A question about 4wd and turning.

Good day fellow taco owners! Long story short I purchased my very first vehicle late last year (2013 TSS 4wd tacoma). I do my best to take care of my truck and one of the things I was suggested to do was to drive in 4wd for 10 miles a month to keep everything down there lubicrated. From home to work is pretty much a straight shot except for one hard right turn (basically a right angle turn if that makes sense). When I do this hard right turn, I notice that the farther into the hard right turn, the harder the turn gets. Now let me clarify that I have driven a vehicle without power steering and it isnt anything like that. I can just feel the difference in that turn when I have 4wd on and off. So wall of text aside, is this normal? Do all 4wds do this when turning? Am I going too fast into the turn? Thx for your time and answers guys!

 

Yes it's normal, in 4WD it puts the front wheels in a "bind" while turning because it's trying to turn both wheels at the same time. Obviously it's noticed more on pavement compared to snow or mud

 

Yeah don't drive on pavement in 4WD...

But while you're in 4WD, it is a tad harder to turn.

 

It's not advised to make hard turns in 4x4 unless the tires can slip, i.e. dirt, snow, or even when it's raining.

I understand the manual states to drive 10 miles a month in 4x4, but here's my take on it. I think they put that in there so when Billy Bob who's owned his truck since new and never used 4x4 and all of a sudden decides to use it 100k miles later and something breaks, Toyota isn't held responsible.

 

I bought a 2012 off road a little over 2 years ago. The first time I was on a dirt road I engaged the 4wd, 4lo, and the differential lock. The diff was difficult to get in and just as difficult to get out. After about 8 tries over a month the diff lock started to engage much easier. I drive on a dirt road or can about 4 times a year at a minimum so I do it then.

At a minimum I would engage it 2x a year while on dirt road and go through all the drive modes and drive the 10 miles. If that is all you can do I would also engage the 4wd a time or two while stopped just to engage it and then go back to 2wd.

 

Just disengage 4hi before the turn and reenagage it afterwards.

 

^What he said.

Engage on straight line and disengage on the turn.

 

Close enough for government work.

*The front is an open differential so they are not trying to turn at the same time(rate/speed). No center differential is the key.

 

Like stated above don't drive in 4x4 on pavement. Find a good dirt road and do it a few times a year.

 

For further understanding/science..

https://youtu.be/oYMMdjbmQXc

https://youtu.be/K4JhruinbWc

https://youtu.be/ZN6xHc7Nz-E

 

You can drive on pavement as long as you are going straight.

 

Its not worth it. Where I live most roads have turns. Drivetrain damage from dry road is a lot worse than the damage you get from not using it.

 

You can get away with it for short distances occasionally. The damage is cumulative. You can drive quite a few miles on pavement in 4X4 with no apparent damage. But you are damaging components that will break sooner than they should. The more cornering you do, and the sharper the corners the quicker the damage and it is possible to have a complete failure "right now".

My advice is not to operate in 4X4 at any time traction is good. Even in many off road situations the traction is too good to be in 4X4.

 

There is a stretch by me, down near the ocean , perfectly straight for a solid 5 miles. Ill engage then to get the miles on the 4X4 components.

 

wide turns in 4wd

 

Thanks for all the answers! I'll just take the truck out on a back road Instead of doing it on the way to work.