What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

I didn't mention anything about turning on dry pavement in 4 low. I stand by what I said, YMMV.
I've had Toyota 4WD vehicles since I was 18, some fully locked and some with just rear lockers.
And at my age, the newer 4WD systems with all there nanny controls are perfect for todays fresh four wheelers.

 

Read your manual. Manual clearly states engage 4wd and drive 15 miles once a month. If your driving, even on dry pavement, as long as you aren't locking the wheel and going in circles, you'll be fine. Of course loose dirt or off road is ideal but that's definitely not what they mean in the manual. 90% of all 4Runners will never leave the pavement.

 

Sad

 

Wonder how many will ever even be put in 4wd. I'm fine with that though. Stay off the roads in bad weather, especially in MD Home of some of the worst drivers on the planet. Every day on the road here is a new adventure.

 

On what page of your manual does it say to drive in 4wd on dry pavement? I cant believe that. Nobody that truly understands how 4wd works would say that. And the visor says differently. They believe most people understand that 4wd shouldnt be used on dry pavement. If a person is not going to take their vehicle off of pavement they shouldnt buy a 4WD, they are wasting money and not using a component that was meant to be used, if not used it can lock up.

Even if NO turns are involved, driving at highway speeds in 4wd, You will be putting excess stress on your 4WD drivetrain, differential, transfer case, and gears. Expensive items to repair or replace. If you do make turns, and most people WILL if going 15 miles, you will cause more wear and can damage components, especially if going more than 20mph. This is FACT. Please google it. We learned that the first day of 4wd drivettrain class. Will it ruin these components immediately? No, but will certainly stress them and cause premature wear.

But im done with this conversation. This isnt the best thread for it.... I was only wanting to share some of the stuff i have learned in college and maybe help prevent a member from causing early wear to their 4wd system. If yall want to ride around on dry pavement with your 4wd engaged so be it. But im really surprised a group of enthusiast of a vehicle meant for off roading think thats OK.

 

I try and remember once every 3-4 weeks. Generally on a rainy day, plenty safe to be in 4wd. I think a lot of people over think the 4wd system. Don't drive in tight circles in a dry parking lot but you're absolutely fine in wet weather. No idea where in the manual and no desire to look at the moment. It's actually 10 miles not 15 as per a quick google search. Same recommendation for the Tacoma.

 

Yep, far better than MD I grew up on Long Island. I would take LI drivers over MD drivers any day.

 

Here's what a normal sunny dry day driving in MD looks like.

No one holds speed around a curve
No one holds speed up hill
No one speeds up until they merge into the right lane at 40 then slowly gets on the gas
People love to do 50 - 55 in the left lane
No one signals (not a law in MD when changing lanes)

God forbid there is rain or snow

 

AZ by far the worst, most people dont even know what rain is.

 

Not sure what page, found this doing a quick google search. When I have a little time I will flip through my manual and post a picture of the page with page number.

 

^^ That doesnt say on dry pavement...

I know people that went years without using it and it still worked fine... my niece has a jeep that went 4 years without ever going into 4wd, soon as i moved back down i put it in 4wd first try no issues. My cousin has a 2015 tacoma that went in 4wd for the first time, to his knowledge, earlier this year. No issues...

But i have also seen a few lock up and not engage. So i think its better safe than sorry. Engaging it does help to lube the gears up and keep it running properly... I prolly do 30-50 miles a month myself, but i know not everyone lives where i do and has that option. I try and tell people to go at least 3-5 miles a month. I try and get them to bring me beer, as i live a mile and a half from pavement and just dropping off a 12 pack and going home will give them the opportunity to drive 3 miles in 4wd on soft sand

 

opps, I really need to read that manual! I never would have known, thanks for the info!

 

There seems to be a well documented issue with the actuator on the front axle. When not used for a while, they fail. It's just an electric motor and a lot of the time you can remove it, take it apart, clean it up, reflow the solder joints, and you're good to go. If that doesn't work, it's a $900 part from Toyota not including any labor or anything. Well worth the effort to cycle 4wd every 4-6 weeks which of course also allows fluids to flow that otherwise are just sitting there.

 

On the front diff and there is another one or a solenoid on the transfer case to the best of my knowledge. When 4wd is disengaged, it disengages at the front diff and transfer case. Front driveshaft does not move unless you're in 4wd Not all 4wd systems are set up like that but ours is.

 

I'm not sure on the case side but they all have the electric solenoid on the front diff. It's a disconnect on the passenger side axle shaft. Jeep did the same thing in the 80s

 

Just ordered a remote start with RPS keyless touch entry system. Totally spur of the moment purchase. Hopefully the install wont be too bad on it.

