Used 4Hi on pavement...what now?

3 posts and out.

 

just saw this one after watching the one with the new taco too.
perfect for this thread lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Wy5ENm_lM

 

Yeah. My wife's 09 Sport Highlander has full time AWD. We both like it.

 

It's a Toyota. You are fine.

 

This video right here should be a sticky at the top of the home page lol. Very informative especially for 4x4 noobs (I would've loved to have seen this video 6 months ago when I started wheeling).

 

ouch. glad you found this forum.

 

No shit. My WRX averaging 17mpg. Can you believe it?!

 

The problem with a regular Impreza is it is kinda lame....

 

Note Toyota advises to run in 4WD once a month to keep things lubed.

 

In all honesty OP, don't stress it at all. Go down to a boat ramp and watch dudes who put their rig in 4x long before it was time to put in or pull out. Tires skipping all over the place. 99.99% of the time, the friction of your tire will give before some important does. Long term abuse, and/or subpar material may eventually cause a problem though. You a far more likely to break something using 4x4 where it is needed (rock crawling etc.)

There are many things in life more risky to your truck than driving in 4hi on a patchy dry/snow/ice rd (such as having your rear end come loose in the snow and crashing). On that note though, 4x4 or AWD does not mean winter domination -- turn/accel/decel: gently and one at a time.

 

Driving a short distance in 4X4 once a month or so is advisable. If you don't use it for months at a time the system isn't lubricated and when you shift into 4X4, it doesn't go into 4X4. In May I ran across some cowboys on a remote dirt road in the Utah desert who were stranded on a steep hill with their F250 and a livestock trailer. They hadn't used 4X4 in months and it wouldn't shift into 4X4 and they couldn't get enough traction in 4X2 to pull the trailer up the hill. My little Taco pulled both up the hill.

But for God's sake, do it on a surface that will allow your wheels to slip. Find a dirt or gravel road. If nothing else drive in the grass in your yard or a field somewhere. Just shifting into 4X4 and driving a few feet back and forth a few feet in grass is better than driving 5 miles on pavement. Driving on wet pavement not only hurts the transfer case, but actually hurts your traction rather than helping, don't do it.

For the OP and everyone else who has driven on pavement when in 4X4. Yes, you have caused excessive wear to the transfer case. It just hasn't broken yet, but some damage has been done. If the amount of time operated while in 4X4 on pavement is limited the damage may well never result in a system failure. But continued use will.

There is a drive chain in the transfer case that sends power to the front driveshaft. Every time you operate in 4X4 in good traction the chain stretches some. Eventually it will stretch enough that it will slip on the cogs and you'll need to replace it. Put enough force on there and you'll break internal parts had have an immediate failure.

Even when driving off road, if on rock or hard packed dirt you don't need 4X4, save it for loose dirt, sand, mud or other slippery conditions.. On snow or ice covered roads yes, but if conditions are patchy, then shift into and out of 4X4 as needed. There is a little switch on dash. It takes about 1-2 seconds to change into or out of 4X4.

 

Noted. Nice truck you have there btw!

 

Thanks for the detail explanation. In all honestly, I don't know if I will need to use 4x4 ever. I mean I live in GA where it hardly rains, I don't really go off-road other than occasionally drive on gravel road when go up north to the lake. I guess maybe that's why I got such a good deal on a 4x4, cause nobody needs them around here.

 

Came across this video too.
Good to watch for those new to 4x4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7MF3q0v1hw

 

Ok, I did some research and apparently there are about 5 different 4WD. Which one do Tacoma 3gen have?
1. Selective(Part-time) - Old off road vehicles, switched manually
2. Center Differential+Passive - Toyota Viscus Coupling type full time
3. Center Differential+Active Toque Split - Toyota i-Four
4. Direct+Passive - Toyota V-flex full time
5. Direct+Active Torque Split - Toyota Active Torque Control

 

1st one I think.

 

Yeah id say the first one as well. The truck has lots of fancy traction stuff but that's all in the abs system I believe. The 4wd its self is pretty basic.