Exercising 4 wheel drive

Owners manual recommends driving 10 miles per month in 4wd to keep lubricated. How often do most users drive in 4wd? Is it acceptable to drive on a dry highway in 4wd? Highway driving while staying in one lane is relatively straight, or would that do more harm than good.

 

4H should be fine as long as you are driving straight.

Many times in the winter months when I am traveling on the highway I will encounter sections of snow, slush, black ice etc. I will switch to 4H, just for assurance. Normally whenever I do switch to 4H, I will have SLOWED down considerably for road conditions.

It is a 4x4, not an all wheel drive: so if you are just using it for best maintenance practices just keep it straight and everything will be alright.

 

Educate me on Why only use 4H in straight?
When leaving home, need 4H to get out of neighborhood so dont use it? Only use on straight highway where road is clear?
Places that i need to use are in and around town, around neigborhoods where there are turns etc..

 

007TRUCK, if you need 4WD that implies there are slippery conditions like gravel, mud, sand, grass, snow or ice. If that is true you can use 4WD all day in non-straight driving conditions. If you don't have a locking rear differential and not in crawl mode (off road models) 4WD is still providing power to 1 wheel on each axle. With open differentials ( not mech limited slip, not locked ) the power goes to the wheel with the least grip (wheel that slips the most). If you are not driving straight and the surface has high friction (no slip) then the 2 driven wheels will cover a different distance in an increment of time (say 3 secs). The transfer case mechanically connects the 2 driven wheels. On dry pavement something has to give to reconcile that 2 tires of the same circumference will cover different length of pavement while mechanically locked via transfer case. This can stress any and all components between the 2 driven wheels most likely damaging I would guess the transfer case but perhaps the diffs. I really don't know what the weak link is. Rock Lobster is correctly describing it as driveline bind. It is not good. But if you really need 4WD, one of the tires will slip or skid on the loose surface and nothing gets stressed. This stuff is complicated and the auto limited slip emulates a mechanical limited slip by using the abs to reduce slipping on that wheel, fooling the open diff which thinks that wheel is getting traction thereby passing power over to the wheel not previously getting power (wasn't slipping). I believe in crawl control the system replicates the auto LSD on the front axle as well. I heard the Chief Engineer , Mike Sweers, say the TRDOR had limited slip front and rear and I can only infer he was describing crawl using the wheel rotation sensors and abs to effectively result in auto LSD even though not advertised as front axle LSD.

 

Other sites have said that even in a straight line, continuing driving will be a problem with slight differences in tire pressure, crown of road etc. Are they being over analytical. That's why I was wondering if it is worth it to lubricate the system or if the stress makes it not worth. Seems to me like a mile or two every once in awhile would be a good idea.

 

I put my truck in 4WD every 5 miles. Once I leave college and get into traffic (where its a straight drive home) that's when I usually engage 4WD. I only go a maximum of 50 MPH on that road as well.

 

I'm also thinking that at 50 mph if the tires need to slip a little they will. Less friction than when going slow.

 

In the Summer Months I wait for a day that its raining to put mine in for a few miles.

 

OP: When in 4x4 mode if you try and turn on DRY ground there is binding in the gear mechanisms. Say you are turning left. The left tire travels a shorter distance than the right outside tire. Because of this the gears bind and the inside tire is stressed.




Also check this out as well

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-dh0VQxprJA

 

This why a straight line on dry pavement

 

Uhm, no one has a field or dirt road close enough to lock it in on? How about actually driving on a nice little scenic trail, might not need it, but beats putting it in 4 wheel drive on the pavement, truck will like it also...

 

+1. If you don't have a place to lock it, you probably didnt need 4wd to begin with.

 

Aussiek2000, I pull a boat and use it on steep wet ramp, I have a place upstate in the mountains and use it when deer hunting and recreation, and we got 3 feet of snow at home last week. Most of my driving is around home though on dry pavement. Was just questioning the 10 miles each month recommendation and how much wear occasionally putting it in 4hi on a highway was. I understand open, locked and limited slip differentials and the stresses when turning. I just never used 4wd on dry highway and wondered what other's experience was and if it is worth doing.

 

Personally I would take it down a dirt road, better to be safe than sorry. What's an hour out of your life every month to make a special trip to a dirt road? cheaper than a Tcase. I've driven on dry pavement with mine (exiting a trail). When you start feeling it bind its not a great feeling. I always try to take the widest turn possible to get on to the road and put it in 2WD.

 

I am an outdoorsman and yes there are some dirt roads around but in the summer, don't really need 4wd on those. I figured straight on a highway would be better than on a dirt road where it really isn't needed either. Just asking for opinions, 10 miles a month seems like a lot unless you are a serious 4 wheeler.

 

Tear up your lawn for 10 miles.

 

I didn't read the manual so thanks for this. I do drive on the beach which is why I got the 4x4 but nowhere near 10 miles a month. Guess I'll start making more beach trips!

 

Bullshit , thats not from straight lining on pavement , you said in the other thread that was in 4WD around town for 3 days and if flicking on 4HI on pavement was going to blow up your system anytime you did it , my truck would have detonated years ago

 

He specifically said that's why you only go in a straight line on pavement

 

My bad , you're correct , I misread the post