ODD experience w/4 wheel drive today.

Had to go t a funeral today and got parked nose downhill really close to a bunch of cars. The driveway/road was loose gravel. I had never used my 4WD drive before so decided to try it. I was afraid the loose gravel might cause me to bump into the car in front of me. I selected 4WD and it backed up beautifully. We drove about 10 miles to a Diner and slowed down to pull into a parking space and all of the sudden the truck would not go forward . It felt like the brake was on. I went into reverse and it would not go. I reved the engine and it moved but sounded like it was moving a locked rear wheel. I stopped and put the truck into park and straighten the wheels out and it seemed to be ok. The dealer says the manual tells you not to use 4WD on dry pavement. It seems ok now. What do you guys think about this?

 

Did you disengage 4x4 after backing out of the loose gravel?

 

no. I drove 10 miies with it still in 4WD.

 

We're you in dry ground driving 10 miles? Was it a straight 10 miles or lots of turns?

 

The wheels have to be able to slip when turning in 4WD. They can't on dry pavement. So the drivetrain bound up when you pulled in to park.

 

Straight roads.

 

So if I pulled my boat up a 100ft dry ramp I shouldn't use 4WD?

 

How hard did you turn the wheel to park in the parking space? You probably just bound up the front CV axels. You’re not supposed to really turn when you have 4WD on on dry pavement

 

Turning into a parking spot on dry payment in 4wd is a no no. You were causing the drive line to bind. Surprisingly your dealer is actually correct. You should be fine, but don't make it a habit.

 

4wd needs slippage. Off road, the ground is loose enough that it's OK. On road, it's fine in a straight line. What you did isn't ok, but nothing is permanently damaged. Just don't do it again.

 

A straight boat ramp is perfectly fine. Turning is not.

 

If its slick then yes, use 4wd. Even if you think the gravel may allow you to spin in 2wd then sure, use 4wd. Just don't be pulling the boat up the ramp and then turning one way or the other hard. Gradual easier turns are fine. Parking spot type turns are a no go.

 

I just wanna give us all a pat on the back for answering OP's questions with good information and being nice. Go us.

 

If you can keep the wheels completely straight then it's not an issue, but even 5 degrees of turn over 100' will cause driveline bind.

I think your truck will be fine, you just had excessive bind in the drivetrain and it finally complained enough for you to notice. I would ensure the 4x4 system disengaged properly and then engage it, drive perfectly straight for 20' (or until you feel it lock in) and then disengage, reverse and ensure it disengages properly. If everything feels good with that process I doubt you'll have issues.

 

THANKS for the education. I knew you guys would answer in a few seconds. THANKS

 

I just feel so zen with the symmetry of the new avatar

 

Glad to help Mr. Steve.

 

4X4 is not intended to be used on dry hard surfaces. What you did will damage your vehicle, especially the part where you turned sharply to park. You did damage to your 4x4 parts when that happened. Hopefully not enough to need replacement. The damage is usually cumulative, the more you do this the sooner expensive stuff breaks. You stressed parts without breaking them. Had you not stopped when you did it would have been an expensive repair. As others have said you can get away with it for short distances if you don't turn the wheels.

When you go around a corner all 4 wheels take a different path and have to travel at 4 different speeds. In 4X2 this is possible, but when you shift to 4X4 the transfer case tries to make all 4 wheels turn at the same speed. Since the inside wheels have less distance to travel they turn much slower in 4X2. But in 4X4 all 4 wheels turn at the same speed. On slippery surfaces the inside wheels will slip and spin some which is perfectly normal. But if the traction is good, something has to break. Even if it doesn't break today you put excessive stress on parts which will lead to premature breakage.

 

Is it still called ‘Transfer Case Wind-Up’ when that happens on these newer trucks?......Or am I just old......

 

I've got a lot of warranty left , hopefully I won't need it.