Glenn

That's my experience as well. I have driven 65+ in rain/snow in 4hi for the extra margin of traction it may afford.

As far as the CVs go, I think it's a non-issue as long as the truck isn't lifted and the angles are close to stock. Millions of FWD cars drive millions of miles on front CV's, and they don't have common CV issues.

4RUNR

You guys driving fast in true 4x4 (not AWD) are putting yourself at a higher risk of losing control than without it.

Glenn

If you are implying that a little driveline binding is enough to throw me out of control, I don't buy that statement. Besides, there is very minimal driveline binding because I can (and do) take it in and out of 4wd every so often to relieve any binding.

TRDOLMAN

Hell, I drag race launching in 4Hi with the locker on (grey wire mod) then shift to 2Hi after the 1st/2nd gear shift. No controllability issues whatsoever.

Dave

4RocRunner92

Damn lol

SolidDigital

I'm pretty sure the little card with the 4wd info says not to shift into 4wd at speeds higher than 50, but nothing about going faster than that after it's in 4wd.

before I understood about binding with 4wd on dry pavement, I did a sharp turn in 4wd and that made the tires bark and the truck buck like an angry bull=p lol

Ironmike4x4

Do NOT drive in 4hi on dry pavement, it says so in your manual so read it! You would be surprised at how many idiots will leave 4hi on after using it and not taking it out then they come into our shop whining it's not working. As someone said earlier, it does cause binding and is extremely costly to fix (we quoted a guy last week for $3500). Also it is not recommended going faster than 55mph (which is also in your owner's manual) because it is very dangerous and rough on the drivetrain. Don't believe me? Try it and pay up the a$$ for repairs. It gets very squirrely on the roads above that speeds on any terrain dry or loose. Hell if you like paying mechanics big money for doing something stupid like that, then more money goes into my pocket.

4RocRunner92

Good call

Roadtripr

No my guess is think he means when you loose control the drive line being locked will make all tires slide/spin, unless you have a clutch to press so you can loose power and reduce spin (slide) on the front tires.

4RUNR

Ding.

Dublin

The nieghbor has a Lamborghini Diablo 4WD and I've never seen it in snow, mud or loose terrain, only dry pavement. Having driven it a few times I've never had a handling or cornering issue at speeds above 100. Hmmm maybe it's not the same as a 4Runner.

rngrchad

4rocrunner:

Intrepid

I spent a fair amount of time looking for a "top speed in 4hi/4lo/2hi with hubs locked" recommendation in the manual when I got my Taco and it just doesn't get into it, but other than saying to drive at least 10 miles in 4wd per month to keep things lubricated, thats it.
As far as speed in 4wd, I always wondered, if the terrain or weather is such that you need 4wd to stay in control, why would you be going over 55 anyway??? Last winter I was doing 50 in 4wd on a snowy highway and some a$$hole in a jeep xj flew by me and promptly proceeded to spin out and almost take me with him into the guard rail. If you need 4wd to stay in control, you should maintain a safe speed also.

LittleRedToyota

sorry man, but that is just plain bad advice. except for the muddy part--'cause mud is slippery.

driveline binding is real...and really does cause problems over the long haul.

if you have a t-case lever, you can prove it to yourself...

put your truck in 4wd (not AWD) on dry pavement and drive around in a few circles...then try to take it out of 4wd...the lever will not want to come out of 4wd...why? because the driveline is binding.

you prolly don't even need to go in a circle...just drive straight on pavement for a hundred yards or so...depending on how unevenly your tires are worn, you most likely will have trouble getting it out of 4wd in that case, too.

people rock crawl in 4lo, but that is different for two reason...

1. your tires often get lifted off of the ground which provides an opportunity for the binding to be relieved.

2. most hardcore rock crawlers expect to break things, so long term wear and tear isn't a big concern to most of them.

if the front diff and rear diff are locked together, but not turning at the same speed and there is no tire slippage, something has to give...it's just simple mechanics.

if you are on pavement and need lower gearing due to steep hills and you have manual hubs, you can put it into 4lo with the hubs unlocked...that effectively gives you 2lo...so you get the lower gearing you need without the 4wd you don't need.

