10mi of 4x4 per month - According to Manual

Read through the manual and it recommends 10mi of 4x4 / mo to keep the system lubricated. This is my first 4x4. What's the real world recommendation? Pg 247

 

10 miles....straight if on paved road.

If you turned sharp in a paved road you'll probably blow the transfer case from it binding on the pavement.

Dirt road is the best if your going to turn and pretty much any "off road" environment.

 

Real world would be the 10 miles a month. I actually find it better to do it in short bursts, say on a straight road where the speed limit is around 30 mph. The actuators like to fail in the second gen if you don't use them often. I would turn it on a few times a week for 1/4 to 1/2 a mile at a time.

 

I've wondered about this. Isn't the ftont driveshaft and diff turning all the time? They just are not powered until 4x4 is turned on.

 

Turn it on for a mile or so in a straight line whenever it rains.

 

Or snow

 

Yea that's what I was wondering... On my Bronco with manual hubs it was more necessary... As nothing spun from t case forward.

 

Actually, no. The front drive shaft is not engaged until the trasfer case is activated. And like your engine that oil rest at the bottom of the case and doesn't reach all the gears unless activated.

Had a buddy never do the ten mile rule and ended up needing four wheel drive, engaged it, hit the gas and kaboom. Case gears were so dry it just disintegrated under stress.

 

If the front diff is turning... So is the driveshaft...

 

Is that true of the transfer case only? Aren't the diff and driveshaft turning whenever the wheels are turning?

 

Ummmmm.

 

It's more so to ensure the t case is properly lubed. Most likely the seals and bearings on the front output shaft side. And to keep electronic parts from seizing

 

If Toyota was smart they'd have a splash ring on both output shafts so regardless of 2 or 4 it'd still get splashed..

(They may already have this, I never opened a Toyota case)

 

Here, I'll help you out. This is an example of gears in a transfer case. This is particularly a 4Runner transfer case. If these don't have proper lubrication, under stress they have a high probability of failure.

 

Gears don't magically become brittle to the point of "disintegrating" due to lack of lubrication.

 

Here my issue though.. The front shaft IS spinning. But the gear it's attached to is not connected to the output of the rear shaft so it's essentially in neutral.

Imagine this video with an actual drive shaft. That lower gear would still be spinning if the vehicle is moving due to input front the shaft

https://youtu.be/VxWIW_i72Ec

 

You are correct, but they do require proper maintence before you need them.

Yeah your rear diff will operate for a variable amount of time without lube, but that is drastically reduced without it.

The oils used in all vehicles function on a molecular level to protect the metal to metal functions of these gears under all stresses.

And being that the story I mentioned he NEVER engaged the four wheel drive. And when he did, the case was basically seized.

 

This is great!

 

Its to exercise the actuator no ?