hi/lo is crash box type selection so best done when your stood ,you just have a choice of all gears but in low at much lower speeds ,transfer box as well as hi/low also hasa a center diff as well as one in each axle enabling you to drive about on 4wd on the road without getting transmission wound up ,for slippery condition you can lock the center diff as without locking all drive can be lost through 1 spinning wheel by pushing the lever towards passenger side whether its in hi or low ,this means both axles must have drive so you would need a front and rear wheel to spin for drive to be lost ,diff lock can be applied when moving but dont do it when one or more wheels is slipping ,lever compresses a sprong in the box so you may push lever over but it wont select till its all aligned likewise you can pull lever back to disengage but it it may stick in till you reverse a little or move a few yards forward