(just make sure you are completely stopped and in neutral or have the clutch in when you do shift into 4lo with the hubs unlocked.)

bamachem

that's because it isn't 4WD, but AWD. like mentioned before, there's a difference - it's called a lockable center differential.

some 4WD trucks have a lockable center differential and some don't have a center differential at all. AWD cars that don't go offroad have a center differential that doesn't lock.

my 99 4runner has a lockable center diff. that means that i can push the button on the side of the shifter and it will be in "AWD" with the center differential open (unlocked). this means that each of the 4 wheels can turn at independent speeds and the driveline will NOT bind (when the front and rear lockers are open as well).

if i shift he lever back into 4-hi, then the center diff will lock, forcing the front and rear driveshafts to trun in unison. when that happens and you turn on dry pavement, the driveline will bind because during a turn, all 4 wheels travel different paths and therefore different distances before you straighten back out. when that happens and the drivetrain is trying to force the front to turn the same as the back, you get binding in the drivetrain and THAT is what will grenade a transfer case.

if you don't have FULL-TIME ALL WHEEL DRIVE (like a landcruiser) or a 4runner w/ a PUSH-BUTTON on the transfer case shifter, then DON'T drive in 4WD on DRY PAVEMENT.

4mydogs

Lots of interesting comments on this thread. When I pull my boat and trailer out on a steep, but not necessarily very wet, boat ramp, I put my 4Runner in 4LO. Low range just makes it so much easier to pull up the hill. This is only for about 20 yards or so. As soon as I'm on the level I put her back into 2WD. All straight line, and I've never experienced any binding as far as I could tell. This doesn't have much to do with the original post, but after reading all the different comments I thought I'd throw this into the mix.

bamachem

straight lines don't cause driveline binding. having wheels turn at different velocities cause driveline binding. that happens when you either make a turn OR your tire sizes differ enough to cause significant variation in wheel speed.

driving straight up a boat ramp for short distances isn't bad. driving down the road for long distances w/ turns and at high speed is bad.

when you turn, your tires take the same amount of time to travel different distances. the inner wheels turn much slower since they travel less distance than the outer wheels. the front also has a larger turn radius than the rear since the rear is trailing. now with that in mind, the inner rear wheel will have a significantly different path than the front outer wheel. the path is drastically different. the front and rear diffs are "locked" in unison as far as revolutions are concerned when in 4WD. well, w/ such different wheel speeds, something has to give. you'll notice tire squealing and in extreme circumstances, severe shuddering and bucking as the driveline binds horribly.

Beartracker

Litltleredtoyota , I own a Tacoma Toyota 4x4 exten. cab auto 2.7 and do not have all wheel drive, I'm speaking of 4 wheel only. Over the past 35 years I have driven nothing but 4 wheel drives of one kind or another both on road and off road and have "never" destoryed a driveline or Tranny because of the way I drive. Maybe your not understanding what I'm saying and that's part of the problem.
I agree with you about not driving on dry hard pavement and never did I say that it was alright to do so.You are right that if you place it in 4 wheel on dry pavement you can get a hopping or skidding feel when turning and that's not good.But you will not have that on dry dirt or sand unless it's a super hard dirt and I have never found dirt that hard.Climbing over small rocks on a rough road will keep your weight shifting all the time so that's not a problem.
I "do not agree" with your comment that you should not use 4 wheel unless it's muddy, wet or snow. Sand is dry and 4 wheel is recommended in some sand conduitons and it will not effect 4 wheel drive, Driveing on very rocky rough roads going up hill or down hill is recommened and will not hurt your 4 wheel drive . Your comment was that "you don't need it because 4 wheel drive will not give you extra power anyway,". It's not about power in these sitsuations it's about being able to drive in these conditions with "Traction" at slow speeds. Traction is the whole idea about 4 wheel drive and off road driving. Driving on dry rough dirt roads at slow speeds will not hurt your 4 wheel drive. If I had to use my 4 wheel drive your way I would be shifting in and out of 4 wheel every 10 seconds all day long on the trails I go on. The only shifting I need to do is to go from 4 Hi to 4 Lo or change gear from low, 2nd or D now and then.One time it's very rough roads but dry , then I may go through a large mud hole or stream and back on to dry dirt or rock for 100' and then back in a mud hole or climb over a very roacky rough road.
Not trying to give you a hard time but just pointing out facts about 4 wheel drives. I have never owned an all wheel drive but my wife does and all I can tell you about it is that it's great in the snow or mud but I would not take it on my back roads. Mike

LittleRedToyota

yes, i guess i wasn't understanding what you were saying because it sure sounded to me like you were telling people it is OK to drive in 4wd on dry pavement...which is why i posted my response...

i never meant it wasn't OK to drive in 4x4 on sand or roads with lots of loose rocks...both of which are slippery in spite of being dry (sort of like graphite :-)

bob200587

I know a guy with a cummins diesel that does just that, the thing is you are in a straight line, so the binding isnt as bad. It is good for that tho. His truck is a beast.