noob at 4wd

The best of both worlds.

 

Have seen it done both ways...use it to lube it or use it when you need it only. I think both work but only if you can use it continuously for an extended period to completely warm the fluid up. So, if you live in an area where you only see tarred roads and curves, why bother until you can use it a lot.
I use mine daily in the winter but just to get to the end of the road....about 1/12 miles in and out. The positon indicator switch started sticking. So, on the advice of a mechanic, I changed the transfer and front diff fluid and followed the scheme of not using it until I could run it for twenty minutes as time used was just as the mportant. No more problems. It had an AWD feature so it was easy to keep up it engaged on tarred roads.

 

What is the best of both worlds, that I have manual hubs?

 

Yes.......they are inconvenient and do need cleaning now and but you eliminate an actuator for one, and you can "exercise " part of your system without going off road. Plus, I feel 4 wd engaged quicker too.

 

Funny story...had a pellet stove delivered where I live last winter which is snow covered and steep the entire winter. They said the delivery truck was 4 wd but it did not work well....must be the tires they said. I suggested they follow me in to get a run for the hills. They made it in ok but could not climb the final hill to the house. I got out of my truck and notices the delivery truck front wheels were not spinning. It had manual hubs and though the delivery guys for THREE years mind you, had always turned on the 4 wd switch on the dash, they had never engaged the hubs. I reached down and turn them.

The truck was an animal after that, with every thing engaged and the good AT tires they had. I advised them to do two things. First, disengage everything when they hit the paved roads, second, have a little sit down with all the people who were going to use the trucks and tell them the deal about manual hubs. This is a lesson why contractors often make everything easy for their drivers....they just don't know any better some time. A week later I saw their boss....did not mention a thing. No sense causing problems for the working man.

 

Haha wow how embarrassingly awesome. I'll admit when I bought my truck (I was new to 4x4) I remember test driving it and shifted it into 4x4 in some areas and it seemed fine. I had no idea I had manual hubs until a week or so later and they had been set to FREE the whole time...obviously after engaging them it's been a night and day difference. I didn't know though about the cleaning of manual hubs...do you know of any thread on here (or online) that discusses and shows how that's done?

 

Even my good independent recomended the dealer. He had removing tool for the parts specifically made for Toyotas. I had the bright idea I could just soak the whole unit in kerosine then try to lube it myself. That didn't work.....or it worked for a month. Back to the dealer. So, at least for the pre Tacoma trucks, dealer could disassemble and do both in 1 1/2 hours.

I would just wait till they started to stiffen. Then take it to a dealer or independent who had experience. I was afraid to completely disassemble it myself. Did that with an outboard carb....springs and parts went everywhere. The shop had a good laugh when I brought the whole outboard in wrapped in a sheet.

 

Yeah, that's a job I don't want to get into. I'm assuming you're meaning stiff as in they are difficult to turn? As of now it doesn't take too much effort to turn them.

 

Yes.........
Having said that, I did not realize how tight it had gotten till I had it fixed. It turned very easily as an older one should.
New, the are a little stiff. Then they become real easy, then stiffen up as they need lubing. When my wife took the truck, I gave her goose neck pliers when I was lazy about getting it cleaned. So, if a person of the weaker sex has any trouble at all, they need cleaning. We have lots of road salt too which makes a difference.

 

Same here with the road salt. After trying to turn them yesterday to see they aren't as stiff as I thought they were so that makes me happy.