Tacoma Off-Road 4x4

Yes.

I have a 4wd truck. I think an AWD unibody or a RWD truck would probably do the job 99.9% of the time.

 

A huge portion (the majority) of people who buy 4x4s go many years without ever even shifting it into 4wd, and it’ll still work fine for decades afterwards. Just shift it into 4x4 every once in a while on a straight road of any type for pretty much any amount of time to get those parts moving and lubed up, and you’ll be doing far more than most people. Just keep it under freeway speeds when you’re doing it.

 

This story has nothing to do with a Tacoma but I think it’s appropriate and on topic for this thread:

Several years ago we purchased a 2014 sequoia from an older woman, it was one owner, dealer maintained immaculately it’s whole life nothing wrong with it on the test drive. I even tried out 4x4 on the test drive and it shifted in and out of 4HI and even into and out of 4LO with ease.

One month later when it was time for the monthly recommended mode change it effortlessly went into 4HI but that was it, it never came back out to 2WD again. Ended up trading it in on my current taco with it still stuck in 4WD cause we didn’t want to pay to diag it only to find out it was a big $$$ repair. Easier to just trade it in and they still gave us a great price as it was…
I’m guessing the woman never read the manual and never did the monthly mode change (but other than that again maintenance was top notch).

I guess the point I’m making is that monthly few miles is a very important thing. You don’t have to drive it 10 whole miles, just change the modes and let it exercise a mile or so. I wouldn’t push it to once every oil change IMO.

 

I get to go off road a bit so it’s not really an issue for me. That being said, sitting on a quiet road, going into 4X, roll a bit, engage 4L, roll a bit, engage locker, roll a bit seems like a good strategy if you can’t find dirt on a regular basis

 

Any particular reason you want the TRD Off-Road? If you don’t intend to use it off road, the Sport is probably the better option. Or even an SR-5.

 

I have an SR5 4x4, my truck sees mainly gravel roads and sometimes urban traffic bullshit.
With our winters I'm always having to use 4x4 to get in/out of snow.
In the summer I find an empty Costco parking lot, preferably on a rainy night and work out the 4hi/4lo couple times driving in straight lines or very very wide ovals.

You'll be fine.

 

Check out your local state or national forest, there are usually plenty of dirt roads to explore and "exercise" your 4 wheel-drive modes.

 

This is illegal, dangerous, and dumb. Construction sites after hours, like the kind when they're building residential areas before paving the roads. Just don't do it and have guns and drugs in your truck. I did this every once in a while in an area around here and was stopped by a super once. Asked what I was doing and I told him I was thinking about buying a house in the area, which was true, and I ended up doing. But I imagine even if you're honest about it most won't care, at least the ones I've worked with. Due to building material prices being so high, some companies are hiring security to sit at their construction sites. Checking out your state or national forest areas is a much, much better idea.

 

The OM is more of a guide. Main thing is that you exercise the actuators every few months to make sure they don't get frozen. You can do it on straight roads or off road. Doesn't really matter as long as you avoid sharp turns while in 4WD.
Also if it ever does get stuck? Always tell the dealership that you have done all the required steps!! NEVER Give them the easy out!

 

Construction sites are a great way to get flat tires cause due to construction debris, don't ask me how I know...

 

Prior to starting to offroad, back when I was in a '11 Ram 1500 4x4, I'd either find a dirt road I could make a few laps on or when lucky enough for rain, I'd run 4x4 while the roads were wet. Dual purpose, helps for takeoff on the wet road and stretched it's legs.

Now that I have the Taco I'm on dirt/offroading once a month anyway, so no issue. lol

 

Are you sure that's correct? I mean, I know 10 miles, as recommended by the manual may not be 100% necessary (ie: it won't break just can you did 6 miles)... but to not drive it at all... would that not mean the oils don't circulate?

Sorry, but I don't understand which one's "know what they are talking about" and which one's don't. I think you've mentioned the same thing twice and said one of them know what they are talking about, while the other doesn't. Can you please clarify.

Honestly, with work and life in general, I don't have much time to do so. It may sound like a lame excuse, but I travel extensively for work, and the very little time I have here at home, I'd like to keep it local.

If there are some absolutely close... like within a 5 mile radius... I'll do it. I couldn't find anything closer than 30 minutes drive from where I am. As mentioned in a previous post to another gentleman, I'm barely in town due to work travel, and the limited time I have here at home, I'd like to keep it local. Driving 30 minutes is probably not going to be fun if I have to do it bi-monthly.

