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Reg auto mods VS sport mode

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Roseville
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2021 Explorer ST
#1
when selecting sport mode does the power % shift to RWD? In my track Hawk it changes 70%RWD and 30%FWD.
I was curious if the ST did the same. Actually what happens when selecting sport mode? Does it just change throttle positioning sensor and stiffen the suspension? I drive 3 different cars and getting in explorer sport mode it’s very touchy throttle I find myself head snapping passengers when leaving lights. So I find myself leaving it reg auto. But if sport mode adds power or saves the drivetrain I’ll deal with it. But if it’s just TPS and suspension tighter I don’t need to.
 

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Miami, FL, USA
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2022 Explorer st
#2
if you check under the intelligent 4WD tab on the instrument cluster, theres a setting that lets you see how much power is being delivered to each tire.
 

TMac

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#3
Sport mode doesn't add any more power. It does affect the throttle response, shift points, torque converter/clutch, and the FWD actuation. It doesn't have an adaptive suspension, so the modes do not affect anything suspension-wise. As far as the percentage of front to rear bias- This is not an actual percentage. That's an invention of car magazines. 100% of torque is always going to rear wheels because the trans output shaft is directly connected to the rear diff. The front operates off a multiplate wet clutch which is primarily driven off the "slippage" detected by the wheel speed sensors and by software that determines the gear (1st is usually locked up) and drive mode. For the most part, (and this is probably true on anything that isn't using a viscous diff), the actual FWD actuation is much more binary. I wouldn't put a lot of trust in the AWD animation.
 

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Location
Miami, FL, USA
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2022 Explorer st
#4
Sport mode doesn't add any more power. It does affect the throttle response, shift points, torque converter/clutch, and the FWD actuation. It doesn't have an adaptive suspension, so the modes do not affect anything suspension-wise. As far as the percentage of front to rear bias- This is not an actual percentage. That's an invention of car magazines. 100% of torque is always going to rear wheels because the trans output shaft is directly connected to the rear diff. The front operates off a multiplate wet clutch which is primarily driven off the "slippage" detected by the wheel speed sensors and by software that determines the gear (1st is usually locked up) and drive mode. For the most part, (and this is probably true on anything that isn't using a viscous diff), the actual FWD actuation is much more binary. I wouldn't put a lot of trust in the AWD animation.
the animation isnt the end all be all, but its the only thing we have currently.
 

TMac

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#5
I get what you're saying @StoneColdBlue22 ! But it what I was addressing was the OP writing about 70-30 torque splits etc. That is not a real thing. The only percentage is the amount of engagement in the FWD clutches. It has NOTHING to do with the amount of torque being sent from front to rear. From an engineering POV regarding clutch wear, etc., especially since we're not dealing with lock-up diffs on the ST, the engagement is going to be based mostly on calculating the amount of front to rear wheel speed sensor differences and uses an algorithm to turn that into an appropriate pct of lockup on the FWD clutches.

In certain modes, like 1st gear or in say Snow mode, we'll probably just lock them up, but engineering-wise we're not going to have the heat-buildup and wear associated with constantly slipping those clutches. I've observed the "animations" and I'd give my own educated guess that they're exactly that- animations based on throttle position (torque requested). Put this thing on a iced over lake where you can really exercise the difference in wheel speed sensors and I think you'd see what I'm talking about.
 

Last edited:
OP
R
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Thread Starter #6
Sport mode doesn't add any more power. It does affect the throttle response, shift points, torque converter/clutch, and the FWD actuation. It doesn't have an adaptive suspension, so the modes do not affect anything suspension-wise. As far as the percentage of front to rear bias- This is not an actual percentage. That's an invention of car magazines. 100% of torque is always going to rear wheels because the trans output shaft is directly connected to the rear diff. The front operates off a multiplate wet clutch which is primarily driven off the "slippage" detected by the wheel speed sensors and by software that determines the gear (1st is usually locked up) and drive mode. For the most part, (and this is probably true on anything that isn't using a viscous diff), the actual FWD actuation is much more binary. I wouldn't put a lot of trust in the AWD animation.
Thank you very much for detailed response.
im surprised the ST doesn’t have adaptive suspension. I’m not using it as a race car and suspension is fine for what I use it for but still surprised.
 

CareerFiremanGuy

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Firefighter/EMT
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#7
I guess that's why the ST starts at just $49,260!

The Durango SRT 392 has it standard, but that'll cost you another $20,000 and 15 mpg.[eek]
 



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