4X4 Bad at highways speeds?

Roads are getting slick up here especially in the mountains. Is it bad to use 4 Wheel Drive for long distances and at highway speeds?

 

YES, you should not go over 50mph on 4x4

 

in the manual it says something like max 62mph with 4wd-hi. Also I don't have any real info on this but i tend to only switch the 4x4 on on highways when I'm in really bad parts, and switch it off right away if the road improves

 

my owners manuals always said not to go over 50 in 4 hi

 

You would be amazed with today's electrical safety doo dads how good you have it. I drive in 2wd 99% of the time this past storm and I felt perfectly comfortable doing it. I only switched into 4HI to get moving at an intersection. If I had weight in the back I probably would have not even needed to switch it into 4HI.

 

if the highways are bad enough that you feel you need 4wd, you shouldn't be going highway speeds. generally 4wd is only useful when getting up to speed. as soon as your cruising it isnt doing anything but causing unnecessary wear and tear to your drive-train and could actually be more dangerous due to the under steer it causes.

 

If the roads are so slick that you need to engage 4WD why would you even be driving at highway speeds?

 

^^this... slow down if the roads are that bad otherwise you'll be like all the other jackasses flying down the highway in 4wd and end up in a ditch. 4wd doesn't do anything on ice.

 

don't drive in 4LOW doing 55 MPH.. I know a guy who did that.. his engine is now blown.

 

I didn't know that... I was going 60mph on the beach in 4WD. Is that bad for the 4WD system?

 

Dam!! I'm surprised he even got over 20 mph in 4LO.

 

on my way back to NM I hit snow in Flagstap of AZ . I turned 4wlow at 60MPH and drove at 70MPH on snow for over an hour without problem at all . You can switch to 4wlow at max 62MPH and drive as fast as you can but on the 4whi you have to fully stop and switch to 4whi and can only drive max 25MPH . That what I heard from my merchanic . He worked for Toyota for 25yrs.

 

Sanga I think u have it backwards lol

 

How about people just look it up in the truck manual. It's all spelled out there. My book page 178.. Then maybe reread your posts.

Now does your posts make any sense still ?

My truck Auto 5 speed if you can get in to shift into 4th you can go 118 MPH in four high. Only 46MPH in four low. Anyway I used to shift my truck into 4 high in the fall and shift it back out in the spring and I never had a problem ever. Some places you need it some places you don't, some places you need it all winter long.

 

Thanks for the feedback fellas

 

The only thing that could screw it up is good traction in 4 hi. You have to be in dirt or snow for 4 hi. Bare dry pavement is bad news for four wheel drive. The wheels have to slip a bit in 4 wheel drive. If the traction is too good to slip you can't be in four wheel drive.

 

you have that backwards. 4low is for towing.. you always drive in high and 4high is just turning on 4x4.

 

Wow... the spray of (mis) information scares me here sometimes!

1) Don't you have this card in you visor (or an owners manual)?



NOTE that it tells you to keep speed below 60 mph when shifting into H4 (High Range 4WD). Not the max. speed in 4WD...

In high range, it can be the most you want... as long as the road surface is NOT DRY PAVEMENT. Seriously, if you are able to drive a pickup that fast in bad weather... should you?

2) Those of you with newer models ('09+ and some earlier ones): Don't you have this light and a button with the same graphic?



This is VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and is amazing at stopping your truck from spinning out of control during sudden steering changes at speed. This feature pretty much takes away the need of 4WD on wet paved roads for handling safety. It is on in H2 and H4 normally... and even if you turn it off it can come back on if your truck is about to get into a wreck... Built by Bosch, and called the greatest advance to driving safety since the seat belt!

Final note: L4... is a LOW gear ratio for crawling up down or across difficult terrain, slowly (like less than 30 mph)... It is not for 'towing' unless you are off roading over the conditions I just described.

Off Road Tacomas also have a Rear Differential Locker... for emergency conditions to get out or up or over something that standard 4WD low range can't.

'09 + Off Road Road Tacomas have A-TRAC in L4 and that provides the traction of front and rear locking differentials, without the limit to emergency use only.

 

yep your right , just come out and double checked .