RAM 1500 4WD LOCK Test (ESC System OFF) | Does It Actually LOCK??

RAM 4WD LOCK Test with the Electronic Stability Control off (ESC), does the transfer case actually lock up? I compare my Ram 1500 to my Chevy 2500HD with a true locking transfer case and I show you guys the clear difference in off road performance.
the ultimate test I thought for this BW-44-44 clutch pack transfercase in my ram 1500 was to see how it acted on dry pavement. A 4wd vehicle when on drive pavement should have the drivetrain bind up and be forced to skip when the transfercase is truly locked. SO that's Exactly what I did with my RAM 1500. I compared the truck in 2wd then 4wd lock. I then turned off the ESC system to see how that looked. Each time the true basically looked the same when driving in circle
When I did this same 4x4 lock test with my chevy 2500HD you could clearly see the difference between 2wd and 4wd. in 4wd high this truck was completely binding up and i had to forced the truck to move. We also saw the tired being forced to skip along
I go into why I think the Ram 1500 in 4wd lock didn't show any difference and I talk about how this could impact your truck.
ALL in ALL this is not the end of the world, your RAM 1500 is still very cpable and i leave you guys with some off road footage of me mudding and in some snow to show you that this RAM 1500 is still pretty decent off road!

[@jakemason9436]

Thank you sir! This is why I purchased my new in 2016 Ram 1500 with the BW 44-45 as a must have for my truck. Great demonstration.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

thanks man. A good buddy of mine has the Bw44-45 in his ram also. he loves it, one of those very under rated features!

[@Texas12valve]

I have the 44-44 I thought I would hate it. But actually it's not as bad as I thought. 4x4 works great in deep snow and mud I can feel the front tires dig. Also I put it in 4x4 low when backing trailers since it won't bind up and it helps a bit.

[@tomstarcevich1147]

Cool vid I've got a 2021 ram tradesman quad cab 4x4 v6 classic I custom ordered mine with a posi rear end and Yokohama all terrain tires plus lots of extras awesome truck so far👍

[@lb7144]

Thanks for another awesome and very informative video.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

thanks man

[@Wootangtw]

I’ve got a 2017 Ram 1500 4x4… I cut a huge tree one day ..and I hooked a strap to it and the tree ..it was probably 40 feet long and big in diameter .. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive Low ..and I pulled that tree out of the woods all the way to my house.. probably 100 yards.. it cut a trench almost a foot deep in the ground ..and never one time spun a wheel .. I was impressed for sure… thanks for your videos buddy….

[@CaptainKeto-is4mm]

So I’ve driven Ram trucks or Dodge trucks my whole life. And I’m getting old lol. I currently have a 2018 1500 4x4 hemi. Love it. Just a suggestion when you need true off road performance put in trailer tow mode on the transmission, with traction control completely off this is where it seems to work the best for me. Having a little more torque to keep those wheels spinning is huge. And my truck definitely skips turning corners in 4x4 lock.

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

Thanks for the video. I'm planning a truck purchase and I have absolutely no brand bias so the Ram is one of many truck I'm considering.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

For the price of these trucks they are a good option.

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

@@TheGettyAdventures. I found a 2018 Ram 1500 with the 5.7L hemi a 6 speed automatic (lever not dial) and no cylinder deactivation with the BW44-45 transfer case which im considering strongly.

[@waynehutchinson1423]

Thanks for using your daily driver,and possibly damaging it to make this video.Look forward to seeing more great vids.

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

Ford has a similar system in some F-150's, but they do also offer two different transfercases. A mechanical locking one, and a clutch pack 4A one. Their clutch pack transfercase is strong enough though to use in the Raptor but not strong enough to use in the Snow Plow Package.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

makes sense like plow trucks just get beat on and are constantly in 4wd. they would just burn those clutches up. but it is interesting the raptor uses the clutch pack system and not the mechanical locking t-case. I know all the outdoor focused model from ram only come with the mechanical locking transfer case for strength and capability

[@maithem212]

Love your channel dude. I just got a 2021 Classic Warlock without the 4WD Auto (mechanical front and rear lock). Have you investigated the rear "Anti-spin differential"? I got one in mine but cannot find info on whether it's a clutch-pack type or a Torsen/gear type. Also wondering what you're thoughts are on getting an Eaton Tru-Trac differential installed for off-road performance?

