4-High (4WD) in heavy rain on-road?

Driving your Toyota truck in 4wd on the road is not going to cause excess wear if you stay away from any binding situations.
It is recommended in your owners manual to drive your Toyota truck in 4wd for 10 miles every month. A wet, semi straight road like a highway is a great way to follow the owners manual recommendations.

 

I definitely don't think you need 4wd for driving in the rain. However, being a city slicker, I usually engage 4wd once a month on a straightish ~2 mi stretch of road near my house whenever the road is wet just to keep everything lubricated. Haven't had any binding issues since I make sure to turn it off a few stoplights before I need to turn.

 

There are rumors that the S/C Tundras use 4hi to do 0-60 runs.

rumors.

I can't imagine the lunacy of such.

 

If the concern is hydroplaning, stay in the middle lane or drive slower on a two lane highway. Get better tires with excellent water channeling capability.

I deal with that all the time when it's snowing on salted highways with major salt water puddles in the passing lane and not enough slush to keep it in 4WD.

If you like to drive fast in bad weather, time to upgrade to AWD or automatic 4WD. I wish our trucks had the latter but they don't.

If your too cheap, drive it in 4WD and get rid of the truck after the lease is over or sell it before it breaks.

 

I always thought that I was supposed to come to a complete stop when engaging gears like going from R to D or 2WD to 4WD. I know people say you don’t have to but idk who to trust lol.

CPL_P no it’s really not. Right after I hit the gas I realized it wouldn’t have been suspicious it’s just that I was indecisive and opted to hit the gas. It was prob more suspicious to gun it like I did lol

 

From reverse to drive? Yes stop.

from 2HI to 4HI you can engage & disengage up to 60mph per the owners manual. I never do above 40-45mph.
4HI to 4Lo - stop. Neutral. Engage. Shift back to drive (or more preferred S1)

 

Before and during but never after.

 

So that’s what the stench is….

 

just don't. We've already got too many idiots driving 80mph while towing campers, checking their social media, etc. Let's not add to it.

 

Well, the info I gave comes from Toyota. It's in your owner manual.

 

I'm kinda weird about how I engage/disengage 4Hi...

I prefer to throw the truck in neutral at as slow a speed which is safe (for them conditions), hit the switch for 4hi, wait till engaged and back into Drive. Same for coming out of 4hi.

I find that some movement helps to engage the splines easier that just sitting there.

 

I'll stick to Toyota's (and every other manufacturer's) method. Popping in and out of neutral in motion sounds like a recipe for shock loading transmission components.

 

Im not here to stop you. Just keep keepin-on homie

 

Not here to stop you, either. That'd just give me anxiety. Lol

 

Seems unnecessarily harsh on the transmission for no reason

 

It has never complained. Sure hope that continues

 

I read it as someone “can” shift on the fly if they want/need to but it’s still OK to come to a complete stop. I hope thats still true.

that does not mean they have to and I’m sure ppl will say it’s unnecessary but like I said idk if I totally believe them.

To me, it sounds like when ppl who say you don’t have to come to a complete stop before you go from D to R or R to D bc “the transmission has fluid in it” or some other reason that makes it ok.

I still try to come to a complete stop. Every single time.

About 5 years ago I did shift into 4WD on the fly and it was bc I knew I was about to get very very stuck in a bad way. I did hear some grinding and a loud pop. I didn’t get stuck but I wish I would have engaged 4WD sooner rather than later. It scared me that I did some damage and may have premature issues one day. Currently I’m at 80,000 miles.

I guess if I do break something that just gives me a good reason to do some upgrades. At the end of the day I am taking my truck into the woods and tearing shit up, guess I can’t be too careful haha

 

My brain can not comprehend how you gotta stop to go from R to D but not while engaging and disengaging an axel. They are both meshed metal gears and fluid in a metal casing right?

also, I skipped the “neutral” part on going from 4HI to 4LO one time and that really sucked and thought my truck was broke. I eventually figured out I had to be in N, although I still don’t understand why (mechanically speaking). Regardless I appreciate the response and sorry for the thread jack OP

 

Going from 2Hi to 4Hi in these trucks, you're unlikely to get the front driveshaft to actually engage unless you're rolling. They can be finicky at times.

 

I usually slow down to below 10 mph, or just barely moving, before engaging. Never saw the need to be shifting into 4wd at higher speeds. Also no throttle. It pops in with no noise or issue. The shifting into 4 low has been like that with every vehicle as far back as I can remember.

 

You guys are awesome. That is all.

 

Well, reverse to drive is changing the direction of travel. You don't have to stop to change gears going in the same direction of travel, and that's through clutch use. Same concept for 4WD engaging.

 

I shifted in and out of 4WD "HI" on the fly at speed a zillion times when I drove up to AK with my 07, especially once I hit Yukon Territory. There would be fairly dry sections on and off then snow/ice for hundreds of miles. I never slowed down once. No need to. Besides, I didn't want to take 6 months to get to Anchorage. Heh
...

 

I've always gone by guidance that 4wd is for getting out of issues ... 4wd is not for getting into issues ... if you get into an issue with 4wd you are up creek without paddle

Exception being offroad fun times of course, but I didnt buy tundra for that.

 

@Ohannon7 keep in mind, you won't hurt anything stopping to go in or out of 4x4. What you're doing isn't wrong, per se, just not what is normal for most. No shame or "you're doing it wrong" meant on my part.

 

@GODZILLA - I appreciate the response thank you. I have a bad habit of learning the hard way so I’m trying to be better in 2023!