New to 4X4 how to use it and not mess it up

Today I was driving and I decides to turn on 4X4 and the lane turned left a little bit and I wanted to know if tha could mess up 4X4 at all i really don’t understand much about it and I’m trying to figure it out

 

Probably fine my dude. In future, only use 4X4 on low traction environments, Ice/mud etc. Think about it this way, when you turn in 2hi your inside wheels move slower than the outside.

When you turn in 4x4 all wheels will move at the same speed. So, if all 4 wheels have good traction you can harm the differentials as the inside wheels want to move slower, but have too much grip.

The owners manual explains when & how to use 4x4 if you want to have a look.

 

This is what happens when you corner while in 4X4. In 4X2 each of your 4 wheels are free to turn at different speeds. In 4X4 they all turn at the same speed. The inside wheels have much less distance to travel when cornering so they will slip slightly on the ground. If you're on loose dirt, gravel, grass, ice, snow, mud or similar the wheels can spin slightly with little damage to the drivetrain. If traction is good, then you really put everything in a bind. Sharp turns are harder on the drivetrain than slight turns.

It's rare to have a catastrophic parts failure, but it does happen. The way it usually works is that doing this repeatedly over time you simply wear out parts lot sooner than you should.

The inside of the transfer case uses a chain and 2 sprockets to send power to the front axle. Over time repeated use of 4X4 in good traction causes the chain to stretch. It will eventually get loose enough that it will start slipping on the sprockets when you accelerate. You also put excessive strain on CV axles and U-Joints.



Everybody that's ever owned a 4X4 has at some point forgotten to shift out of 4X4 when getting back to pavement and driven a few miles. Mistakes happen. I just don't recommend doing it by design. You get a certain number of miles before something breaks. Don't waste them. It's not a good idea to use 4X4 in the rain just because the pavement is wet. 4X4 works completely different than AWD. Using 4X4 on wet pavement is helping much anyway and under certain conditions can make it worse.

The owner's manual suggests driving a few miles per month in 4X4 to keep all the internal parts lubricated. That is really important. If you don't use it, you will lose it. 4X4 simply won't engage if you let it go unused for months at a time. Some guys get in a few miles on pavement. Technically you should be OK if driven in a relatively straight line for a short distance but I don't recommend that. Find a dirt or gravel road. Even if it's a short distance. The shooting club where I shoot has a 1 mile gravel drive. I shift into 4X4 and get in 2 miles every time I go shoot.

 

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