[@ramiretz]

i think the ecu for the transfercase senses the steering angle and let the clutch pack slip when the steering angle is over a defined range

[@jw8578]

Great review

[@MultiPartizan1]

Great point i thinks Ram 1500 clutches locking ability disengage slightly when steering close to fully turned best system ever!!!!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

the best lol But hey it allows the truck to run nice and smoothly down the road at high speed in 4wd so it's not all bad

[@IF9]

sir, u have open diff on the rear doesn't this effect the result?. I will try it on mine which is the exact same as urs but with 3.21 lsd on the rear

[@DJS100]

Amazing video. 👍👍

[@DABII71]

My 2018 Ram 1500 express crew cab would be jumping and skipping in 4x4 lock. Mine definitely locks up because it hops and skips

[@JP_Roy96]

same on my classic 2020

[@anitademanche5453]

Same on my 2012 ram st 1500

[@RandomEvents_]

Same with my 2013 1500 4.7L. It Is a beast on the trails with good off road tires

[@DABII71]

@@RandomEvents_ I have the Goodyear Wrangler® All-Terrain Adventure With Kevlar and they are pretty good in snow, mud rain and dry conditions. Love them 👍🏼👍🏼

[@RandomEvents_]

@Venum29 I currently have motomaster total terrain A/T3 all seasons and they're an all around great tire.

[@RocketVet]

Big difference between dry pavement and mud/snow though - if it was actually NEEDED when slippage was happening having ESC off should make a big difference. You don't need it locked on dry pavement anyway.

[@seanfritz1355]

I have the auto 4x4 in my 14. I love it cause in the snow at highway speed or dirt paths. You let off throttle when it gets slick pop on auto never skip a beat. But I think lock function will allow power to front axel but not true 50/50 split. Helping turning. And you never really turned off nanny state with traction button. The computer never really becomes inactive till 4 low. Then the traction and stability control system turns off on it's own. Then the truck will crab in turning situation.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

It is a nice feature to have, I don't honestly find it at all. I'll have to try it in 4 low.

[@brandenwilliams9079]

@@TheGettyAdventures I also can get mine to crab in four low. (I have the awd/4wd option) and if I need more traction I have an available rear diff lock at my disposal thanks to the off road package.

[@seanfritz1355]

@@brandenwilliams9079 that's something that would have been nice on mine. I have the 3.92 suregrip. But a true locker wasn't an option with 14 outdoorsman.

[@brandenwilliams9079]

@@seanfritz1355 mine is a 2020. I special ordered it. Limited with off road package. Ram boxes. Panoramic moonroof. 3.92 rear end. Air suspension. Split tail gate. And the most important part the third generation eco diesel. Maybe you can get an aftermarket locker now.

[@seanfritz1355]

@@brandenwilliams9079 well I'm not an off road kinda person. My Ecodiesel is more for camper and about anything from 480 miles to 1000 miles a week commute/work truck. Most people I know think I treat it better then a Mercedes.

[@rjhein]

It would have been cool to see you attempt this in low range to see if there would be any difference at all in the binding etc... Just for confirmation's sake :)

[@twagn]

Just bought a 14 Ram 4x4 and thought something was wrong in 4WD lock on dry pavement. Thanks

[@TheGettyAdventures]

nothing wrong it just doesn't really lock lol

[@mattdoherty8246]

Sick channel man, I found your videos from your eco diesel review. I’m looking to buy a truck but I’m in an odd predicament and want some of your expert input. Do you have a email or a different way of contacting you? If not I understand

[@christopherpawlychyn3146]

I got a 2019 ram classic without the auto 4×4 I like that transfer case better

[@colestreit1500]

I always wondered why my 2014 ram 1500 skipped while I was in 4WD lock.

[@levilevi20]

Do you happen to know where I can get that bug deflector? Looking for chrome just like yours ..

[@MotoDeSoto]

Great video. Do the Rams with the BW 44-45 even have ESC? If so, what does it do? Thanks for the info.

[@octaviohinojos4934]

Mine has a bw 44-45 it helps also if you want to do burn outs and donuts

[@ryana3679]

What size are your tires?

[@jasonfalk7696]

This is exactly why the Rebel has an actual locking transfer case.

[@ttv-dannthemann2316]

My 2019 locks up on 4wd but if I do 4wd with esc off it doesn’t lock up at all

[@SuperDave-pe1zw]

How does it do in 4L ??

[@richardhaskell8109]

Try it out with the tow haul on esc off plus hold for 5 seconds should lock all 4 wheels spin on my 05 awd with hi n low 4x4 got hung up on a rock tryed every thing to get it to teeter but got it done also have the 06 dogde ram trx4 5.7 hemi 2wd burn out both tires on bridge got that 1 stuck and frozen in the ground over a week had to live went back started up in 3hrs trying crank but nothing it finally started And same esc off hold 5 sec 4x4hi lock And up and out all 4 tires grabbed like it wasn't stuck at all hope that works out better and I don't sound stupid lmao

[@JRs-guitars]

Looks like your Ram was working fine through the mud...so what's the problem?

[@danielrydza6024]

@CUnit1981 beat me to but what he said! The lock switch is a game changer and lets the BW 44-44 give you best of both worlds.

