4x4 on dry pavement
 

2004 F-150 5.4L

In advance I'd like to apologize as this question has a million hits and answers online, BUT most of the answers are instead "Why do you need 4x4 on dry pavement" vs. answering the question.

Now that that's out of the way... I need 4wd on dry pavement because my 4x4 hub actuator is toast and grinding/humming a bit. It started 6 weeks ago and only did it 4 times over the weeks. I took it to a shop and they said they couldn't reproduce and that was that. Yesterday it started doing it regularly. I found videos and parts (actuator, solenoid, vac check switches) online and am going to tackle this myself, but parts won't be in for 2 days.

Is driving in 4wd on dry pavement going to break anything or am I OK for a few days at speeds < 55? I've seen a lot of conflicting info online including different spin rates, etc. and then I see other info saying that in full-time 4wd vehicles that's a non-issue, just avoid tight turns. So, what's the straight dope on this?

Thanks,
Michael

It's fine as long as you go in a straight line.. Start doing a lot of 90* turns, even at low speed, and there will/could be some binding.

I regularly "exercise" my 4x4 from time to time when I'm stuck on traffic and going straight.. Just pop it into 4hi for a bit and pop it back out as traffic dictates.

Good luck!

Mitch

Thanks mitch. This seemed to be the most reasonable answer I have seen online elsewhere, too, but the internet is so clogged with misinformation and opinion these days it's difficult to sift through the noise at times.

I would not engage 4wd, leave it in 2wd. What I would do is remove the vacuum lines from the hubs and plug them. The hubs will be engaged, but the front driveshaft will not be, thereby not straining the system. No speed or turning restrictions if you do this

You, sir, are a wealth of information.

I have plenty of buddies that do this with their rigs, and none of them have had any problems. I think it's important to "exercise" it regularly.