4WD Requirements

So in general, what is yall's thoughts on invoking 4WD. To be in compliance
with the recommended 10 miles a month is simply going on a gravel/dirt
road with slight inclines enough? Even if not really needed will invoking 4WD
on such an area harm it ? I'm talking about hard-pack & small stretches of
loose gravel.

I have access to a few places with some slight hilly spots where I go over and
back into and invoke slants but nothing fantastic.

 

If I'm not going to be on a trail for a while, I'll just turn on 4wd on a one mile straight stretch in my neighborhood a few times a month.

 

Also, the 2Lo Mod (2LM) makes this even easier.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/what-can-happen-if-i-dont-use-4-wheel.734742/#post-26163328

 

I have a long stretch of road in my neighborhood and I TRY and remember to engage 4WD once a month. Sometimes I forget, but I don't lose any sleep over it.

I would bet that the majority of 4x4 Tacoma owners, especially the ones who are not on TW, probably never engage the 4WD as stated in the manual

 

use it on rainy days on straight stretches of highway. turn it off before curves & turns. the use it or lose it idea applies to the actuator as well, so it also needs regular exercise, don't be afraid to turn it off & on regularly.

 

I know of 2 guys on my street with 2017's neither of them have ever used their 4WD.

 

That would be a fun experiment to monitor.


IMHO, the owners manual recommendation is pretty sensible, esp considering the actuator issues that have come up around here. Not rampant, but enough to think that some easy PM makes a ton of sense.

 

You’re in Phoenix if I recall. There are generally dirt roads and trails within 30-45 mins of most places out there, to the point that when I was working out there a couple of years ago I had to put A/T tires on my work truck since I always seemed to be on dirt roads. Find an area near you and go explore!

 

As others have said, just hop on a stretch of the ol 1mi grid and click it over, then back after a mile or two before turning off and heading home. I'd be surprised if mild curves on the road were anything to worry about, there's a differential in the front after all! Just don't take sharp city-street turns on dry pavement, or ya know, try to squeeze into a tight parking spot. Subaru techs and tire shop folks always told me to replace all 4 tires at once on my Impreza due to rotational speed differences being CATASTROPHIC for the drivetrain. My old boss once quipped back with "do you think they care about that in the outback?"

Thanks for the reminder though, I need to do this today since I've had no chance to actually use my 4WD since buying it earlier this summer!

I'm also prepared to be shat on for suggesting it's not a big deal to turn the wheel a little bit on dry pavement in 4WD. Watch that old WWII-era GM educational video about how differentials work, and your mind will be at ease.

 

Sorry, but it has nothing to do with the diffs. Its the locked T case with the front axle following a different turn radius than the rear axle, which can bind the driveline.

In a part-time 4WD system, like ours, different tire diameters can bind the driveline also. A lot of different things can cause a different diameter, like inflation pressures.


It is all minor like you said though. Driving on a dry, straight section of road is fine. The 2LM is better. Loose surfaces are the best.

Note that all tires scrub, even on dry pavement. If they didn't we wouldn't have tire wear to start with.

 

No apology necessary! I just don't think anyone should be losing sleep over a few gentle curves while keeping their 4WD system exercised between "good" opportunities. There's no way to keep all those variables perfectly balanced anyway, and TW often implies these trucks are made out of glass, and that just ain't true. We're all just trying to live in the real world, ya know?

 

Right on!

The Tacos are much more stout than we think.

 

I have an excuse to tear through a gravel road when I go to work.

 

I have a 500' dirt driveway on a 20% slope uphill to my house in the snowy White Mountains of NH. Without 4wd, I'm not getting home!

 

Could you rub in your good lives just a bit more?

 

I like to engage the rear diff lock every so often also.

 

Why does this sound kinky?

 

I like to have a good time

 

You're easy but you're not cheap right ?..