[@speedwack]

Is that Mud Road?

[@ricardoguerrero2258]

I have a question sir do you have to put the truck in neutral to put it in 4wd lock ?

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Nope, this type of transfer case has a clutch pack inside it and that will take up any speed difference so no internals will clash or get damaged. I wouldn't engage it while having wheels spinning though. that could lead to roasting that clutch pack. but normal driving down the road your going to be perfectly fine. In fact the 4wd auto does exactly that is engages and disengages the front driveshaft whenever the truck feels slippage

[@OuellettePM]

mine 2016 ram 4x4 lock work when i turning i hear tire and soound like your chevy and is fully lock with ESC system ON, but i dont have the 4x4 auto on mine .. so ram with 4x4 auto can be never lock for real !

[@user-gb8ww7gi2o]

wait... something doesn't add up. I have a 2009 ram 1500 with a 44-44 transfer case and a clutch pack (it has 4wd auto) but in the same test in 2wd and 4wd auto mode, it really drives like your RAM, BUT in 4wd lock mode, the rear wheels slip like on your chevy, what's the matter? maybe because of the LSD differential in the rear? but he is uncontrollable, and has a certain gap, I don’t understand .... P.S. it is not Borg Warner. I have NP246 tc

[@TheGettyAdventures]

that is a very good question! I wonder if maybe because your truck is an older 4th gen if maybe something is different. Maybe those trucks came with less electronic controls on the 4wd system. I'll have to look into that! but regardless it's a good thing your truck fully locks up. better off-road!

[@johnbrake1571]

Dodge used a nvg tranfer case up until 2013 in 2014 they went to the piece of shit borg warner

[@user-gb8ww7gi2o]

@@TheGettyAdventures guys... i figured it out... i have NP246 and it has center lock

[@allenbeaulieu6069]

Hi, I've been looking a some of your videos and I like them. Would you please, tell me what's the 4W Low is for? I bought my first truck this year and it is a mistry to my

[@ArrowItArchery]

4w low is more for pulling power, like a tractor.

[@allenbeaulieu]

@@ArrowItArchery is it like a locked differential?

[@NoSpillsChills]

Some one needs to do this test with a 5gen DT

[@TheGettyAdventures]

do you mean 5 gen drive train (DT) ? Either way my father in law just purchased a 2022 rebel so that will be cool to test out. bottom line is if the truck comes with 4wd auto you have a clutch pack style transfercase. I think RAM rolled alot of the 4th gen driveline into the 5th gen. with a 5.7 hemi it's basically the same

[@glencuda]

? Are you sure you don't have 4wd engagement problems? My 2010 locks up all wheels. I can bearly turn on dry dirt.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Positive. do you have the 4wd auto option? If not then you actually have a true locking transfer case and that's why your truck will bind up on anything other then snow and mud. there are two different transfer case options with these trucks and with my ram 1500 I have a clutch pack system that will disengage itself when the wheels are turning to help save from clutch pack wear. the other transfer case option is a more traditional one like my old chevy and is always truly locked and will cause binding on dry surfaces. if that makes sense.

[@jordanmanton5181]

is your entire channel this same video made over and over at different locations?

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Yes. lol umm no I get a lot of comments of folks still questioning or better yet not believing what I'm talking about. So the idea of this video was to show how a true locking transfer case binds up vs the bw44-44 in my RAM. and yes I talk about the same major points but I thought it would be a cool comparison between the two trucks and hopefully prove that I'm not full of shit. these videos seem to get a lot of attention and questions so that's kind of why I keep touching on the subject. Ideally I would love to have 5 or 6 trucks at my disposal with my own shop to make videos with but I don't at this point in time so I apologize if the content seems repetitive. hoping to expand the channel as it grows.

[@jameslawrence3669]

2014 ram 1500 does the same as that chevy

[@JT-bk1gp]

My 2016 Ram Rebel 4x4 definitely does the same thing as your chevy when I put it into 4wd lock...It skips and hops too..Maybe your Ram's transfer case Is messed up brahda!!!

[@droski33]

My 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 will bind like crazy.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

you got the good transfer case then!

[@droski33]

@@TheGettyAdventures yep and has a LSD in the rear! It’s a tank !

[@DABII71]

Ahh, ok. I don’t have the 4x4 auto in my 8-speed Ram

[@davidsmiley3774]

I can hear your case screaming from here

[@TheGettyAdventures]

it's just the clutch packs burning up lol no big deal.

