4x4 HI/Low - What is OK and what isn't?

For slippery road conditions there’s 4X4.
For dry pavement, not so much. Simple enough.

Moreover, for some Saturday night 4x4 fix, the video below shows when 4X4 and Lo are really needed and what the limitations of our stock truck are.
I would not have tried this in my stock truck, that guy and wife team are really good, honest in their experience and brave lol!

FuN starts at around 4:37

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/dpePFMuYpn4

 

i run 4wd on the road in the snow when needed. when i offroad im always in low.

 

Same. I've done plenty of long highway drives in the snow and always use 4hi even with snow tires, the added stability is well worth the minor MPG hit. I also have no problem doing the speed limit in snow as long as visibility and traffic permits.

 

I can definitely confirm you can use four wheel drive on the highway! Have driven close to two hundred miles today in four wheel drive on the 5 fwy. They finally shut it down about an hour ago. A crazy snow storm slammed in just as I left Deschutes national forest earlier today heading back to OC. It really sucks to be me right now! But my truck is doing just fine!
Btw, I forgot to say when I first started out I was in two wheel drive and started to pass someone in the passing lane. My tires broke loose and I spun all over the place! Luckily no other cars were around! Didn't go off the side, but did wind up facing the wrong direction. Immediately put the truck into 4hi. It's been smooth sailing ever since! Live and learn!!!

 

I will always use 4HI when road conditions are slippery. Mostly cuz our trucks are RWD if not in 4-wheel drive. I only use 4LO when going real slow off-road, which is very infrequent. Most of our off-roading is done in 2WD until 4WD is required. I've also spun a few times when I didn't realize how slippery the road was. Luckily never hit anything, but scary anyway.

I get perturbed when driving over the Rockies to Denver when it's snowing. There are ALWAYS a bunch of 2WD cars that block the freeway by attempting to climb with poor snow tires. Toyota Priuses are the worst offenders. At times I just drive on the shoulder in deep snow to get around these people. Grrr....

 

Get a good set of winter tires and you'll barely need 4hi. I've used mine three times this winter...mainly to push through large snow banks and once on a twisty back road. I also have sand bags in the bed and try to maintain a relatively full tank for rear weight

 

Yeah if a truck cant handle 4wd sharp turns on pavement, consider it useless lol. The tires will chirp and you'll lose some steering angle from it pushing, but you're not going to break a cv, unless you full romp on it in 4 low.

 

6 pages in and this is already the most 3rg gen forum thread of all time....and that’s saying a lot.

 

This is from the 2020 Tacoma Owner's Manual: