Damage from Tight Turning in 4Hi?

This is our first 4X4 and I'm a total idiot. I left the truck in 4Hi recently and the wife took it to get groceries and tried to turn it too much while parking. We had not had the "turn off 4hi when you don't need it" convo yet. I'm pretty sure there's no damage - but if there was damage - what would it look/sound like?

 

You're probably fine man. If there was an issue you'd probably know about it.

 

It would sound like not being able to drive your truck... You'll be ok just dont make a habit out of it

 

Been there done that, probably fine.

 

Something in the drivetrain would be broke and make noise. That's how you'd know.

The truck's strong enough to take some abuse, don't fret.

 

It'll take more than that to break it.

 

Fairly certain the weakest link on the Tacoma is the constant velocity axles . look for rips in the outer constant velocity rubber boots on either side of the truck . By now if they did break , you would see a good size grease spot in your driveway and 4 wheel drive would no longer function followed by some nasty noises as you slowly move forward while turning

 

I have broken a CV from turning too tight in a parking lot (turned into a covered lot off an icy road) and I'm here to tell you...you would definitely know if it broke.

If all seems normal then all is fine, the worst that will happen is a damaged/broken CV axle which isn't the end of the world. They are the weak link for a reason and pretty easy to swap out.

 

You can rock 4hi all the way up to the speed limiter

 

wait what? I know in the manual it says not to exceed 62 mph in 4hi.

 

Yes , you can . I drive on ice covered roads while in 4x4 up to speeds of 75mph for as much as 4 hours running time . Its the tight corners on dry pavement you have to watch

 

pretty sure your not supposed to engage it if your going faster than 62mph. unless im double wrong

 

For engaging/disengaging, once engaged you can go as fast as you want. At least that's what the 1st gen manual says. I'll double check under my hood visor again later today

That being said I can't think of many conditions in 4wd where one should be going over 60mph lol. Maybe on a rally car race

 

No, it says do not "shift" into 4HI above 62. In fact, it simply locks you out in a 3rd gen, I've tried. You can run in 4HI until the thing tops out no problem.

 

Just read the manual and it says you should switch from 2wd to 4Hi going less than 62 mph but it doesn't state a speed limit once it's in 4Hi.

 

doubled

 

This is super interesting. Never noticed this message before in the manual.

 

I've had a lot of 4x4's, but mostly with solid front axes. When you try to turn too sharp, it'll let you know .. You feel it like the front wheels are struggling to move. I know that's old-school and technology has marched forward, but as others have said .. Now and even then ... Every now and then is not a big deal, just don't make a habit out of it.

 

Ice roads up here where I live .
They are super highways 200 feet wide , go for hundreds of miles and for the most part , the smoothest roads I have ever travelled .They are not patrolled by law enforcement but I do believe there is a mandatory speed limit . Dont expect to stop quickly though .
As far as selecting 4x4 at highway speeds ,not a good idea .You are asking the stationary chain and stationary 4x4 synchronizer to start spinning in order to match the speed of the 2 wheel drive rotating shaft .
If your engine is running at 2200 rpm in direct drive , you are requesting the chain begin turning at that speed . Although the book says you can shift on the fly , I prefer going a lot slower to shift from 2 hi to 4 hi .
If you plan to shift on the fly at those speeds , I highly suggest frequent transfer case fluid changes rather than Toyotas suggested 30K. Frequent fluid changes keep the re-agents in your fluid new which in turn makes it easier for the synchronizer to cut through the film of fluid on the transfer case main shaft .

 

I use that as my excuse to go play in the dirt once a month

Seriously I think it’s a pretty standard statement. My previous 4x4 was an Isuzu and it had something similar in it’s 4wd supplement as well.

To the OP, as others have said you should be fine. Seconds after the pic in my Avatar was taken I made a hard left out of the snow onto a plowed road so I could back into a driveway and did the same thing your wife did. 4K miles later no problems