Using 4x4 on pavement

You are correct they did not say to drive around on dry pavement but they did not say to wait till it snows in Southern CA or summer in Maine once a month comes 12 times a year and there are far more people that do not or will not take their trucks off road or in the mud then do. Common knowledge does not stand up in court if that is not what they wanted they would have said so, the manual is 50% "don't do this" no where did they say go out in the dirt, mud or snow and drive at least 10 miles but never on the pavement. I have had literally hundreds of transfer cases apart, in the 80's and early 90's that is what I did for a living I am fully aware of how they work.

 

How about the part of the manual where it states that 4HI is for greater traction in instances including a loss of power due to wheel slip and 4LO is for maximum traction for more extreme situations?? Is THAT not enough for to figure out that you shouldn't be using 4WD on dry pavement/high traction surfaces??

 

Why is there still any debate on this subject ?

 

But like I mentioned they do say so. Again, this is Toyota's definition of their part-time 4WD system taken right off their website. Read the last sentence.

Part-Time 4WD

The choice of serious off-roaders. Unlike full-time 4WD or AWD systems, which use a center differential to distribute power between the front and rear axles in varying percentages as conditions change, a part-time system is only in 4WD mode when selected by the driver. Part-time 4WD effectively locks the front and rear axles together for a 50/50 power split, which offers optimum traction, but limits turning on dry surfaces because the axles cannot slip or turn at different speeds. Therefore, part-time 4WD is not recommended for everyday driving or for use on dry pavement.

 

I keep my truck in 4hi for days straights in the winter.

 

Why ?

 

I do the same thing as long as there's snow and ice for slippage. I think when Toyota says "part-time 4WD is not recommended for everyday driving" they're saying it's not like full-time 4WD or AWD.

 

I agree, this shouldn't be a debate. If you want to use 4Hi on dry pavement, you're only going to hurt your own drive line components so knock yourself out.

 

On page 181 of the 2007 manual it states:

You should drive in four−wheel drive for at least 16 km (10 miles) each month. This will assure that the front drive components are lubricated.

 

In circles on dry pavement

 

WOW


And I wonder why our "101" & "102" classes are so popular ...

Still snowing up here in NH...6-8" and I am leaving the drive;back end spins and I take my foot off the gas...grab that "stick" and WOW...lil green light comes on and away I drive.....bare road ahead...slow down,pop stick back and ...amazing...green light is gone...

Explain PLEASE.......

Come on folks, you purchased a dam truck,read the manual BEFORE you try to re-invent it....what the hell would todays wheeler do with manual locking hubs...???

Ok , I am going back out to play in the snow!!!!
Seriously...anybody know why those green lights come on...pretty 4 wheels all lit up,did I pay more for this ??


oops,my bad...this is 2nd gen...you guys twist a knob instead of pull a stick.....maybe that explains a lot.....

 

wut

 

Well what happens if you brake it in 4 wheel drive as some are convinced that it will and you say you told me to.

 

The brakes work normally in 4 wheel drive .

 

Well of course it's not that is not the point it will not explode if you do it's just plain dumb to run around in 4 WD if it's not needed. It just wastes gas and wares tires. Feature this you are driving down the road it is icy or has snowed they have plowed there is some dry road you take it out of 4WD you come around a corner and it's slick you crash into the guard rail because you were afraid your transfer case might explode if you left in 4WD that is not what they meant. Got it flaunt it the drive line will servive.

 

I just went through the manual for my 2011 Tacoma. Here is the only requirement for the 4X4 system. Quoted from the manual


■Four-wheel drive usage frequency
You should drive in four-wheel drive for at least 10 miles (16 km) each
month.
This will assure that the front-drive components are lubricated.
CAUTION
■Caution while driving
Never operate the front-wheel drive control switch if the wheels are slipping.
Stop the slipping or spinning before operating

I could find no prohibition from driving on dry pavement with 4 wheel drive engaged.

On my 99 4Runner, the owners manual had two sections concerning 4 wheel drive: one for the part time 4 wheel drive and one for all wheel drive. In the all wheel drive section of the manual they cautioned against driving on dry pavement with the center diff locked.

If you have one of the Gen 1 Tacomas with the all wheel drive system, I would not drive on dry pavement with the center diff locked. I don't think the Gen 2 had the all wheel drive option, although I don't know that for sure.

On my part time 4 wheel drive system, I drive the 10 miles a month with the system locked. I do this even if it means driving on dry pavement. In slippery conditions, I engage the 4 wheel drive and leave it in 4 wheel drive even if I am going between slippery and dry conditions. If the road is paved and dry, I drive in 2 wheel drive. My 99 had 140K miles when I traded it in and I had no problems with the 4 wheel drive system.

 

Unsubbed

 

Sorry OZ-T, reading these gets old and I thought first hand experience might turn their "lights" on....

When you go lay out $6000-$42000 for a 4x4 anything,you should now how to operate it....correct????

 

When there's any more than a couple inches of snow on the ground, i might as well use what I bought the truck for (4wd). I'm not worried about hurting anything. It's doing what it's meant to do.

Also ^^^ just saw this. what's your reason?

 

Well done OZ!