Use of 4 wheel drive.

I've been driving 4X4's for a while now. Doing 10 miles each and every month may not be necessary. But I'd not go more than a couple of months without engaging 4X4 for at least a short distance. Anytime I find myself on a dirt or gravel road I shift into 4X4 for a few miles. I may end up on a suitable road several times some months and get in a lot more than 10 miles. There are some months that I skip or may only get 1/2 mile or so. I've never had an issue using that technique.

Not too far from where the photo was taken in my avatar I met some cowboys pulling a stock trailer who were stranded on a hill in a 4X4 F250. It hadn't been used in 4X4 for quite some time and wouldn't engage to get up them up a gravel hill with the trailer. I ended up helping pull them up with my Tacoma. My wife had a 1991 Jeep Cherokee that did that to us once after not being used in 4X4 for several months.

I strongly advise not doing this on pavement, even wet pavement. You can get away with it if done in occasionally for short distances and with no cornering. But the negatives outweigh the positives. Find a suitable place so you aren't putting the drivetrain in a bind. You are potentially causing far more damage than never shifting into 4X4. Not shifting into 4X4 won't break anything. Driving in 4X4 on pavement will.

 

Got it. Good advice based upon years of experience.
Thanks!

 

[QUOTE="Marshall R, post: 15831768, member: 156224]

...I strongly advise not doing this on pavement, even wet pavement. You can get away with it if done in occasionally for short distances and with no cornering. But the negatives outweigh the positives. Find a suitable place so you aren't putting the drivetrain in a bind. You are potentially causing far more damage than never shifting into 4X4. Not shifting into 4X4 won't break anything. Driving in 4X4 on pavement will.[/QUOTE]

100% Agree. I did it once just for a couple of miles on dry pavement (almost straight road), and after a while the truck was almost un-drivable after just a few turns to reach a parking lot. I felt the drivetrain stressed, and it took a while to get back to normal. Definitely 4x4 system is better to be used mainly in un-paved road (loose gravel and dirt help to release any natural stress on drivetrain).