First time trying 4wd, is this normal?

NO.
Unless you're on snow or loose dirt, don't turn the wheel like you've done.

You may be confusing your 4WD operation with other vehicle's AWD features.

 

You shouldn't be engaging 4wd on dry pavement. As well as doing turns on drive payment. You will notice it will lose power and if you turn enough you will notice it will bind. You assume and you shouldn't.

 

Thanks, good to know.

 

I know I just do it since when I off road I try to make it without 4x4 until I need it

 

It's called a rev limiter.

You didn't. The jerking was probably the trans shifting normally.

Don't run 4x4 on dry pavement in anything other than a straight line.

+1

 

I'll pull over on the highway next time

 

Going to 4HI you won't get any beeping if it fails to engage, just the dash light blinking. Switch into/out of 4HI in gear up to 50mph or so, if it blinks back off the gas and step on it a little. Better yet, back off the gas when you switch it, then step on the gas again. And try to avoid switching in/out of 4HI with the front wheels turned more than slightly, you'll get a nice clunk from the front axle if the front wheels are turned too much.

4LO, stopped and neutral. Mine sometimes takes a couple times to engage with the switch going back and forth to 4HI/4LO. You'll get the beeping (and blinking 4LO light) if 4LO fails to engage. You can run the truck up to engine redline in any gear in 4LO.

I noticed when I first got mine the truck was pretty reluctant to go into 4LO, but after maybe a dozen switches back and forth there was a lot less beeping, lot more engaging quickly. Just needed some exercise I guess.

And do your best to avoid using 4WD on dry pavement. If you do use it on dry pavement, don't turn sharply. Even on gravel/dirt when you're in 4HI at low speeds and you turn sharply you'll notice the truck struggling (binding kind of feeling).

 

Awesome info, thanks! I definitely will not put it into 4wd on pavement anymore. Only problem is that where I live dirt/gravel/grass is pretty rare.


I'd like to give it a work out each month, that way when I make my way up to the mountains I know it's good to go. Just need to find some grass or dirt around here somewhere...

 

Doesn't it rain a lot in Georgia? I think it's fine to engage the 4wd on pavement if it's raining. I do it sometimes to lube the hubs if I've been a boring person and haven't taken my truck off-road for 3 or 4 weeks.The Tacoma owner's manual says you should use the 4wd at least 10 miles per month to keep the front hubs lubricated.