4WD Shifting Question

I have an '03 Tacoma it's a 5spd with 4WD (Lever type no button). I just got it recently so don't hate, I don't know much about it yet. How do I shift into 4H from 2H? The manual says under 50mph just slam it in. So I went to try it. Got up to around 35-40 and tried to shift it in, now I didn't want to force it so I gently applied varying pressure. I got to the point where I didn't want to push it any harder (I am afraid of breaking it). When I am under 15mph is is real smooth shifting into it. So is there any pattern or sequence of clutch, shift that has to be done?

Thanks,
Liam

 

Thanks, I know for low you have to stop, but am I right that you can shift it on the fly?

 

I too recently acquired a manual Taco with the J-shifter and had to do some searches on TW before I felt knowledgeable enough to use it

I haven't tried using it at speed, only while stopped or less than 20mph but it should be a very smooth transition. Although the owner's manual states that pushing in the clutch is not necessary for switching between 2 and 4 high, I find my manual-minded brain unable to complete that operation

 

Thanks for the responses. What color is yours WheelInTheSky? I love the '01 '02 '03 and sometimes '04s.

 

It's Impulse Red Pearl. I've got the 02 with sr5 package. What the hell, why not give ya a pic just for funzies!

 

For you manual minded people think of it like this. It has synchros to be able to shift on the fly. The faster you go the longer it takes for them to do their job. It's like shifting from 4th to 2nd with out a throttle blip to match revs. It will take forever. I also find that if I've been in 4wd and the transfer case is warm the shifts are smoother too. Hope this helps. Keep applying medium pressure and it will go in. I'd try warming it up a bit and shifting it to and fro in 10 mph increments to get a feel for it.

 

Thanks, yes I have heard that it shifts smoother when its warmed up, but I didn't know if that was entirely true or not.

 

I have an 04 4wd and have plenty of experience shifting at speed. Driving highways in Montana the road can go from snow covered to dry fairly quickly. On snowcovered roads Ill drive in 4wd up to 65mph or so and shift back to 2wd when I see that the road is getting better. Never had a problem shifting back and forth.

 

What part of montana are you from brother? I am in central, fergus county. Glad to meet another montana Tacoma owner! We are a minority out here among the ranchers and their big diesel trucks and soccer moms driving around half tons you know? I rarely see Tacomas around town, in fact, I can count all the regular ones I see driving around on both hands.

My auto Tacoma has the button shift thing on the lever for 4WD high, so I just have to push that. I usually turn it on when I'm stopped or moving very slow and keeping wheels straight. Never had a problem going in. When I take it out of 4HI, I go straight in a line again, but this time blip the throttle, and as soon as the RPM's start coming down, I push the button and it goes back into 2HI without clunking or banging out of engagement which I hate.

 

its better to stop or be going slow to put in 4 hi but in 4lo u gotta stop