4wd Question

Hi all,
I am the proud new owner of a 2010 tacoma (TRD, SR5, V6).... I was skimming through the owner's manual, and saw where it says to drive atleast 10 miles every month while in 4wd.... I have no real plans to go off roading with the truck, and was under the impression that driving in 4wd while on road surfaces actually can hurt the truck???
Thanks!
PS- I also attempted to do a search, however, found nothing...

 

I am a firefighter in the Washington DC area, and needed a vehicle that was going to be able to deal with snow...... (We dont get liberal leave if a blizzard comes through!)

 

Or find a dirt road to drive down

 

Why can you not turn??? I guess I am gathering that it shouldn't be run down the highway (even though it says you can engage from 2 to 4H so long as you are below 62 mph??? And what is the logic behind only in the rain??

 

When you take a turn, the outer wheels (and sometimes front) spin at a faster pace to keep up with wheels on the inside of the turn. When 4wd is engaged, the rear wheels are "locked" together at the same speed. The wheels cannot turn independantly which will cause binding on pavement but not on wet pavement, mud or dirt because traction is reduced and the wheels can slip a little bit

 

along with others on here i put it in 4x4 every time it rains just to keep things lubed up.

 

My goodness... it is so easy and not a problem... 4WD on pavemnet is okay if the road is wet (allows slippage if you make turns)... 4WD in a straight line is okay, too if the road is dry. As said above, in a PART TIME 4WD system the front and back driveshafts are locked together and in turns, they need to rotate at different speeds... slippery roads allow this. FULL TIME 4WD (aka ALL WHEEL DRIVE or AWD) have a center or third differential that allows the two drive shafts to rotate differently.

You don't 'need' 4WD when it rains, it is for the benefit of those in the city who are unable to use 4WD on dirt roads at least 10 miles per month.

This 10 mile per month is a recomendation, not a must. We could probably go 6 months in 2WD and the 4WD will still work, IMO.

 

i drive in 4wd hi on dry pavement every once in a while just so i can make sure it gets used like the manual says. unless you have a front locker (not available from toyota on these trucks) there is no reason to worry. just avoid turning to full lock or you will get the binding and a little jerking in the steering wheel.