Is this normal while in 4x4?

I'm on my 3rd 4x4 Toyota spanning from my 1st bought new in 87' to my current ride. This would be one recommendation i have never followed outside of the considerable seasonal use i give the 4 wheel drive system when the weather dictates.

Not recommending anyone else follow my model, but it has always been there glitch free when i have needed it.

On a related noted, my fluids do get changed when recommended.

 

4x4 launch at the track FTW!

 

I have a 2010 4 x 4 Tacoma. The Toyota owners manual says to use the 4 x 4 once a month for 10 minutes to keep the components lubricated.

 

If you do do this I would only do it when it is raining. With the roads a little more slick the chances of breaking something will be less. When I got my '08 the dealer stressed to me to never use 4x4 on dry pavement, and by stressed I mean he told me at least 3 times. Obviously its your truck tho and your decision.

 

Understood.

Rules vary depending on region and the season.

 

4WD launches are quick



Just keep this in mind buddy, you turn sharp corners and you bind things up, causing premature failures or just wear. The front and rear wheels will always turn at the same speed, provided you're going straight. You'll be fine on a straight in 4WD. Just dis-engage it before you make a turn.

I typically kick it in 4WD on wet roads when I need the traction to get up to speed to prevent spinning my tires out. Once I get up to speed I kick it out.

 

So its alright to DISENGAGE it while driving, but you never want to ENGAGE it when moving (want to do it while stopped)...right?

 

Then why do some 4 x 4 trucks/Suv's have full time 4 wheel drive that cannot be turned off?
For example Land Rover Discovery
My understanding is you can use 4 wheel drive in High on pavement but not 4 wheel drive Low on pavement.
Use of 4 Low can damage the drive train.

 

if its jerking when you turn thats a good thing when its dry. but what everyone else said no 4x4 on streets.

 

Its fine to engage while moving. Just not if your rear wheels are moving faster than the fronts, like when spinning.

Some AWD or full time 4x4s have a differential in the t case allowing the front and rear wheels to turn different speeds.( Ex. mitsubishi EVO, silverado SS, Escalades)

true PT 4x4s have direct drive on the front and rear drive shaft, meaning they turn the same speed no differential.

I had an old K5 that was full time 4x4 and did not have a diff in the center. It was really sketchy driving on pavement... would binde at every corner, never did any damage to the powertrain just ate tires. The way to get around that was warn hubs...

 

You can disengage and engage 4HI all day wether you're moving or not, provided you are not in a turn. As long as all 4 tires are moving at the same speed, you won't have any issues.

You can't however shift into 4LO or out without being at a stop (some people will do it on a slow roll but I don't recommend it).

 

welded?

 

i meant no center diff as in tcase diff like a new fulltime 4x4

 

While driving down a straight road this would be okay. It's the turning that binds up the front as many have mentioned.

 

Never knew about those.

 

Oldsmobile started this in the Bravada of the 80s

 

hey also since I started this thread, if the owner most likely didnt use 4x4 for the 4 years that he had it, should I check any of the fluids or anything like that??

 

Every once in a while I drop it into 4hi when on the street, driving in a straight line, on long straight stretches, but only if I haven't had it in 4X4 for a long time. It's not going to hurt for a short period, but put it back in 2wd before turning. You should really only run in 4X4 when your tires are able to slip a little when turning - any gravel, dirt, snow, sand, etc. You're good to go if a front and rear tire can slip. When I'm driving on a road that has mixed snow and dry spots, or the snow is just starting, I steer towards the fresh snow - so my track is in snow and not on dry pavement, at least most of the time. If you're worried you can drop one side onto the shoulder, into the gravel. Whatever.

It also does not matter how fast you're going in 4hi. I've driven for 4+ hours at 65 mph on a snow-packed highway when there were very few cars around. Just stay safe and don't be doing that unless you're goin' in a straight line. I've driven in snow for decades and it's a lot of fun. In fact, the newer 4X4s with all the bells and whistles like ABS, VSC, limited slip and all that.... they're really not as fun anymore because they're almost too good in the snow!

I've got an FJ also and I tried to do doughnuts in the snow just after getting it. Not possible unless you disconnect everything so it can slide. It simply went around the corner and never slid....

 

i think that was made clear on page one.