[@skhdjosh]

Well I had a 04 Silverado and now I have 17 ram 1500. I would have have say your full shit on everything you said

[@realdadtalks4699]

Try it in 4wd low

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I'm going to do that as well as get another ram with the bw44-45 transfer case and compare the two. should be interesting

[@alexmaldonado7521]

Do your homework and bit before making a video like this I've owned every generation ram and now have a 5th generation 2020 all.my trucks have always binded it work a bit different now being a it more advanced more power will go to the wheel.tjat needs it most the whole.purpose was to eliminate exactly that the wheel hop its less suttle now but belive me they are working also the gears are not as low amymore the only ram that truly wasn't full locking was a 2005 2500 i had with a hemi for a short amount of time only because it came with a rear diff that wasn't limited slip or pazzi....why in the world they made that teuck like that inahd no idea its why I got rid of it when I got stuck in the snow one winter and I found out why.....my 2020 laramie with the 392's can barely even make a corner in 4 wheel lock.....your truck probably has the 373 and no locking rear diff......

[@alexmaldonado7521]

And the locking all pertains to the diffs boss not the transfer case.

[@justinthompson3702]

You sir just didn't know what the buttons actually mean. You can run any truck in 4hi which is the same thing as the 4wd lock. 4 lo is when they will usually bind. If the truck doesn't have axle lockers then it won't lock at all. That doesn't have anything to do with the transfer case locking. My jeeps have locking differentials which is completely different than what you are even talking about. Do some more research before posting stuff like this when you don't know what you're talking about.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

you sir have actually zero idea what you are talking about, and I mean zero. Thankfully as a heavy duty diesel mechanic I get the pleasure of rebuilding and repairing axles, differentials and transfer cases for a living and thus I can shed some knowledge your way. "If the truck doesn't have lockers it won't bind". Common man, calling me out for not knowing my info and you say something as dumb as that. I have a power wagon, it has a front and rear locking diff. guess what? it binds on dry pavement in 4wd high without any diffs locked. I accidently put the truck in 4wd high and I legit thought I hit something, the truck just stopped because the driveline was binding so hard. 4wd lock means the transfer case is locked (and yes for my RAM 1500 4wd lock is 4wd high, the correct terminology would be 4wd lock high). But anyways, a fully locked transfer case means that no matter what, engine power is split 50/50 between your front and rear differentials. when a vehicle turns your front axle as whole and rear axle as whole rotate and different speeds. If your transfer case is fully locked those axles cannot rotate at different speeds because they are now "locked together" causing a vehicle to bind. A true AWD vehicle has 3 differentials for this exact reason. 1 up front, 1 in the rear, and 1 acting as the transfer case. This allows the AWD vehicle to keep giving power to all 4 wheels in any condition without having driveline bind. Now if you have a clutch pack transfer case like my RAM 1500 has it doesn't actually truly lock because well the Bw44-44 transfer case doesn't allow the clutch pack to fully lock when steering input is applied. It does this as a safety mechanism so you don't blow up the transfer case when turning on dry surfaces. this makes these transfer cases bad for off road use. that was the whole point of the video. my RAM 1500 didn't bind going around in circle when it should have because the transfer case does fully lock up. the better transfer case is the BW44-45 that uses a chain drive transfer case. A normal chain driven transfer case without electronic aids will bind every time in 4wd on dry surfaces, like my power wagon does every time, it will even bind on gravel, you can hear the wheels skipping along when turning. 4wd low has absolutely no bearing on "locking up your driveline". 4wd low is simply a speed range. when you shift from 1st to 2nd gear that is also a speed range shift. 4wd low just changes your final drive ratio (just like shifting from 1st to 2nd gear). People think 4wd low is the mystical thing. It isn't, it just allows your final drive ratio to be higher thus slowing down wheel speed and delivering more torque. great for wheel control off road or when pulling something heavy. It has absolutely no bearing on what wheels receive power or not. If you have 2 open differentials, 4wd low does not magically turn them into locking differentials. Idk man it's a tough look when you call me out for bad info but you don't understand the bare bone basics of how a 4wd driveline works.

[@4x4.tests.on.rollers]

​@@TheGettyAdventuresHi. Did you try to turn when low gear is engaged? Not sure but I think it was Nissan Pathfinder I - low gear was omitting the clutch pack and mechanically locking axles together, Another thing is that these systems indeed may be smart, when wheels are fully turned, compression of clutch pack decreases - unless you use a lot of throttle.

[@terrycrossley8374]

unfair comparison try a ram without auto 4x4

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Exactly my point, the trucks with the 4x4 auto don't really have a locking transfer case. The truck without 4x4 auto would react just like the old chev.

[@lesd2633]

RAM has LIMITED SLIP diff. Duh.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

mine doesn't

[@xterra4hire]

You should take down this video since you figured it out and that it does have 4 wheel deivw

[@CUnit1981]

Contact Brandon at www.blackfoxindustries.net/ he makes a locking switch for the 44-44. It locks the 44-44 clutch so it will bind on dry pavement just like the Chevy. I have one on my truck and it makes the 44-44 a beast.