4wd Newbie Question #1

This is my first 4wd, I so I have a lot to learn...please bare with me. After doing some research it appears that driving on dry pavement is not a good idea, but I do realize that some say that it is okay if you're just going straight. Who is right, I don't know and I don't want to risk damaging anything. Since Toyota recommends it being used monthly can I put it on jack stands and put it in gear and engage the 4wd? If I'm correct, would this simulate wheel spin / slippage? If this method is safe and okay, can both 4hi and 4lo be engaged while on the stands? Thanks.

 

Personally I only use the 4x4 when its needed on slippery surfaces, for me that's snow. I dont subscribe to the idea that it needs be be used monthly. On Jack stands you're safe but that seems like a ton of work for little results. Just turn it on when you need it (never dry pavement) and you'll be fine.

 

Manual says drive on 4wd atleast ten miles a month to keep things lubricated. Your fine in 4 high under 55 as long as your not turning. I have a long stretch of road on the way home for about five miles. Sometimes i just pop it in 4 high for a few min

 

Set a reminder for one day per month - for shit's sake lets say the 15th.

Find a nice long stretch of road where you have no turns. Doesn't matter if it's highway or local streets.

Put it in 4 hi. Drive for about 5 - 10 min. Put back in 2wd. You're done.

 

Wait until your ADD solenoid sticks from disuse lol.

OP, it is absolutely safe to use 4HI on dry pavement for a mile or two. Just no parking lot turns and don't forget to put it back in 2HI.

 

Also, the PnP 2Lo Mod (2LM) is on the way. That will simplify the 10mi of exercise:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-2wd-low-range-for-the-3rd-gen-tacoma.614743/

I have done many miles on dry straight roads with no problems. As others have said, the Taco driveline is pretty stout.

Be sure to actuate 4Lo every once in a while also. Say, a parking lot.

 

Contrary to popular belief here, your truck will not explode if you run 4x4Hi on dry pavement. Will the wheels bind in sharp turns? Yeah. Should you be in 4x4 at the mall on a nice summer day? No.

Anyone ever done a burnout in their truck? Did things explode? Same principle here. Takes x amount of torque to overcome the static friction and lead to wheel slip. If the drive train cant handle that, then Tacomas would not have a place in the offroad scene

Just find a nice back road with some nice gradual turns (or none at all) and run it once a month(ish) for 10 miles. Or, if you are still worried about it, this is your excuse to get out onto the dirt roads more often

 

The most important thing is movement of the ADD device. Modern 4WD system keep the front axles spinning, so the old days of worrying about the oil not moving in the diff housing are gone, however, now we have the ADD system to consider, which can seize if never operated.

I do not see the argument for running 10 miles in 4Hi, however I do absolutely agree on the “use it or loose it” theory with the ADD, transfer case, and rear diff lock. I try to be diligent about going into 4Hi once every so often, and, when I can, shifting into 4Lo and engaging the locker. Those systems can save your truck in a bad situation, so you do not want to find out they don’t work when you need them the most.

4Hi on pavement with sweeping bends is no issue. You drivetrain is under more strain actually wheeling, then it ever will be driving subtle curves in 4Hi.

 

True there.

Also, Newbie Question #2 is usually, how do I get my Taco into / out of 4Lo and why can't I use the diff lock in 2Hi.

 

In which case the search function would be his friend
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/first-time-in-4wd-low-question.613967/#post-20828044

 

If I don't get into the woods or have snow I just wait for a rainy day and flip on 4x4 for a few miles on a fairly straight road.

 

You pavement queens have to get out on dirt more often, it’s only 10 miles a month! Why not spice up your romantic life or make a family fun routine out of it and take them out for a picnic in a remote place once a month?

 

Its 2019, the mid size pickup is the new family vehicle!

 

Yeah, so? It also comes in 2wd for that...

Seriously though, getting out in nature even once a month is good for kids and adults alike.

 

I hear you. Life can suck like that. Also around here, most all offroad places get closed with many feet of snow in the winter while there is usually not a flake in sight for the unfun lowlands.

 

If you let a 4X4 go unused for an extended period of time the internal parts don't get lubricated and you stand a chance of it not engaging when needed. I had it happen to me ONCE years ago with a Jeep Cherokee that my wife primarily drove. Didn't use 4X4 for about 6 months and it wouldn't engage as we were leaving a Rodeo in the rain. Parking in a pasture with hundreds of trucks leaving in the rain makes a muddy mess. I managed to get out, but would have spun wheels a lot less in 4X4.

I've seen it happen to others too. I found a couple of Utah cowboys stranded when their F250 4X4 wouldn't engage and they couldn't pull their stock trailer up a gravel hill in the middle of the desert. If I'd not come along they would have had to leave the truck and ride out on horseback and drive the cattle the old fashioned way. I pulled both the truck and trailer to the top of the hill with my Tacoma. The incline is steeper than it appears in the photo.



I don't get in 10 miles each and every month, but never let more than 2 months go by. And I don't always get in 10 miles. But ANY time I find myself on a dirt/gravel road I engage 4X4 even if it is only for 1/2 mile or so. Some months I may only get in 2-3 miles, some months 200-300 miles. I've not had any problems since.

And that applies to electronics too. If not used condensation builds up and they fail. Even my winch instructions say to pull out the cable and reel it back in under load once a month for the same reason. You bought it, use it or lose it.

And as someone who has actually had to have a transfer case rebuilt, twice. It ain't cheap. I STRONGLY advise against operating in 4X4 on pavement. You can get away with it for a while. But it is damaging the transfer case, U-Joints, and drive shafts. You might not break anything today, but you are causing excessive wear that will cause parts breakage later, probably when you need it to work the most. And while gentle curves do LESS, damage than sharp corners sooner or later you'll forget you're in 4X4 on pavement and pull into a parking lot and do a LOT of damage. It simply isn't that hard to find a stretch of gravel, dirt, or grass surface to drive a few miles on occasionally.

 

I do one or two miles every few weeks. No biggie but you gotta do it regularly.

 

Thanks everyone! I've always had 2wd trucks in the past, but I decided to go with 4wd this time to access places to fish and kayak when traveling. I live in the concrete jungle, so getting off the pavement is very limited.

 

Sounds like there’s a Highlander in your future, dude. Just kidding, get out there once a month for Pete’s sake!

 

LOL...we almost did