Did I likely damage the Taco 4WD?

I was buying extended warranties before it was cool....

 

Not unusual for the system to be persnickety. The manual even notes it may take a few attempts for the system engage/disengage. But this is far better than never using the system and having an actuator seize.

 

I'm not really sure how ADD component is lubricated.






I know the video there's no diff fluid, but under normal operation, isn't the ADD component constantly half submerged in diff fluid?

 

I’m in 4H for about 15 feet every other day or daily. I park in some sand. The other day it wouldn’t disengage and I got to the street and take a left handed 90 but you hear it immediately and feel it. I stopped moved the switch again and it’s fine. Yesterday I spent a lot of time in 4L, on some steep stuff, every time I made some full lock maneuver in the campground, on dirt, you can feel it. No big deal.

 

Yeah I'm in Maine roads are covered in snow parking lots are not more than once I have pulled into a parking space with it in FWD never found any parts on the ground it lets you know right away. Yes it's fine to drive on a normal road in FWD it won't break it.

 

I love all these "OMG you will break your truck with 4wd on pavement" Not gunna happen unless you need some serious maintenance to begin with.

These trucks kick ass in some of the most difficult 4x4 trails with large tires. Moab sandstone is like sandpaper and you have to be really stupid to break anything.

 

wrong. Both CV shafts turn and one side of the front diff is always turning.

 

right, never said the CVs didn't spin, and the diff doesn't spin just the spiders.

 

My question is do you have to drive in 4 wheel low occasionally ???

 

A Rain storm is a great time to drive it in 4hi.

 

I asked AMD, the answer is:

• every 1-3 month(s)
• put into 4H, and you DO need to drive a little bit for it to engage/disengage, but don't have to actually do 10 miles.
• exercise 4L. Just toggle between 4L and 4H while the truck is stationary a few times. You shouldn't need to drive the truck for 4L and 4H to engage/disengage.
• No need to exercise rear locker.

 

I wouldnt recommend it unless you plan to use it. If it gets jammed, which there are a lot of posts about, you are stuck.

4x4 and 2HI are all you need to use to move the actuator.

 

No! It's not. I'll get back to that.

Technically a short distance on a dry hard surface in a straight line is fine. I still don't advise it, or at least limit that as much as possible. There is the possibility of getting distracted, forgetting you're in 4X4 and making a sharp turn and doing serious damage. Even if nothing breaks at the moment you are overstressing expensive parts that will fail prematurely. It just isn't that hard to find a road with loose gravel or dirt to do this.

Driving in 4X4 on wet pavement.

If on a boat ramp or other incline where you can't get traction to move forward by all means use 4X4 to get moving. But disengage as soon as you're able to move without it. 4X4 is NOT AWD. They are very different systems. AWD sends power to all 4 wheels but allows them to all turn at different speeds as you corner. Which works great on wet pavement.

4X4 locks the front and rear axles together. When you turn a corner on any road surface you WILL have at least one wheel spin slightly on the road surface. Driving in 4X4 on wet pavement is less likely to damage the drivetrain than on dry pavement. But as you corner with at least one wheel breaking traction with the pavement you are MORE likely to put the truck into a spin than if you just left it in 4X2 which allows each of the wheels to turn at different speeds.

 

Personally, I think the engage 4WD every month thing is overkill... mine only gets engaged when offroading in the summer and on snow/ice in the winter. My 2007 is 15 years old now and the 4WD system works flawlessly. Bought a 1988 4Runner years ago and did the same with it. After 370,000 miles the 4WD worked as good as new.... never had an issue.

 

Every month or so I drive a few Kms, in 4Hi, on dry pavement, on a straight stretch of road. People overstate the risk of this. The forces at play when you are actually wheeling your truck are far greater than what this monthly toodle puts the drivetrain through.

 

I was waiting for Marshall to chime in lol. He bought a 4x4 and is scared to use it.

 

even snow this deep, 4hi was all it needed to get going

 

It's definitely totaled. You should start looking for a new truck.

 

+1

 

Yes.