case, 18:1 crawl ratio.
- Stellantis Media — 2026 Jeep Wrangler Specifications — Command-Trac, Rock-Trac and Selec-Trac transfer cases; Tru-Lok front and rear lockers on Rubicon.
- Stellantis Media — 2026 Jeep Gladiator Specifications — Gladiator 4.71:1 first gear, 4.0:1 Rock-Trac low range and 4.10 axle used in the crawl-ratio example; Rubicon front and rear Tru-Lok lockers.
- Stellantis Media — All-new 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee — Grand Cherokee Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with rear electronic limited-slip differential.
- Chevrolet — 2026 Colorado — Colorado ZR2 front and rear locking differentials.
- Chevrolet — 2026 Silverado 1500 — Silverado ZR2 front and rear electronic lockers.
- GMC — Introducing the 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X — Canyon AT4X front and rear e-lockers.
- GMC — Sierra 1500 — Sierra AT4X front and rear e-locking differentials.
- Ford — Coming to America: The All-New 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor — Ranger Raptor front and rear locking differentials.
- NHTSA — Recall 26V363 — 2021–2025 Wrangler, Wrangler 4xe and Gladiator power-steering pump wiring fire risk, 1,076,999 units combined.
- NHTSA — Recall 19V761 — Applies only to 4WD GM trucks and SUVs with the 5.3L and a 3.08 rear axle.
- NHTSA — Recall 23V116 — Clutch pressure-plate recall applies only to manual-transmission Wranglers and Gladiators.
- NHTSA — Datasets and APIs (Recalls API) — Potentially affected unit counts per campaign, retrieved September 28, 2026.
- NHTSA — Recalls lookup by VIN — VIN lookup for open recall campaigns on a specific vehicle.