4wd maintenance?

New 18 DCSB 4x4 AT sport. 4k miles. How do I, for the lack of a better term, "maintain" the transfer case and components? My miles are all road/highway, so do I need to periodically switch to 4L and 4H to keep everything lubed up? What's the process? Periodic top speed and distance for each?

First time truck owner...

 

read manual it will tell you

 

I had a feeling I was going to get the ol...."RTFM"

 

10 miles per month in 4wd. If on pavement or hard ground go straight, no sharp turns. Otherwise, find some mud or sand and do some donuts.
If the latter, post video here.

 

Personally I dont buy the 10 miles per month, unless you would never use it otherwise. Driving in 4x4 on dry pavement is a big no-no (even says not to do this in the manual"

You're fine if you only use it when you need 4x4. My opinion.

 

why have a manual by engineers ? what do they know

 

Honestly is easy enough to switch into 4wd once a month or 2. I would try to only because the actuator takes a month of sundays to engage even when new. Cant imagine how long if it seizing or stiff. Unless Im going slow or go into reverse the 4WD light just flashes forever. You need to put this thing into 4wd before things get hairy, otherwise you're screwed waiting for it to engage. And I use mine more than their recommended mileage and have only 2800 miles and find the engagement time extremely long going into 4H. 4L seems easier only cause I am stopped and can go back and forth to get it to lock in. Just think its, finicky in these things regardless

 

That manual was not written by engineers. Trust me you don't want a manual written by engineers . Your head would do this. Lol

That being said read the manual for maintenance. The people that wrote it know what they are talking about. It will give you much better information than a bunch of guys on a forum

 

I'll engage 4H for a bit every month or so, but just on straight roads and moderate speeds. Which ever side of the debate you're on, for those not familiar with traditional 4WD it's beneficial to get a feel for engagement/disengagement on your vehicle. As noted, you don't want to find yourself in need and not know what you're doing or with a system problem.

 

Absolutely no issues engaging 4WD on dry pavement when driving in a straight line for a mile or so, which is easy to do if you have a straight stretch of road near you. Those who tell you otherwise don’t understand how 4WD works.

 

What you don't want to do on dry pavement is have your diff locked and turn. That's how you get driveline wind up, which is bad news.

Just driving in 4wd with open diffs is no big deal.

(Case in point, Land Cruisers used to be full time 4WD)

 

After a dry period and then getting a good dose of rain I am very mindful of slick roads. That reminders me to use 4Hi briefly on a straight road. Not scientific, but it works for me.

 

There’s a big difference between a full time AWD with a center differential (land cruisers, land rovers, etc) and our 4WD system. We don’t have the center diff which means our front and rear axles don’t have the ability to spin at different speeds like those AWD vehicles and limits our use of 4WD.

 

I have had three 4WD Tacomas (2001, 2005, 2010) and although I use 4WD a lot, not always every month...

I also forget to do the 10 miles a month maintenance. However, I strongly agree that you should use the 4WD monthly and driving 4WD on pavement is not a problem unless you turn sharply when binding of the tires against pavement happens (the front tires combined turn more than the rear combined). Naturally, it would be better on rainy or snow days.

If you have a dirt field, all the better and do go into L4 (low range) and also engage the rear locker if you have the Off Road TRD.

Using these things will make it easier for the gears, and for your mind to use these things if you should really need them!

 

Engaging the 4HI and LO periodically will also keep the actuators from seizing up on you. Change the oil in the transfer case and differentials as well to maintain your 4WD system, mileage intervals will be in the maintenance schedule.

 

What scenario on dry pavement with all of your wheels on the ground would result in your axles not spinning at the same speed?

 

Turning. That’s why a 4WD without a center differential binds up. The front and rear axles are traveling different distance arcs in a turn and must rotate at different speeds.

 

Turning is handled by the diffs on the axles themselves though. The axle itself is split by the diff so the wheels can turn at different speeds. That's why driving around with your diffs locked and turning is bad, but that should have no impact on your center driveshaft.

 

In 4WD your axles are locked together through the transfer case. It’s functioning similar to a locked differential in the axle itself except that instead of locking the two wheels into a single rotational speed it locks the axles into a single rotational speed.

AWD systems have have a center differential that transfers power from the transfer case to the individual axle differentials. That allows the front and rear axles to rotate at different speeds as needed. The center differential in some can be locked which then acts just like our trucks in 4WD.

 

That's all true *if you lock both front and rear diffs*. If your axle diffs are open, the wheels will spin at different speeds (like when you're turning) no problem. That's the whole point of a differential. All the transfer case/center diff is doing is ensuring that equal-ish power is going to both front and rear axles, and the diffs do the rest.