Did I Mess Up Big Time?

Hi TW! First post but been lurking for a while.

I recently purchased a 2021 SSM DCSB TRD OR and am loving it.

I read the entire manual front and back the first night of ownership. I remember reading about engaging 4 Lo and 4 Hi for about 10 miles every month.

That week, after warming up the car in my garage, I engaged 4 Lo while going out of my townhouse complex and 4 Hi on straight roads (under 50 mph) on pavement..

While in 4 Lo as well as in 4 Hi, I know I turned the wheel at least a few times. I’ve since read that this is very bad for the transfer case.

Did I just screw up my baby? Any input is appreciated. Technical explanations would be awesome as well. Thanks.

 

No, it'll be fine. Your truck is fine, just don't make a habit of it. Also, 4L is for extremely (or, if it's a manual, just lower speed offroading) slow off-roading, never any pavement use.

 

Did you hear a loud kaboom? Then you're all good, no harm done.


Next time, exercise it on some dirt.





Welcome to TW

 

If you screwed anything up you would know cause there would be very abnormal grinding noises and possible warning lights, I engage my 4H for the mostly straight one mile of bumper to bumper interstate traffic I go through every day. I engage 4L maybe once a month for a very short time.

 

Aye you fucked up big times holmes!


Nah you're good. If something shit the bed you'd know it. And it was Matt that drove around in 4hi, not meso.

 

lol wut

 

You could drive it for months in 4x4 on dry pavement, its a Toyota, they can take the abuse.

 

Matt while turbo testing

 

You don't need 4L. It uses the same bits as 4H. The point is once a month or so switch it on and get it moving. Keep it lubed up and moving so it doesn't rust in. You won't really see a benefit going into 4L on a regular basis above and beyond just dropping into 4H

Your transfer case will be just fine. The axles take a beating too. Long of the short - if it didn't fail while you were doing it, it didn't break anything. Nothing would real a plastic limit and not fail, so you're good. Sounds like everything was within elastic limits.

Just do it on dirt next time.

 

4L is not only for low speeds offroad. I drive my manual in 4L offroad at 30-40mph all the time.

 

Was it not you? My bad then. Someone did a test similar to what I described and I musta thought it was you for whatever reason.

 

Thanks for all the responses and putting the mind of this OCD Taco Dude at ease. Cheers.

 

Admittedly completely forgot manual Tacoma's were a thing when I wrote that.

 

4H for 10 miles 1X each month is sufficient.

Don't fret about dry pavement. Just avoid tight 90* turns. The drive train is not made of pretzel sticks.

 

I might have done a tight turn or two for about 3 feet.

After finding out about how bad this is, I’ve never even put it in 4 Lo/Hi.

The thing about it is, I don’t recall reading any of this in the manual..

 

So should I not drive in 4h in bad storms?

Or is this fine unless I take hard turns?

 

Anywhere where wheel slip is common is NBD for 4hi.

 

You can use 4H in heavy rain, or snow and ice. As long as the roads are slippery, it's fine.

 

Welcome to TW.