UKrunner

First time out in snow my mrs decides to put the 4Runner in not 1, but 2 ditches on her 7 mile drive to work. I told her rwd on ice will be hairy. I told her to use 4wd. Oh no, she knew better. Fortunately she missed everything, trees, mailboxes, other cars etc. She drove the rest of the way to work in 4wd without a single issue.

So regarding binding, how bad is it to drive on mixed snow covered road and tarmac? I hear both sides of the argument - bad juju and dont worry about it.

88toyblackjack

4 high and wet conditions are no problem as long as tires are the same size, pressure, and gearing is the same.

92 TOY

19 years, never had a problem with it......when the road conditions get questionable around here, i put it in 4HI and behave myself.

binding?.....maybe a little with tighter turns....i also know to shift in and out of 4HI as needed for those times

Marc

If it's cold enough / wet enough to have ice on the road unless you're making 90 degree turns on dry tarmac I wouldn't worry about it.

andykrow

I try not to make turns in 4wd on dry roads but going straight has never caused any binding for me. It's easy enough to shift in and out of 4 though, isn't it?

mountaingoat

IFS trucks have CV shafts in the front, so it's really not much different than a front-wheel-drive car - the wheels turn at the same speed regardless of angle, and all that.

Now, my old Ranger with SFA and u-joints in the front was a different story...on anything remotely solid it would hop all over if the hubs were in.

Of course, there's always something to be said for teaching the missus to drive...

4bangercraig

Everything I've heard says if you got open diffs, a good rain shouldn't really be any worse than sand for binding.
And my LockRite Differential manual only specifies not to use 4WD on the highway if your front diff is locked.
One day when there was 8 inches of muddy water running down the road I did it anyway, in a straight line, just until I got through the nasty section. Nothing broke.
And I hadn't even been clever enough to only lock one hub...

rattlewagon

Its not only differential binding that you have to worry about, its transfer case binding.

4wd is not the same as AWD (most "4 wheel" drive cars) They also have a center differential to allow the front and back to spin at different speeds, these trucks do not.

UKrunner

This is what I'm refering to. Not locking diffs.

4runner_keith

I'd also like some info on this subject. Recently in the pacific northwest we had a pretty good snow. (compact snow and ice) for a few days. Driving up long windeing hills in 4-HI on my way to work daily< i had all kinds of binding my steering wheel was pullin all over and everything. I stopped at the top to take a peek under her and everythin appeared to be good???? Im stumped!

peow130

Mine does this because the front gears are different than the rears. The rear spins slower so the front pulls it and goes into any rut it can find

4bangercraig

I hear ya. I was referring to the fact that locked diffs cause your tcase to bind up way quicker. And even with 'em, I have used 4WD in extreme road conditions for short straight distances and have gotten away with it. Not recommended, but better than sliding into a cement divider. My bad for getting off topic. Guess what I'm trying to say is that if you really need the traction, I'd say use it.

Open diffs + 4WD + snow = no problem.
Throw in lockers or a dry road and things start gettin iffy.

99blackSE

iTrader: (1)

Ouch man, your t-case hasn't exploded yet?

My 2 cents for winter...4WD, lockers, good tires, etc. doesn't account for the person behind the wheel. Slow down and drive accordingly. I can't use 4WD because I still have my 4.10 4 cyl front diff in and I have made it out and about just fine this winter due to diligence and having the proper equipment .

4runner_keith

well according to all the numbers on the inside driver door, im supposed to have 4.88 gearing in my truck. (according to toyota) but anyway yeah 4-Lo is great i use it all the time on weekends. but 4 hi down a snow covered highway at 40 45 or so or up hills just feels like somethins about to give. I kinda just wish it would just break already so i can just fix it... Lol!

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

I roll 4wd in snow and ice if the road clears then 2wd with the hubs locked. For giggles I'll lock the rear ARB which makes life fun, not suppose to but I've done it on dry aspalt too:-0, I know naughty me. The front is locked with an autolocker, Aussie. I did the same thing when I had a front/rear autolocker, lockrite and powertraxx. Both IFS and now SAS.

Moonfish

I've had bad tires that made any slippery road dangerous. I got some new ones that were rated good for winter driving and a few sand bags and I only used 4x4 a couple times last winter. Drastic change.

I don't like using 4wd on the road too much. If it gets too slippery for 2wd and you spin out a little, you just got a big fat notice not to hurry.

gary96360

Totally bald swampers in ice and snow was not fun. If the roads are totally icy I would use 4x4. If your going straight and not makingvery sharp turns, it won't bind. In snow I use 4x4 to drive safely in snow so the rear won't kick out. It's fun to drive in 2wd for a while to get bent but, I'f there's traffic I stick it right back in4wd

85toy

my truck is straight axled and locked front and rear, ive had the hubs locked for over a week, just cause of the ice, i drive it on dry pavement in 2wd with the hubs locked and like 9 psi in the tires, its kinda hard to turn but its not going to hurt anything except your gas mialage.

rattlewagon

An open front diff is a good thing for the snow. This is one place where id prefer it (for the road anyway) Youll be able to steer alot better without that locker.

sb5walker

When there is the possibility of snow or ice on the road, I leave the hubs locked, but I don't engage 4WD unless I'm experiencing slippery road conditions. I have experienced binding in my xfer case, (89 V6 MT) so I'm careful with it. I won't drive in 4WD on roads that are just wet. I've found that switching between 2H and 4H can be done with the clutch and while driving down the road - so long as it's a straight stretch and I'm not accelerating nor braking. So it's not an inconvenience switching to 4WD when needed.

Another factor is good snow/ice tires that are not too wide. Wide tires tend to float and slide on snowy roads more than narrow ones, which cut through to traction a bit better. It's why I have 9.5" wide instead of 10.5 since I'm rarely off-road anymore. My Dueler A/T REVOs are great in snow and ice.

And of course, driving slowly and carefully helps!