Stupid yet funny (I think) ? about 4x4 system

The owners manual says to drive the truck with the 4x4 system engaged for 10 miles per month to keep everything lubed and up to snuff. I am tired of driving in circles to get 10 miles racked up, open fields are also becoming rare around here. So could I put the truck on jackstands and get all four corners in the air and drop it in drive and engage 4Hi and just let it sit and use idle throttle to rack up 10 miles? Would this mess up the part time 4WD system? I think not because it is getting plenty of slip in the air (not suppose to drive with 4x4 engaged on pavement) HAHAHAHA. What about all four tires/wheels being dropped. What ya think?

 

LOL, it would work, but sounds like more work than its worth! I only switch mine on when I think about it, and its probably hardly 10 miles. I wouldn't worry that much about it.

 

It's really not a big deal to do it that often. My dad used to use 4x4 in the winter only and for the other 355 days that we didn't have snow the system has held up fine

 

It will be fine! I would also (if equiped) pop in the rear locker once a month.

 

The only reason I do it every month, is to test that the 4x4 system engages properly with no rough sounds or anything. I might drive it for 1 mile in total per month, on a dirt road.

 

I engage it occasionally heading up a long dirt easement road to my work site , but I'm not too paranoid about making sure it's exactly 10 miles per month .

 

its not just lubricating the hubs. you need to spin the axles... which i gather these do.. but using your servos occasionally is important too. People find in these magic shift 4x4s that after 5 years of disuse the 4x4 will not engage or takes several attempts.

 

Just find a long straight road and engage it. Thats what I do in the summer months when I'm not off road or in snow

 

It a bit off topic but I used to drive my 1st gen tacoma around with the hubs locked all the time and never had a problem with the 4x4. Granted I only did this for the last 3 or 4 years I owned the truck. For the first 6 or 7 I used to lock them every time I wanted to use 4wd. Is that bad for the truck?

 

bad for your gas mileage

 

if your seriously considering it, I think thats a bad idea, because your cv's will be at as hard of an angle as they can get to. That's going to wear out your cv boots real fast!

 

if you're seriously worried about his CV angles if he's seriously thinking of putting a car on jackstands and running it.

Just put the jack stands under the control arms.

But, also, don't run a car on jack stands.

 

I think lock out hubs arent supposed to exceed 55MPH when locked... thats what my old ford manual told me anyway... i only locked them when needed

 

X2 that's an accident waiting to happen!

 

do it, do it


don't do it

 

Why not just take it offroad once in a while?

 

Something about putting it up on jackstands and running it doesn't sound good to me. I'd hate for a stand to slip while all the wheels are turning, could turn out badly depending on where you are. If it's raining, is it still bad to use 4x4 on pavement? I'd wait for rain to do it in.

 

I was called names in the past for suggesting doing the same thing
Its a fact, the people that have 4x4 drive line problems are the people that never use 4x4
I have no idea why anybody from Texas would even buy a 4x4, they don't get any snow!
Oh Wow look at me! I am a big man, I own a 4x4!

 

You can use 4H on dry pavement when there is no expectation of making sharp turns. Gentle turns and lane changes are fine. e.g. Get on the highway, engage 4H, then disengage it when you are almost at the exit.

Safety issues with the jack stands aside, running a vehicle at idle for the equivalent of 10 miles is not good for the motor. Idle is when the blowby through the piston rings is the highest, so you degrade the engine oil much faster.