Big Thud disengaging 4hi

I used my 4wd a bit today and noticed that when I went back to 2WD a couple times it was accompanied by a big thud. I have had my 2018 TRD off road for a few months now and I've used 4wd a few times before but I don't remember this big thud happening anytime I've used it previously. Anyone else have this ?

 

Any chance you have a miss matched tire? Tires that are not the same diameter will cause the xfer case to bang pretty hard when disengaged.

 

I’ve driven Toyota 4x4 trucks for over 20 years.

Sometimes it clunks and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s due to releasing driveline tension and is normal. It just depends what the situation was before you went back to 2wd. Turning corners induces driveline tension more than going straight.

 

So is the best practice to be sure you are lined up straight before disengaging?

 

Straight with foot off the ecellerator

 

Mine thuds from time to time too.

 

If there is any tension in the system when you disengage it will thud. The only way to avoid this 100% would be to have wheels straight forward / no throttle applied / no brakes applied / flat ground / and the vehicle rolling. As this is almost never they case, you will sometimes get a thud.

 

If you can, try driving straight for a bit. That will normally reduce most of the tension.

 

Don't matter really unless you have it cut fully hard over and you are accelerating while you disengage.
Personally I always let off the accelerator when engaging/disengaging. Less stress.

 

I disengage at about 35 mph on straightaways, and I hit the button at the same time I take my foot off the gas, this seams to be the least stressful on the gears and the solenoids that engage them. Experiment with speed and torque. Also check your tire pressure to be sure they are all close. You should find a sweet spot where it makes hardly a whimper else get it checked out. At slower speeds a very slight juggling of the steering wheel may be the trick. If the thud is a clunk at any speed/torque you may have an issue.

 

I'm used to old Trucks, so I always come to a stop and roll into 4wd easily. Thuds are normal, you're engaging alot of mass when you go into 4WD.