4x4 question

[2003bajatundra4x4ac]

last night while accruing my monthly 5-10 miles of 4x4 (all street miles) i noticed that while turning at slow speed (below 10 mph) the front tires would chirp sometimes. also, while rolling to a stop it seems as if the parking brake is applied as the truck doesn't roll very far on level ground. tires have 5 lbs over what it says on the sidewall and 15 lbs over what it says on the door jamb. it's like driving a tank! i also have the "normal" left turn from a stop shudder in 2x4 and 4x4.

i guess my question is - is this normal?

[mytundrarocks]

yes it is working fine but you should know that doing this on dry pavement is NOT good. Find a dirt road so when the front gets bound up the tires can slip. You are going to ruin your front drive on pavement. Rear has lsd which has slipper packs to allow for different wheel speeds on the same axel, the fronts just mangle the gears which is that wierd feeling you describe. 4x4 is for wet or slippery conditions ONLY. And I wouldn't go nuts putting 10 miles a month in 4x4. Just drop it in every now and then to move the lube around and keep everything turning freely.

[chris74to54@aol.com]

when you are in 4 the tires are just gripping the pavement. its normal but i would highly recommend against it. not only will it tear up ur tires when turning it will binds up ur front cv joints. its good to run it every now n then tho keeps everything luded up real well. id just do it offroad.

[beer guy]

Curious? Does running it occasionally to lube parts also apply to low range?

[peterfarhangi]

I would get that looked into...

[MrBeanley]

Originally Posted by beer guy

Curious? Does running it occasionally to lube parts also apply to low range?

I'm pretty sure it does.

If you get under the truck, you'll notice that the fill plug on the transfer case sits above the front shaft output from the T-case, but well below the rear shaft output. Now, in my limited brain, it seems as though the T-case fluid level is well below the rear output,and unless you engage the front once in a while, the fluid probably doesn't get mixed up all that much.

My driveway is about 1200 feet long. Once a month or so, I put it in low range and just drive slowly, straight up the driveway. No turning the steering wheel or anything. So far (knock wood), so good.

[eharri3]

Slow speed on dry pavement has been done by many in the absence of better places to do it.

Turning on dry pavement is a definite no-no. Chirping and binding in that situation is normal.