Exercised my 4wd mode today, heard a slight noice for a sec. Problems or normal?

I read that you have to throw your truck into 4wd about once a month to keep everything working properly. I am not sure whether the previous owner did that. It was toyota certified, so I assume they checked everything.

Today, I had a couple stretches of dry road with no turns, so I threw it into 4wd for a few miles on each. the second time I did, I heard a slight grinding sound for just a second at take off. The rest of the trip, it sounded and felt normal. What was the sound and is it normal?

Edit: Mispelled NOISE in the title! Argh!

 

I assume you were in 4Hi? Shouldn’t here any real noises on 4Hi normally but you will get some traction control noises in 4Lo and you should only be using 4Lo at very low (<5mph) speeds generally speaking

 

Never use 4x4 on dry pavement.

 

When I first got my truck brand new, it was a little "noisy" going in to 4H and 4L but "quiet" once engaged. After a few more times using it, it's all "smooth".

So possible it may have not been used much, not at all, or used in quite a while. Just needed some use to get the oil in all the gears to be quiet again or ...

Try it a few more times and see if you can replicate it. See which general area it seems to have come from.



Lol Toyota Certified... checked everything.... Sorry I don't have much faith in dealer service departments.

 

I was in 4H. I have read that using 4wd high mode on dry road is okay as long as I don't turn. Is that not correct?

 

It is OK but I would only do that on long stretches of straight road never on turns. I did the once a month thing on pavement when I first got my rig but now almost every other weekend is some off road trip so that is where it gets used. Also, maybe the transfer case shifted into 4Hi right when you took off so that it kind of grinded?

Dunno.

 

Never assume! Also if you really do not need to,never throw it in 4 WD while moving including 4H .

 

So how do you drive in snowy weather.

 

When the snow is covering the road .

 

It's no problem as long as turns are kept to a minimum.
Quick... what's the difference between turning into your local mall in 4HI and turning the way your spotter tells you to turn on the slickrock on Moab trails when you are in 4LO?
Answer: Slickrock has a much higher coefficient of adhesion than pavement so you will bind worse on the trail.


OP, you are fine. Just keep from making really sharp turns. No big deal.

 

I didn’t read the post correctly. Didn’t see “dry pavement.” Still I couldn’t imagine 4H hurting anything on dry pavement other than wearing out you tires.

 

I wasn't moving when I put it in 4wd. I was at a stop sign, put it neutral, and drove without turns. I have read that you have to put it in 4wd once a month to keep everything lubed.

 

When I started driving you had to stop the truck get out and lock your front hubs then engage the 4wd lever inside . No shift on the fly . That’s why I almost come to a stop if I can . Just don’t trust that shift on the fly over 10-15 mph .

 

Haven’t put mine in 4 WD since last winter

 

That’s fine ,you should be good doing it like that .

 

Lol it shifts just fine into 4WD at 50 mph. It's designed to do it and it has zero problems doing it. No noises, clunks, nothing.

 

Problem is the tcase, there’s no differential to compensate for things moving at different speeds and/or different directions. You can bind it up, and dicking up a tcase essentially dicks your transportation capability.

 

When it’s raining, I’ll throw it in 4WD, for about 2 to 3 minutes at a time, shifting out and shifting back to 4WD, 2 cycles. That should be good.

 

I believe you but I ain’t doing it in my truck

 

Would never go over 45 in 4 H either but that’s just me !