Hard to steer w/ 4wd engaged?

Although I have been lurking on the board for a while, this is finally my first post. Mostly because I am a huge fan of using the search function before posting anything and have found most of my answers thus far.

So, we had some icy winter weather in the area for the last few days and I had 4wd engaged while driving to work. When I got to work, I was driving really slow through the parking garage and it was almost impossible to turn the stearing wheel! I was trying to turn a corner around some cars and almost couldn't make it. It felt like something was binding and might break if I turned anymore.

That reminded me of last week when I already had the 4wd engaged when I left the parking garage one day and experienced the same thing. I had to make sure the wheels were perfectly straight and then I drive forward a bit to disengage.

Has anyone else experienced this? Could there be something wrong with my truck (09 DC sport 4x4)? I know folks mostly go slow when off-roading and turning, so this steering issue definitely doesn't seem right. If any of you can respond with some info, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

It makes it harder to turn in 4wd because of the front wheels being given power and turning. Also you were probably driving on pavement in 4wd which is bad for the 4wd system which will make it bind up and break it. And its normal to have to straighten up and drive formard to disengage 4wd. I doubt anything is wrong with your truck, your probably just new to driving 4wd I'm assuming.

Edit: Welcome to TW

 

Never ever engage 4x4 on the pavement. Ever.

 

unless there is snow, or its flooded!

 

If I'm in 4WD because of snowy & slick roads & have to pull into say a parking lot, I take it out of 4hi to park. I wouldn't have it engaged in a parking garage. If its going up a driveway on incline, I make sure to swing wide, or prepare before making the any turns. Again, only if its slick. Mine does the same thing. What I find is in nasty weather I use 4WD only when I need it & as others have said not on pavement. Congrats on your new truck!

 

x2

 

x100

 

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I'm not totally new to 4wd, but it has been many years, so I am jogging my memory on some things. That was a good point to go ahead and disengage when getting ready to park. I hope I didn't do any damage this time, but I will definitely remember this in the future. Thanks again!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 05TacoTRD
Never ever engage 4x4 on the pavement. Ever.



x100
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well if you drive to a real mountain, you might reconsider that !

 

i'm new to 4wd as well. when you say never engage on pavement ever...does that pertain to 4HI and 4Lo? or just 4lo? because the manual says you can drive up to like 62 mph in 4HI. not that i would ever do that, but it seems to me like 4hi on pavement is ok? please shed some light?

 

i dont understand why you cant put it in 4WD while on pavement. I do it every month to grease everything, if you never use it theres more chance of a problem for when u need it like during a storm after u havent used ur 4WD in a long time

 

I not sure about “Never ever engage 4x4 on the pavement. Ever.” In the manual it say once a month to drive a few miles in 4wd to keep everything greased. Also whenever I go skiing or up to the mountains and if there is any possibility of ice or snow I drive in 4hi and have never had any problems.

 

The statement should be "Never ever TURN on pavement while in 4wd." Hi or Lo makes no difference. The problem is that the front wheels are forced to turn at the same rate when in 4wd. When you turn the front wheels turn at different rates (difference radius for each wheel) and you can stress or break the front drive train.

I drive on pavement in 4wd periodically just to keep the parts moving but NEVER when I will need to turn. On a straight road you'll be fine. If you have to turn, don't do it unless it's slippery (allows one wheel to slip some and keep from breaking anything).

 

Aside from what everyone else has already said.......Whatever you do..... if you feel 'resistance' and/or the truck starts to buck or won't move - DON'T FORCE IT.

If you need to make tighter turns while in 4WD, take the turns WIDE and/or coast through the turns (no gas).

Now that the snow/ice is abundant in our area, it's not uncommon to have patchy areas of snow and patchy areas of asphalt. I leave my truck in 4WD. Through-out the day, I'll be proactive in deciding how to make my turns before I get to them just to save the stress on the drivetain. When or if I need to turn into a tight parking space, I'll put it into 2WD and make the turn or simply coast (no gas) through the turn.

It's the CV joints that get the most stress from tight turns/torque.

 

Great explanation. When driving on dry pavement there is no give for the turning front wheels. They are spinning at the same rate. Driving on snow or loose gravel will give and allows turning to be easier. I also engage 4hi about once a month on dry pavement, but it is always around the beltway where I don't have to make sharp turns.

 

Yup. Take a wider arc if you hit pavement, and you shouldn't have any bind issue. Mixed snow & open pavement roads are a part of life up here, not gonna flip switch 5 times a mile. No issues w/ 3,000 mi in 4hi.

 

about using 4WD on snow and ice - 4WD will only help you to get going without slipping tires and it ads some stability while cruising. Some. Don't expect too much.
However, 4WD does not help to stop the car. Actually, with part time 4WD engaged your ABS will not work properly and you'll have less control than a 2WD.

So, on your way downhill on snow or on your way approaching a red traffic light I would shift back into 2WD. Since I have the option I personally select full time 4WD for snow and ice - that system allows ABS to work as designed.

http://4x4abc.com/4WD101/ABS_parttime.html

 

oops double post

 

Don't believe everything you read. That article doesn't make ANY sense!
So perhaps someone can explain what it is that's confusing me?

First off -the ABS system sensors are not on the drive shaft. They're on each wheel. Although the driveshafts are connected via the transfer case - the differentials are OPEN diffs and can spin at different rates. Each brake is controlled separately and can go off per single wheel if needed when they lock up.

You don't need (shouldn't) switch back into 2wd when slowing down. Keep it in 4WD, let your foot off the gas and allow the 'engine braking' to slow you down and never use the brakes until you need to actually stop. Obviously, you should always give yourself plenty of room to slow down. Even better - if you downshift, the engine braking is even more effective.