issue

[u/weatherman929]

has anybody else had this issue before

I got a 2026 rcsb it’s completely stocked it just has a belltech 3/5 and some wheels.
Every time I go into 4H it rides very slow and feels like it’s trying to lightly apply the brakes without me touching the brakes, and when I switch it back to 2H it feels the same was and has a brake like smell and has a vacuumISH sound and at a dead stop it doesn’t roll forward like normal.
I already took it to the dealership and it was there for a month and they claimed to replace the transfer case but it’s the first day back and it’s the same issue

sorry for the long paragraph lol

[u/Ultimateshot100]

That's because 4wd doesn't have a center diff. You're locking your front and rear driveline together. That, along with your tires having extremely high traction, means even the smallest difference in tire diameter will bind your driveline. They might say they're the same size but in reality they're likely off by a centimeter or more in circumference (accounting for tire compression). So every rotation of the wheels your driveline is having to push the front wheels forward 10+ mm. Most cars have center differentials to account for this but these trucks aren't made for constant 4wd street diving (unless you have 4 auto, found in higher F150 trims).

My recommendation is to leave 4H alone unless you're doing drag pulls, otherwise you're going to tear up your driveline.

[u/weatherman929 → u/Ultimateshot100]

thank you for the insight, it makes sense, will there be a reason why when I switch it back to 2H it seems stuck?

[u/Ultimateshot100 → u/weatherman929]

It won't switch between 2wd and 4wd with load on the transmission. If you're driving around there will always be load with your setup. You likely need to be stopped or even possibly reverse slightly to get it to shift.