Hello frands I was hoping that someone could give me some advice.

This is a non-ironic thread.

I recently bought a 1st gen Tacoma, I lucked out and got a good deal on it. It is both my first Truck (4WD) and first automatic transmission.

My question is, what is the proper way to use the 4WD? I feel like a pussy but I don't know the different scenarios that they should be used for. There is also 1 and 2 on my transmission and I have no idea what the applications are for those either. Are they used in conjunction with the 4WD or completely separate?

What are the different applications and scenarios for both?

What is the difference between 4WD High and 4WD Low?

What is the locking differential and what should it be used for?

How should I even engage the 4WD?

Thank you to any truck buds that can help me out, it is appreciated!

>>28527163 (OP)
High and low are different ratios.
Hi is typically 1:1, so first gear in 2wd feels the same as first gear in 4hi
Lo is typically around 2.72:1 so first gear in 4lo will rev to 5k rpms and youll be moving at 8 mph. It allows the engine to make more power.

Locking diff "locks" both wheels on the axle together. In an open diff, if one wheel loses traction it will spin and all energy os transfered to it while the wheel with traction does nothing. Locking them together means both wheels spin together regardless of who has more traction.

Some 4wd models require wheels to be rotating to engage 4wd mode. So engaging AFTER you get stuck won't lock into 4wd.
Check for manual or automatic hubs.
Lever on floorboard engages transfer case to front diff, hubs lock wheels to front diff- 2 different aspects needed

Hello retard!
Lucky for you, I'm feeling generous enough to not just say "fucking google it". So here goes.
>inb4 reddit spacing. Fuck you.

For the most part ignore it. 4WD consumes more fuel and won't do anything 2WD drive doesn't already do UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.

But let's say you're not under normal conditions. You're in mud or snow and reaching a point where you're losing traction. So you need 4WD. Here's what you do:
>put truck in park
>shift 4wd lever to H or L4
>put truck in drive
>now 4 wheels spin instead of 2
L4 means low gear and is good for driving slowly out of a bad situation or when pulling something really heavy. H is high gear and can go faster but with obviously less pulling power.

For now, just try driving it in 4H and learn how it feels. You'll burn a little extra fuel but you understanding how your new truck drives and feels is more important.

>>28527163 (OP)
Not sure if bait or not. Whatever, I'll bite.

4WD is used whenever the rear axle begins to lose traction. It is useful for icy / snowy roads, and on dirt roads or offroading in which having the front wheels driven as well helps the vehicle get more traction. Anytime you're on dry pavement, you should be in 2WD, and only engage 4WD if the rear can't get traction, or you expect it to slip. You will be in 2WD 99% of the time.

4WD High is for all situations where you want 4WD. You should use this for "general purpose" and any speed greater than approximately 25 mph, but can be used below that speed as well. 4WD Low engages a gear reduction (approximately 2:1) that limits your speed, but doubles your torque. It is useful for when you're trying to tow something in a difficult situation on loose terrain, or when you want more control over the transmission.

If it has hubs on the front axle (not sure if 1st gen Tundras did so this might not be applicable), you will need to turn them to the "lock" position before engaging 4WD. You should leave them in the "free" or "unlocked" position normally.

The "1" (sometimes "L") and "2" (and sometimes "3") positions on the transmission shifter are just gear lock outs that prevent the transmission from going to a higher gear. This is useful if you're towing something and don't want it to shift up to a higher gear, if you want to engine brake down a long hill, or if you're off roading and want to maintain your RPMs without the transmission trying to grab a higher gear. You will have it in drive "D" under all normal driving.

>>28527186
A locking differential essentially couples the left and right side of an axle together. They normally have a gearset in them that allows each tire to spin independently (for road use). When the locking differential is engaged, it forces the left and right tire (on the same axle) to turn at the same speed. This is useful in when one tire is not getting traction, as that tire will spin and no torque is delivered to the tire that does have traction (because of the gearset in the axle). When the locking differential is engaged, it forces the tire with traction to spin. This should only be used off road or otherwise in extremely slippery conditions, never on dry pavement.

You can engage 4WD at any time. It is best to engage at a full stop, but if you're driving in a straight line, you should be able to engage it as well. Note that if you have hubs (as mentioned before), you must turn them in prior to using it.

Thank you everyone, this has been helpful. If I can use 4WD on pavement, whats the best way to periodically engage it to make sure the gear oils gets spinning and the gears stay coated and loose. A common problem I've read is that the gears can stick with prolong non-use and that when activated the transfer case will do its job but the gears will not engage.

It's raining, like a bad enough storm or downpour, would it fuck anything up to activate 4WD High and drive on pavement, avoiding any sharp turns?

can’t you just grok this? I want to see the pic of the girl sucking gasoline again

>>28527468
don't use 4wd on pavement, even if it's raining.

Not op but I have a question. What happens if you use 4wd on pavement and or making wide turns? Doesn't something get bound up?

>>28527486
its not that bad to be honest. as long as youre driving in at straight line, you cant fuck anything up. its just reddit speak to sperg out and say you cant drive 4wd on pavement, like your truck will instantly explode or something

>>28527497
I'd say it's more about the speed. Engageable 4WD on a 1st gen Tacoma is not made to go fast. You can drive faster on pavement, which leads to greater wear and tear and potential problems in engageable 4WD systems. Combine speed with maneuvering, and you're basically throwing your 4WD mechanicals into an absolute worst case scenario.

>>28527505
It wrecks your tires for no benefit at all

>>28527184
You can eat a dick
>OP mentions it's his first 4WD
>you take the opportunity to be a faggot immediately

>>28527497
It will "push" through a turn. The vehicle wants to make wider turns then you do in 4wd. This can cause control issues with inexperienced drivers.
You can also snap components because its not a top fuel dragster with chromoly shafts everywhere that can handle the traction- 4x4 is designed to "slip" on loose substrate offroad.