Heavy rain driving?

[Donnelly713]

Hey for those without 4Auto,

How does your truck handle regular driving in heavy rain (southeast afternoon storms for instance).

I know tires and driving habits are paramount. But even with caution are you losing control on the regular and regretting not having 4Auto or is it totally fine. (Haven’t gotten to test drive in a storm).

First time truck buyer on fence of XLT and Lariat but would prefer XLT if 4A is not really required.

Thanks

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[KBKEITH]

My last 3 F-150s have been XLTs without 4A. (2016, 2018, 2021). Never once have I lost control or even came close to losing control while driving in heavy rain or even snow for that matter. I simply engage 4H if I feel like I should. And I honestly don’t think I’ve even done that in rainy conditions, snow only.

 

[jcaspar]

Haven't had much of a chance in CA but did have a very odd day of heavy hail, almost like snow on the ground. Truck felt super stable in Slippery mode in 4A

 

[Donnelly713]

My last 3 F-150s have been XLTs without 4A. (2016, 2018, 2021). Never once have I lost control or even came close to losing control while driving in heavy rain or even snow for that matter. I simply engage 4H if I feel like I should. And I honestly don’t think I’ve even done that in rainy conditions, snow only.

Wonderful thank you

 

[Bryan Simon]

Put the truck in slippery mode.
push the 2hi button

and then it will be just fine in the rain

mine (XLT 301a) is much nicer and less squirrely than my
98 Chev with lockers.

running ”one legged” on wet roads helps to keep the back of the truck behind you.

my 98 locks almost immediately and is a bit touchy going around corners in the rain or on wet roads.

 

[Vulnox]

I had a '17 XLT then a '19 Lariat ('21 Lariat on order). While there are few situations where 4A is required, it has been very useful. I am in Michigan, and even on rainy days it improves the stability of the truck in some situations significantly. It won't do much for you in normal steady driving, like doing 45 MPH down a road, and a 2WD truck won't struggle with that either. Its benefit comes in during the unexpected stuff, like turning onto a busy road and having to get up to speed in inclement weather. My XLT, since it's an open dif, had some instances where when turning and accelerating, even with just moderate acceleration, a tire would break loose, usually the outside tire for the turn as it has the least load in the turn. No such issues with the 4A Lariat, it always hooks and off it goes.

In fall/winter it's useful too, especially with the past couple winters we have had where snow cover is moderate so full time 4 High isn't a good idea, I don't even have to worry about it. I always have forward traction. It's just a great insurance policy if nothing else.

That said, I wouldn't go Lariat JUST for 4A. I didn't go Lariat for 4A when I went from my 17 to my 19, so I have nothing to defend or prove to myself or whatever. But after having it, it has moved up my list as nice to haves. A friend of mine had a '16 Lariat then moved to a '19 XLT, so basically the reverse, and he told me the only thing he really misses from his Lariat was the 4A.

To each their own, your results may vary, etc, but I think it's a fantastic system. It's at least worth talking to a dealer about the real price gap between an XLT 302a and a Lariat 500a. Doing a quick basic like for like build of an XLT 302a vs a Lariat 500a (I added the power sliding rear window to the XLT 302a since that now has to be done, it comes with the 500a), the XLT is 52,725 and the 500a Lariat is 53,825 or 56,840 for a 501a w/ Sport Apperance.

$4k isn't insignificant, but for all the other benefits of a Lariat (power folding mirrors, 4 Auto, Heated and cooled seats, etc), I think it's well worth it. Of course YMMV too depending on rebates, since XLT usually has better rebates, but right now rebates kind of suck for all of them due to shortages sooo...

Good luck, I don't think the XLT is a death trap or anything that drastic. But I definitely appreciate the 4 Auto, and I haven't really encountered anyone that got it and said they didn't like having it.

 

[TNKIRK]

Went from a 2013 FX4 without 4A.......To get into my neighborhood, I would put it in 4High......Now with a 502A Lariat, just hit 4A........Much easier for me

 

[col]

I have driven in rain and snow with my 21 Lariat fx4. Solid! I had to force myself a multiple times to back off the accelerator not because I was too aggressive, but because it was handling so well. One example situation is I80 climbing up to Park City in white out conditions with 4 inches or so of snow. Drove in 4A normal and felt as good / better than a Subaru.

Hey for those without 4Auto,

How does your truck handle regular driving in heavy rain (southeast afternoon storms for instance).

I know tires and driving habits are paramount. But even with caution are you losing control on the regular and regretting not having 4Auto or is it totally fine. (Haven’t gotten to test drive in a storm).

First time truck buyer on fence of XLT and Lariat but would prefer XLT if 4A is not really required.

Thanks

 

[Bravo36]

Do yourself a favor and put a new set of Michelin Defender LTX's on that puppy and your worries will go away. Best tires on the market for trucks, especially in wet conditions.

 

[Capt Obvious]

I’ve driven a lot of junk in my lifetime. I’m talking stuff that when you drive in the rain you got wet, I’ll let you of times the water was coming off the road up through the floor. The rain/slippery setting with 4a is a safety feature. Now I never died apparently from driving the hokey floor car (obviously) but the nice dry truck with the slick mode in a heavy storm is kind of cool. It’s just designed to relieve that little bit of stress to level that other than vision should be about what it is on a nice day. I can drive anything in a storm, I can drive the Lariat in the lap of luxury and safety, with my pinky.

 

[Pedaldude]

I had no choice of getting the XLT, since I wanted a reg. cab truck. I would have gladly gotten a Lariat though for the 4A and LED headlights. The halogen headlights on the XLT suck and the high beams do nothing other than increase glare from street signs.

My Navigator has the original version of Ford’s full time 4X4 transfer case and it’s amazing in the rain. I used to have a Jeep Cherokee with the pretty awesome NP242 SelecTrac, it was outstanding on a long trip I made through the worst Northeastern Coastal weather I’ve seen. Full time 4X4 is definitely worth it, even or maybe especially if you rarely encounter winter weather.

My first truck, a Dodge Dakota had part time 4X4 but it had a manual transfer case and I could shift it into 4X4 in less than half a second. Even though gas was 99¢ a gallon back then, I would drive around in 2X4 and only shift when it would get sideways. Since I am older and don’t quite feel as lucky, not to mention my dubious trust of the electronic shifting, I have no qualms leaving it in 4H in the snow or even heavy rain.

Few people that have the 4A wish that they didn’t get it but many folks on the other forums have lots of sour grapes tales or sayings about how they don’t need it.

The empty axle weights of even the crew cab show that it’s a no-brainer to have power to the front wheels. Part time 4X4 is a pretty archaic system compared with solutions that have been around for decades.

The thing that sucks about the 4A is that it’s a safety feature and when you look up the parts, the cost is nominal for the 4A vs. the part time 4X4 but they use it as a carrot on a stick for the higher trims, which is shameful in my opinion. A member of another forum successfully added the 4A transfer case to a reg. cab short bed of the previous gen. with minimal programming in Forscan and a new transfer case control module. I might do the same when my warranty expires if I decide to keep my truck.

Watch some YouTube videos of people in trucks/body on frame SUVs losing it in the rain or snow/ice and it’s easy to decide that a full time 4X4 or AWD makes sense. In only RWD, all you can do is counter the skid but with power to the front tires, you can also power out of the skid and after some practice in an empty parking lot in the snow, it becomes second nature.

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