I would have jumped on the RWD had I known for sure I'd live in this warm climate long term, and not move out of state. I just don't want to buy a truck now, take the hit on depreciation, and then take another hit on depreciation in a few years if I have to buy another truck.

Thank you for sharing that story. Something I can definitely learn from. Especially if it's used 4x4 that I'm ever looking at.

The off-road and TRD sport are pretty much the same price. The 16" rims on the off-road, and the shocks offer a softer ride than the 17", sport tuned, suspension on the sport.

Wait ... I can switch it to 4x4 in the rain, on pavement, to do the monthly recommended 4x4 drive?? Where I live, it rains a lot, and I can definitely do that. Can I drive it on pavement, in 4x4, if it's raining? I just want to make sure the system won't bind.

 

So if it's raining and I'm, say in a paved parking lot, can I just switch to 4x4 and do a short drive? Where I live, it rains a lot, and that may be the easiest way for me to maintain the 4x4 system. I just want to stress that this would be on wet pavement, and not wet sand/mud, or gravel? Is this okay, or will it damage the 4x4 system?

 

You can even drive on dry pavement as long as you don't effectuate any turns. Hell, you can throw her in 4Hi or 4Lo (also, remember 4Lo is meant for really really slow driving) and drive in a straight line, throw her back into 2WD to turn around, turn it to 4hi or 4lo again, drive in a straight line, rinse and repeat.

 

You'll know if you're binding up the wheels as you'll feel the vehicle shutter and not want to keep going forward, almost like you're in way too high of a gear or you're running out of gas. This will only happen on tight turns, especially on dry ground.

You'll notice you're doing it wrong before you break something, it's not something that will magically happen out of nowhere. There's no need to drive fast either.
If you feel like there's something strange going on (aka you're executing a tight turn), just slow to a stop, go in reverse a few feet, engage 2WD and go home.

 

You can drive in 4wd on dry roads a few miles a month with zero damage to the 4wd system.. Period. Just don't do it continuously.

Those who say you will damage the 4wd system doing this do not know what they are talking about.

I cannot explain it better. The system will not bind if no sharp "parking lot" turns are done. Wet road are fine. Dry roads are fine. Dirt roads are fine.

If anyone has ever been off road in the rocks, they will realize a dry road in 4HI is super easy on the truck compared to being on a rock in 4LO with your wheels turned all the way. And guess what.... even then, the 4WD system still does not grenade!

 

Next time you get in the truck, start driving and when you get to a straight or gentle curve road just switch it into 4wd. It is that simple. Do not leave it there all the time though. Just a few minutes and switch back.

 

Couple of quick questions:

(1) Do you mean don't do it regularly as in not every month, or not too many consecutive miles?

(2) Does this mean I can also engage the locker at less than 3 mph on dry pavement if it's a short distance, and in a straight path?

(3) I rented a 4x4 off-road Tacoma and the 4x4 system was acting really weird. First, it would take forever to engage in 4H, and when it finally did, it would make the loudest "clunk" that sounded like I was running over something on the road? Any idea what may have caused that?

(4) For the same rental truck mentioned above, I noticed that sometimes it just did not want to come out of 4x4. What happens if I'm doing my monthly maintenance on a dry patch of pavement, the 4x4 won't disengage, and I need to turn?


Thank you,

 

1. No. "Regularly" means putting it in 4WD at 8am and driving all over town until 5pm. I do it once a week for about two minutes.
2. Absolutely. You should.
3. Be coasting when you turn the selector switch to 4HI. Gear splines have to mesh so just quit accelerating when you turn the knob.
4. Again, be coasting when you shift from 4HI to 2HI. On my 2017 Tacoma it always shifted into and out of 4WD every time. On my 2021 It shifts every time. No issues. If you have issues come back here. We will help.

 

I have a '21 TRD Sport and don't have a whole lot of gravel or dirt roads around me here in the 'burbs. I have used 4HI on dry pavement without issue and make a point to pop it back into 2WD if I have to make sharp turns in parking lots or have a lot of right or left turns. I have had zero issues engaging 4HI around town on pavement going < 45 Mph. I think you will be fine as long as you keep it straight and disengage on anything more than a mild curve or turn. Turns in 4WD on hard surfaces with excellent traction is the killer because your wheels turn at different speeds (left to right and front to back) and if the ground has no give because you are on pavement and have excellent traction, that is when something has to give and your diff or other parts of the running gear will give. It isn't an issue off road because the ground will give. Driving in a straight (or near straight line) is how you ensure you will not create a situation where your wheels are turning at different rates.

Here is an article that goes in depth; trust in God - all others must bring data.