I'm a newbie to 4x4 - have a lot of questions

[phatfreddie]

So my 16 4Runner is the first 4x4 I have owned and I have read a lot of scary things about drive-line binding and getting the whole suv stuck by taking the wrong angle or not know what the rig can handle.

I've only gone out a couple of times for fun and nothing really crazy, and today was the first time I used it with some regularity as we got some snow and freezing rain in some foothills. I have the automatic transfer case of course, but I'm just wondering about a few 4x4 things.

• First, the 4Runner obviously needs to be rolling to engage 4x4 - is there a speed at which it is a bad idea to switch in or out of it? I have been trying to keep it under 10 MPH.
• Also, I have been switching out of 4HI and back into 2HI once the 4Runner is moving.. Should I have it stick in 4HI and not keep switching back and forth?
• Reminder that it's auto/electronic switch and sometimes it seems like it takes at least a minute to get out of 4HI and back into 2HI and i'm not really sure what it's doing honestly. Is it putting unneeded stress on anything?
• When it comes to light offroad, what are the surfaces that I should avoid?
• What angle of attack should I make when going across a small stream? That is, like 3 or 4 inches of water and about 6 to 8 feet wide at the widest.
• Is 4x4 really good to run around with all the time in snow on flat paved streets?

Anything else I should be aware of?

 

[toyotafan]

Go slow and take it easy. You're not going to damage anything if you do that. You don't have the same 4WD system that a large truck would have, it's more computer controlled and has stuff like traction control built in for 2WD and advanced 4WD control, sway control, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Every 4x4 4Runner is outfitted with underbody skid plates and a traction control system that sends torque to the wheel with the most traction. A 4.0-liter, 270-horsepower V-6, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, powers all Runners.

The best thing you can do it to start slow, experiment in areas that you can get pulled out of when (not if, but when) you get stuck and try to go with someone else if you're going to push yourself.

The worst I ever got stuck was 30 minutes from my house on a Sunday afternoon drive with my kids who happened to be sick when I happened to drive into grass-covered silt from a river overflow area and I got so stuck that I had to call someone to come pull me out. Not a fun day.

 

[69FJ-2.4LTRTDIESEL]

Watch You Tube videos for any item you question about, there is a lot of information there but as others say take it slow and go for it. A winch is a great addition if you don't have one yet. I had a Jeep Cherokee Chief that was rough and I put it through alot and learned a bunch, was a lot rougher when I gave it away.

 

[toyotafan]

Any updates? How's it going?