Switching to 4wd

Hello, I’ve had my truck for three years and we had our first crappy weather day. I put my truck into 4H and it felt like my steering wheel was fighting me staying straight or correcting one way or the other. I know that when you’re making a turn, they trucks feel weird but I don’t remember my truck feeling like this the last couple years. Am I just misremembering and this is normal or does it sound like somethings wrong?

 

Was this on dry pavement sections or on ice/snow?

 

slushy/ wet/icy and a mix of straight and curvy roads

 

Remember 4H and 4L only to be used on loose, wet, snowy surfaces.

 

I meant 4 high, not low my bad! Either way, it wasn’t dry pavement

 

Then it’s normal, probably it’s binding a bit on the driest areas you’ve come across if you were turning.

 

If it's getting traction when turning even in snow, you will get the jerking reaction.
Pretty common

 

If you don’t regularly exercise 4WD, you might want to change your Diff fluids early to see if it gets back to how you remember.

 

It is recommended to use 4WD at least 10 miles per month (that is the technical phrasing). Else things gum-up. You could do worse than change fluids in transfercase and both differentials now, and should hurt nothing.

 

It wasn’t just turning, it was happening on totally straight roads and going around curves too. My truck was way out of alignment until a few months ago so I can’t figure out if I was just used to constantly fighting with where my truck was leaning towards or if this is new

 

I exercise 4WD on straight roads after a first rain when the roads are slick. I don’t feel any jerking and sometimes forget it is in 4 Hi.

35 years ago when I bought my first 4x4, I was not good about exercising 4WD. When I changed the front diff fluid it came out like sludge.

My lesson learned was exercise 4WD and change fluids sooner than later.

 

Having the front axle locked in 4WD will affect the steering feel. If there are no concerning noises or anything (other than gear whine from the transfer case being engaged), it's probably normal.

 

Why was it out of alignment? Possibly the cause of your alignment issues caused other problems??