Something wrong with my 4H?

So last night it was particularly rainy and stormy and I wanted to try out my 4wd since I just bought this truck a couple weeks ago. I put it into neutral, switched it, and then waited a bit and put it back into drive, just like how my 03 4runner was.


My truck drove fine straight but once I slowed down and pulled into a parking lot the back wheels started.... lagging? its almost like every time I turned the wheel the back wheels would be dragged? My 4runner never did something like this in 4wd. It freaked me out so I stopped the truck, put it back into neutral, switched it, and then drove forward again, and while the 4Hi sign was blinking "clunk" and then it stopped blinking and left me with massive paranoia that I just destroyed my diff or transfer case.

I tried to re create it and sure enough it was the same thing. I dont think my P brake was stuck but I have heard of the drum brakes getting frozen up, but then why would it only happen when I'm taking turns? WTF

Has anyone experienced this before? Do I need to take it in? Am i crazy? Please help Lol

 

Hummm.

 

Was you on asphalt or dirt?

 

Your 4x4 is working fine but you aren't supposed to make sharp turns in 4x4 without being on snow or loose gravel. Someone here can explain better what happens mechanically but it's not good for your differentials

 

First why are you stopping and shifting into neutral to put the truck in 4WD and take it out of 4WD? No need to do either unless your going into 4L and it doesn’t sound like you are.
I’m not sure what you mean by the rear wheels dragging. Since it only happens when turning it sounds like the road surface isn’t slippery enough and the front wheels are binding up which is expected. Take it out on some gravel or loose dirt or muddy roads and try it. I think you won’t have a problem.

 

The larger the radius(the bigger the circle), the farther the wheels have to go.

 

Working fine. No need to switch to neutral.

 

Normal.

 

your 03 4runner had a center locking diff for an AWD mode.... your part time 4x4 tacoma transfercase does not. As others have said above, only straight line driving on high traction surfaces or on the slippery stuff in 4x4.

 

Ok that makes sense, like I said I've only owned this truck a few weeks and still figuring it out, and I can just switch between 2H and 4h while driving? I'm not used to this new shit lol

 

Thank you all for the quick responses, i didnt sleep good last night wondering if i just bought a fucked up truck lol, taking her into some mud this weekend

 

Yea you can switch between 2H and 4H while driving up to like 55mph or something...says in the manual. Best just to put some weight in the bed for driving in light snow and rain on pavement instead of using 4H.

 

Good luck in the mud O.P.

 

"Hold my beer and watch this shit" usually turns out to be a bad decision.

 

On any surface where you get a lot of traction, you'll get some binding in the drive train, in 4wd. All of your wheels are travelling a different distance. It's normal, although not the best for the system, to pop when it disengages. Again, you don't want it to do this, but it does. When I have to shift back to 2wd, if traction is not a little loose, I'll keep the wheel straight and go forward and backward a couple of feet to try and take some of the binding out of the system. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Just try to avoid using 4wd where traction is good.