4X4 High Question

Down in MoCo county, you really don't need 4x4 unless it is actually snowing real bad... If you got a 44 mile commute, my guess would be you are going down 270 to 495?? The state keeps that part wet almost 24/7... With that being said, according to the manual, you should drive 10 miles every month with 4x4 engaged, and going down a straight highway is probably the place to do it.... Other than that, NOTHING helps you drive through ice.... You also would probably just want to save the $$ on fuel.

 

here is what you get when driving in part time 4WD on dry surfaces:
http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/axle-wind-up.html

 

There are a lot of people scared to use 4x4 in this thread. OP read your owners manual. See what it says...

4x4 will certainly help if you hit a patch of black ice. It keeps the vehicle going in a straight line instead of getting sideways. Its cheaper to replace a transfer case in the event something goes wrong instead of replacing the entire truck in the event something goes wrong. If the roads have more wet spots than dry and the temperature is below freezing, use it! If the roads are really straight you're not likely to hurt it even if the roads are completely dry. You never know when you'll hit someplace missed with salt. Toyota doesn't say not to do it. Just make sure you turn it off before the sharp turns unless they are buried in snow.

 

The answer is (16) 4x4 ???????

 

It's funny cause there are people all over with actual evidence of damage caused by straight line dry road 4x4 use...The front to rear binding is too big a risk to just use it.
And it may or may not help you with black or any other type of ice. It all depends on how big the patch is. 4x4 isn't the magical fix all for winter driving- It becomes 4 wheel slip just as quick as not if you don't know what you are doing with it.

 

Hey, if you want to drive 40 miles down the road in 4x4 high to loosen your driveline up a little.. go for it. Let me know how that works out for ya. Steve

 

Its always the guys that have the major, expensive driveline problems are the same guys that NEVER use their 4x4!
The same guys that never use their parking brake have the frozen linkage and cable problems.
The same guys driving a clutch that use their clutch to hold them on hills or when they get stuck slipping the clutch and some really stupid morons that try to pull a tractor trailer.
I use my 4x4 constantly if I drive 5 miles from home I might turn it in and out 10 times, I turn it in as soon as my rear wheels start slipping and out after they stop.

TELL ME?? PLEASE I really like to know??


WHY DID YOU BUY A 4X4 TRUCK FOR?????????

 

I bought mine for when 2WD doesn't cut it due to road conditions .

That generally doesn't include dry pavement or rain .

Am I missing something here ?

 

I said any auto trans with a chain in it is considered a CVT, didn't say the Tacoma had the chain in it.
Have you been living under a rock for the past 10 years? The majority of all compact, small and even mid size cars are using a CVT transmission, some are using rubber belts instead of chains
Can you say Subaru?
Can you say Nissan?
Can you say Kia?

 

Wow , it got awfully quiet in here

 

The answer to the question "will it hurt the driveline to make 2 turns in 4 miles" is
no with an if. If you don't make any turns.

Everyone thinks you're doing figure 8s with the thing apparently.

As to whether you should or need to, thats a different story. I would just drive around with my hubs turned in all the time back in the day... now a days (if I were to return to the frozen north) I would just count on having the shift on the fly crap.

No you won't hurt it driving down the road. But beware intersections and sharp turns. Don't do em.

 

Geez I drove an 86 4Runner (as 2nd owner) for 14 years. Talk about brutal windup. I can't even begin to count how many times I had to reverse to get out of 4hi, and even then it was with a big THUD! But nevertheless, it survived all those years just fine. Not one failure. Built Toyota tough.

These new trucks don't seem to windup nearly as much. Given the conditions you're talking about (dry pavement alternating with patches of ice), I don't see a significant problem. But two rules - one keep your speed under the recommended max for 4hi driving. And two, swap it back to 2wd once ever 5 miles or so. Then reengage as necessary. You can tell if it's winding up.

If however, we're talking really intermittent snow/ice coverage, I'd take the advice of those who say leave it in 2wd, but when you get to the snow and ice patches, just let off the gas and take it easy driving through. And yeah make sure you got some good AT tires. BFG AT KO's are an awesome tire for road commuting, and double as good weekend offroad rubber. Tons of guys on here run them.

 

you know, the manual states to drive it in 4hi for at least ten miles a month. Do they expect you to find a long fire break?

 

Do some doughnuts

 

Chain failure ?

 

holy shit.. you spelled doughnuts correctly. I've seen nothing but "donuts" for years.

Just checked a couple of chain "donut" stores and found "donuts" and "do-nuts" Do.. nuts. Really? Effin texas.

 

I am literate .

 

Yea, I've been living in the southern united states for a long time. Almost to retiring. Move back to a literate state. My kids will have a tough time though. And i'm pretty sure I'll freeze to death. I throw on extra blankets in the mid 60s now. My mom kept the thermostat at 58 back in NY. And that was on the west side of the house. My room was like 45 in the winter.