Switching into 4-HI while moving?

ummm, yep. Lived in Austin 4 years. went everywhere in Texas.

 

I disagree you need traction when engaging 4hi, makes no difference at all.

I DO agree about missing the manual lockers and manual xfer case. Was a nice simple mechanical system. And you could keep the front hubs locked 100% of the time if you so chose, then just shift the xfer case in and out of 4hi when needed.

Also in fact, with manual lockers you didn't need to actually put the truck in 4WD to "exercise" the system. Just lock the front hubs once a month for 15-20 miles and that did it. Lord I miss it.

And engaging 4hi is fine and dandy on the move up to 60 as stated above, just flick the switch. Of course you still may have to dick around and flick it back and forth a couple times, another strike against it compared to a manual system. Lord, I miss the manual system.

EDIT: Have to amend my disagreement about traction. After reading a few more posts I see the point. Don't want wheels spinning/on the gas hard and flip the switch. I'll push the clutch in then flip the switch (an advantage of a manual trans, by the way)

 

this got me yesterday. I was messing with hi-lo and it was beeping at
me...I was doing my move to get it to sync and it still would not
stop beeping until I farted around with the selector and started from
square 1 again. friggin 4runner would have been able to figure it out
because the throw to lo is a lever in my hand, not a request sent to
the ECU for a response. Tacoma...nope...it will force me to sit and futz with it.

Oh well...overall the VSC/Trac/Auto-LSD/A-Trac/Locker computer
controlled BS is better...but yup I miss my old Bronco which was
a box with an engine, wheels, manual hubs, and unstoppable.

 

When i first bought the truck I would be completely stopped to switch 2HI to 4HI, until one of the rear wheels lock up on me when I went to go. Had to shift back to 2HI and it was fine.

Since then always moving slow when 2HI to 4HI and hasn't ever happened again.

 

I believe the card that comes in the visor says you can switch to 4hi going up to 50 mph... just be driving straight when you do it.

 

Hah! Took me a little bit to put together the 127.0.0.1 and the /etc/hosts location. You're a UNIX guy. Nice.

Yeah, there's some advantages to the total nanny package, but I do miss the simplicity of my Gen I. It engaged instantly every time with manual control.

 

Using 4wd for the rain, I've heard it all now.

 

In a heavy downpour with poor visibility it may help with losing and regaining traction if hydroplaning....

 

Actually, locking the manual front hubs does turn the front diff. That's why you could "exercise" the 4wd system without putting the transfer case in 4wd. The point of exercising the 4wd system is to make sure the front hubs and front diff gets turned.

 

Driving at a reasonable cautious speed may help as well, some ppl think 4wd is gonna get you out of every dangerous slippery situation or make you invinsible, when it reality driving skill & experience works wonders. Would I like a 4wd one day for better off road ability? Sure I would, but it annoys me how some think they can drive like it's a sunny day because they have it. I've never had issues with a 2wd in the rain driving responsibly.

 

It's more an issue of driving on the edge of rain to freezing rain from what I've seen above. Or hydroplaning. It's not a big deal to put the truck into 4hi if it's raining, not gonna hurt it. There's just enough slippage to keep it happy. As ppl have stated above all it takes is for that light back end to kick out only one time and you can be in big trouble, especially in traffic. Better to be safe than sorry, if you have it use it.

 

This has been brought up a few times. Since the truck is front-heavy, 4WD makes handling more predictable.

No need to intentionally handicap yourself, though. The Tacoma in 2WD handles worse than a FWD Camry in the rain.

 

Slow down

 

^Need to at least keep up with the masses of FWD cars on the road. Can't have the rear end spinning out every time I make a turn at the intersection.

If Toyota wasn't cheap and made a lockable center diff like the GX470's an option, I would've bought it.

 

Can't do it. Some of us like to be the fastest truck on the road. It's not smart, I know that, but that's how it is. Nice to have the Tacoma if that's your attitude.

 

I do it during heavy rain while on the highway or freeway, not cause i'm worried about traction, but just to try and meet the 10 miles a month in 4 wheel drive as per the manual.

 

Actually a few nights ago we got some freezing rain in the evening. When I came to a stop at a stop sign on a maybe 30 degree grade I had to go to 4wd because the rears were spinning not going anywhere.

 

definitely while moving, I think the truck actually struggles to switch into 4H when you aren't moving. 4L stopped and in neutral though, thats obvious.

 

On the fly since 1987 baby

 

Op as others stated, on the fly is fine.

Also I don't understand 4 wheel drive in rain, but I guess too each his own.

And if there us snow in the road I'm in 4 wheel drive, until I hit salted streets that are just wet, silly to me not to use it if there is snow. Yes, I could probably be ok in 2 wheel drive, but I don't have anything to prove to anyone, so I'm going to use it.