New OR Owner - Drove On Pavement in 4hi

What's the point of buying a 4wd truck in New England if you can't drive it on the paved roads in a snow storm, lol.

 

Lol I switch my select knob all the time reaching for the air conditioning controls

 

Rain is considered inclement wether, just like snow. Has nothing to do with speed, but better handling for a safer ride. Less spinning wheels, just like in the snow.
Should you be going faster? No! Can you use it in inclement weather? Yes!

Was the Op driving too fast? Did he do damage?? No, as you'd hear the buckling when turning.

 

What makes you think I have a 5ft bed?

 

Who said that?

 

My wife drove to and from work for a week in 4hi on dry roads once (accidentally turned the 4wd knob while searching for the headlights in the dark) and it was fine. When I changed the gear fluids at 60k the oil looked brand new.

 

The op post and the manual references pavement driving limitations........

 

Dry pavement. He omitted the word dry, but we knew where he was going with it when he said it was 70° outside.

 

If you didn't experience any lurching/ hopping/ binding noises when making 90 degree turns on dry pavement i wonder if the 4WD was actually engaged.

 

It you are spinning wheels on pavement in the rain you are trying way to hard to do -- something...

 

side note: do those rings just snap on? They are not vinyl decals, right?

 

Same here. Straight stretch for a mile or so. Just to make sure its working. Probly do this about every other week.

 

Doesn’t matter at all. Obviously don’t drive the next 100k miles in 4wd.

Think of people that go to Moab or any other smooth rock environment. It’s no different. You don’t see trucks exploding left and right while on slickrock/granite. If they are that’s a story for another time.

 

I’m surprised you could take all those sharp turns without noticing the drivetrain was binding up.

 

For no more than you drove it you'll be fine. Most everyone who has a 4X4 has forgotten to switch back to 4X2 when they get back to pavement and drive a short distance engaged. But I don't recommend doing so by design. The damage is cumulative. You get a few miles before the damage starts showing up and it is often the next owner who ends up paying for the damage.

Technically, if driven in a straight line, or even gentle curves it won't cause damage. The danger is getting distracted and forgetting you're in 4X4 and then making hard turns into a business or driveway. Even then it would be rare for a catastrophic failure at that moment, but as stated earlier you are causing excessive wear that will show up somewhere down the road.

In rare cases you can break U-Joints or front axles when they bind. But most often you stretch the drive chain inside the transfer case. Once it stretches to a certain point it will start slipping on the gears when your truck is under load. This takes some time and a lot of guys don't have any idea they are damaging components until the chain starts slipping.

The reward of driving on pavement in 4X4 isn't worth the risk. It ain't that hard to find a road with gravel or loose dirt to get in a few miles of driving each month in 4X4. And wet pavement isn't much better than dry pavement.

 

Nope. Disassembled the switch, took out stock ring, placed in MESO.

 

Truck is ruined, highly recommend parking it in skid row with the key in ignition and walking away

 

I can't tell you how many times I've pressed the knob expecting the truck to turn on/off

 

At least its not the gear selector like some auto makers decided to do.....