Axle binding / Driveline windup... should I be worried?

I'm new to Tacomas and 4WD. Last night I just learned about part-time 4WD and how you are not supposed to drive it on pavement. Well last weekend just to test it out I had thrown it into 4LO and went up a winding road a bit. Is that little (less than a mile) distance enough to cause serious windup? Is the only reversal procedure to jack up one wheel? I didn't notice anything different in the truck and drove it home back in 2wd for like an hour. What, if anything, should I do?

 

You're fine.

Your driveline is not wound up.

 

4wd on a paved winding road? That is probably the worst way to test out your 4wd. Probably did put everything in a bind at some point.

Might have caused unnecessary stress and wear. Doesn't sound like you broke anything. Just don't do it again.

You should probably read the manual.

 

Do you think it's still bound up? Should I try to jack it up on one wheel as I read somewhere to "reverse" it?

 

I'm so confused with this statement. Just read the manual and drive the truck

 

You're truck is OK if you're not hearing any new strange noises; but don't do that on pavement, again. Ice or snow covered roads yes, but not dry or even wet roads.

Read the attached links in @OffroadToy 's signature. They explain it very well. I found them very informative when I first joined the forum; my Tacoma was my first part-time 4WD vehicle too.

 

Who is Manual?

 

Why the hell would you do this?

 

This is great...

OP, no your driveline won't wind up like a spring. If you broke something changes are you would know it.

Now stop driving on pavement in 4wd.

And ill say it again.....this is why I don't buy used cars

 

I was uneducated about it.

As soon as I became aware of the problem, I did RTFM, but so far I have found little information about once you've done it how much stress and tension gets built up how quickly, and once it's built up does switching back into 2WD relieve it, is there a critical action that should be taken, etc. Everything seems to be vague on that point and even here it seems there's a wide range of opinion. If the question was confusing or upsetting, I imagine that's because I myself am confused, and I'm sorry if I upset you.

 

He's the guy who actually built the truck.

Hecho en México

 

Well played ... very well played indeed.

 

Try to estimate the total number of tire rotations that occurred while you were in 4wd. Jack up the truck making sure all 4 wheels are in the air and with the transmission in drive and 4wd low engaged and the truck off simply counter rotate an equal number of rotations as your estimate.

Easy peasy

 

Don't worry, you probably didn't damage anything. No need for any odd jacking procedures. Just try not to use 4x4 on dry pavement anymore.

 

Thank you greatly. Luckily my ignorance didn't cost me anything this time!

 

Come on, no need for this. It was an honest question. Not everybody comes out of the womb understanding how a 4wd vehicle works.

 

No. It will find a way to become unbound.... when you put it back in 2wd that will unbind anything.

 

Drive it in reverse.

 

No, the wind up occurs in 4WD only. Sometimes there can be so much binding that you cant get it out of 4WD. If this occurs, you can typically back straight up slowly to try and get it out, might have to make slow gradual turns in reverse. Driveline wind up will cause the driveline to make a thud and even make the truck lurch a bit when getting it back out of 4WD. That thud is the drivline becoming unbound suddenly.

Even on gravel, turning tight in 4WD is going to cause driveline bind. Try to minimize it, and don't do it at all on dry pavement. This is why a Subaru AWD or similar system is superior on a road going car or SUV.

 

There must be some crybaby in this thread that had my comment removed about jacking it up and putting it in reverse, but to be careful as doing it too long will cause the odometer to go backwards, reducing the miles shown?