guys,

i bought my new truck a little over a month ago. it is the first 4wd vehichle i have ever had, and i will never have another that is not 4wd. i really wonder how i got buy with a 2x4 for the last 10 years. anyway, i have a question about lubrication...i read somewhere that you should log at least 10 miles a month in 4wd to keep the front axles/drivetrain lubricated. any truth to this? i use the 4wd about 2-3 times a week, mostly when i am pulling a trailer on gravel, or have to get onto a muddy construction site. does anyone know what the cycle life is on the solenoid that actuates the 4wd?

call me old school, but i sure would feel better with manual hubs and a shifter on the floor.

-matt

 

Your engaging the 4 wheel drive more than I do. I'm on my 3rd truck with the "newer" 4 wheel drive systems and never had any problems with any of them. I usually only use mine in the winter and a couple of times in the summer. I can tell the front differential doesn't get used much when I changed the fluid in them. The fluid was milk colored and I didn't submerge the axle in any water. I would say a couple of times a month is a good thing. As far as the life of the motor, who knows. Could be the life of the vehicle, could be tomorrow.

 

I was hoping that we would get some more posts on this thread. I'm lucky if I get to use my 4 wheel drive 5 times a year and even then its only for a couple of minutes at a time. I too am worried about lubrication.

 

I use my 4hi about once a month or so. Typically for about 1-2 hours on trails. I dont use 4 low very much but every time I go I throw it in 4lo for lube purposes. I plan on having the diff fluids changed out once a year or so depending on the trails I have been on (water). The system will be fine even if you engage it just once a month going down your street (in a straight line). Remeber these are part time systems and are not expected to get the use of a AWD system. But I too want more input, what does everyone think.

 

I would also like to know more about this.

I try and engage my 4 wheel drive every so often, but it is limited.

I do make it a point to do at least once a month, but it's surely not for 10 miles. I have read not to run it on pavement, so I try and kick it into 4 wheel drive over really bumpy roads. I have to admit I work a lot and live in Los Angeles, so getting off-road can be hard for me at times. I know why it's not good to run on pavement but...

Also, is there a difference in working 4hi vs 4 low? B/c I hardly ever put it in 4 low

-slippy

 

Don't worry about lubricating the front diff or thr T-case. The front diff is always turning so it is lubed. The T-case has a pump so it gets lubed. So everything thing gets lubed regardless of the pisition of the 4x4 switch or the 4x4 shift lever. What happens is the lack of use of the 4x4 mode keeps the shift motor on the T-case from changing position so the internals can get gummed up or corrode. The switching on and off has the effect of greasing and scraping the contacts. If you have a lever the lack of shifting will allow the linkage to corrode. It BTW should be oiled with motor oil every once and a while. In the front differential the Front axle actuator motor assy is what jams from lack of use. Or the Axle shaft shift lever that is moved by the actuator motor can also jam from lack of switching. You could actually sit in your driveway in Park or Neutral and shift from 4x2 to 4x4 hi and low and back again a few times a week and do the same as someone who drives with the system activated.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

I agree with above...i click it in and out every month or so just to make sure the switch works...I have shift on the fly button.switch.....

 

I used to feel the same way until this morning when I hit a patch of ice changing lanes on the way to work. Most likely if I hadn't had push button I would have wrecked my truck, there would have been no way I could have grabbed the lever and pulled while maintaining control of the truck.

Why is it down here if we get a light dusting of snow they salt the roads, which intern turns to ice?