 

You must be fresh out of school. Real world practice you can do differently they say a lot of that because of well they don't want to warranty that crap. I drove my truck in 4wd H for over a month with just the front wheels hooked up waiting for a new rear DS to be made. No excessive wear or damage. Oh and go look at the older AWD Jeep grand cherokees they were locked 4wd H t-cases that you could drive above your 60 mph speed you stated or some of the other claims you have made. No center diff set up in them or anything. 4wd L is the real killer on dry pavement you aren't going to kill a t-case driving and taking normal curves or gentle turns with them in 4H. As long as you don't try a locked hard turn you won't destroy it or cause undo wear. Your differentials still work as differentials to bias the wheel speeds around corners and curves. Plus the weak link is going to be a CV not your t-cases the t-cases in these trucks are extremely well built and strong even for a chain driven case.

 

Mostly accurate however the 249 transfer case in the ZJ had a clutch pack in it known as the viscous coupling which allowed for some slippage in the case to avoid binding.

 

It's the ADD it disconnects the PS axle from the differential to act like auto locking hubs. It disconnects for fuel mileage gaining so you aren't spinning the diff all the time. A bunch of guys swap the pass side stub axle tube out for the FJ one since they didn't have that. Well the Tacoma guys do at least. The actuator on the T-case just moves the 4wd selector instead of you having to do it manually.

 

That clutch pack was a joke in a half it didn't really do squat for allowing slippage in tight parking lot maneuvers or slippage. But yes you are correct there was what Chrysler tried to use as a viscous coupling to bias slip in there. Pretty much every single one I've had apart were self welded together and of no use.

Oh I forgot the hot rod Cyclones and Typhons that GMC had too. Those were similar as well with their AWD tcase, Safari vans. IDK i could keep going if I hadn't forgotten all the different ones but they all did the same thing take a 4wd tcase lock it in 4H and put a joke of a clutch or nothing to the front DS output.

 

LOL, you CAN do a lot of things... That doesnt mean its good for the vehicle. Where did you go to auto school?

Real world practices of whats happened without causing immediate damage or not, AWD vehicles are made differently than 4wd vehicles FOR A REASON. If it was OK to drive in 4hi constantly on dry pavement they wouldnt of created a system specifically for it. 50/50 torque while turning on pavement is rough on gears period. FACT. Prove otherwise.

 

They worked, they just didn't last. 100K or so and they were shot. When they were new though, they got the job done. When I had my 98 5.9 Limited I swapped the 249 for a 242, problem solved and I still retained the full time option for any time use. IMO the 242 is the best case Jeep ever offered unless you don't care about full time. In that case, 231

 

I went to WyoTech too many years ago now. But what I learned there was nothing to what I learned actually working. There is a lot of technical and book info that doesn't really correlate to real world land.
My point wasn't that you are wrong but that your reaction is a little over zealous. Once in a blue moon driving a vehicle a few miles just to get the fluids and to actuate the different electronics won't necessarily kill them as long as you aren't a complete dope about it. I still don't get where driving over 60 in 4H comes from I have never in my life heard of that or seen it only 4L limiting speed because it's such a low gear ratio. You should go look at what some of the West coast truck guys are doing with their 4wd running well over 60 flat out in the desert jumping them and stuff. I mean they are on loose stuff but they still are traveling well over your 60 mph 4wd speed limit.

Yeah I forgot all the different #s for them biggest problem I had to fix on all the chain jeeps t-cases were the chains for whatever reason the factory ones stretched a ton. I would replace them with an aftermarket one from Carquest (forgot the brand too many years ago) and they would never have a stretching issue again. Had a few come in that the customers drove around so long they wore a hole in the tcase. I was astonished that they didn't come in earlier for the noises probably going on for a year or more. Wasn't just jeeps though all the Chryslers back then with the chain driven cases did that.

 

Dana 300, problem solved. I love the old Jeeps though. It's sad what Jeep has become these days.

 

You right!!! Personally the last great Jeep in my eyes was the LJ, I like the XJs, comanche XJ based and all the older ones. The JL,JK, and now JT don't really peak my interest like the older stuff does. Not to mention all their silly car SUV yuppie mobiles with hardly any of the old heritage left.

 

Ah you mean like the new Renegade? They should be ashamed lol. For me, CJ, XJ, TJ, ZJ, YJ, MJ and of course the old waggies. New stuff today is ugly and just not what Jeep built their name on.

 

Yeah the renegade is the JT. Wait is the MJ the old military truck one? Old school Waggies are sick especially the 70s ones with the old AMC V8s. Ok now you are making me want to go buy another old project truck. Hmmm wonder if I could find one somewhat cheap and in decent enough shape that would be cool to take the kid to school in.

 

Finally lifted the 4R.

Front: TRD pro bilstens with 14" 600 lb coils

Rear: Fox 2.0 resi with toytec superflex springs

 

MJ is the Comanche

 

I get what you are saying, Once in a blue moon definitely aint going to hurt it. I just dont think people should make a habit out of it on a vehicle they want to last 200K miles.... And i get passionate about things im interested in but try and speak about it truthfully as i can. Though im always willing to learn and be corrected on things.

Those baja trucks, desert racers, and boggers are constantly being rebuilt, not many are making it to 2 and 3 hundred thousand miles without having serious work done to them LOL Though if i had one of them id push that joker to the limit too!!