2008 Ford F250 Special Off-Road Package Supplement 1st Printing - Page 20

Driving LIMITED SLIP FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL (IF EQUIPPED) General information Your vehicle may be equipped with a limited slip front differential and a locking rear differential; vehicles equipped with these differentials should be identified on the Safety Certification Label on the B-pillar or the edge of the driver's door. Vehicle handling characteristics will be different than a conventional differential. Examples of this would be: • When turning a corner, the sound of component disengagement and re-engagement may be audible, and the transfer of driving torque from both wheels to one wheel may be noticeable. • When going from drive (acceleration) to coast (deceleration) in a turn, a "metallic" sound may be heard as torque flow is reversed (inside wheel engaged during acceleration; outside wheel engaged during deceleration). • When negotiating a turn (outside wheel disengaged), the inside wheel under conditions of poor traction may receive excessive torque, which could cause it to break traction momentarily until its speed is equal to the outside wheel. This will result in re-engagement of the outside wheel thus allowing both wheels to be driven. This condition is most noticeable with lightly loaded axles. Use extreme caution when accelerating or decelerating on slippery or unstable surfaces. Vehicles/axles equipped with traction differentials are inherently more sensitive to side-slip than vehicles equipped with conventional differentials. Stability can be retained if side-slip occurs by decelerating (letting off the accelerator). Do not apply the brake. To do so may result in loss of vehicle control. The vehicle's braking capacity is reduced when a turn is made while coasting downhill because the inside wheel is then disconnected from the driveline. Operating in low gear will allow the engine to act as a retarder and will improve braking capacity. 20 2008 F-250/350/450/550 (f23) Supplement USA (fus)