This thread reminds me of this video...

The paved roads through the Smokies are just normal roads. Yes, we have curves and hills but all can be handled by a typical passenger car. If there is snow, you may want to use your 4WD but that would be the only time... and that's if they don't close the roads in the park. The park service is so worried about the "tourons" not being able to handle slick roads and hills that you rarely get the opportunity to drive through the park in the snow anymore.

Once you get to Newfound Gap on 441 there are some long down-hills going either direction. Using a lower gear rather than the brakes makes for a better descent. If you want to stretch the 4Runner's legs a bit, there are plenty of forest service roads in the areas outside the park that give you the opportunity to play with the 4WD and such.

We go to the smokys every year. Just drive it like a normal person, I have no clue what you are talking about being in 4H 4L 2H 2L and we go through the state and national parks to get off pavement, we never needed to put it in 4WD even when we were in Blue Ridge.

We just did the smokies between christmas and new years. Had a blast. The only time I used 4x4 was offroad and in snow to get up to our cabin. Otherwise it was just 2wd the whole time. Had a blast. I just geared down to use the engine to hold me back at places. And pulled off a lot for pictures.

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Here is a few pictures from around cades cove, Gatlinburg, and the road between cherokee and Gatlinburg

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What do you mean gear down? I don’t know that lingo.


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You should be in 2H if you can on dry roads. 4H is open for debate in the rain.
Unless you have PROPER tires, you should not be going too fast in rain.
Most 4X4 tires are NOT proper as they can't evacuate water like a proper "Max Performance Summer" tire, and will hydroplane.

I was poking fun at the guys who didn't recommend downshifting if you are on a STEEP downhill slope.
Say you have gears 1-5, and 5 is normal for the highway, you shift to 4 or 3 instead of using your brakes the whole time, the shifting of gears uses the engine as a brake. (The signs for truckers "USE LOW GEAR" are for this reason along with the "runaway" cutouts on the sides of mountain passes)

Sometimes even 2 or 1 on snowy slopes so you don't have to use your brakes which can be a bad idea on snow/ice as it can send you into a slide.

As someone who has lived at sea level and in the Rocky Mountains, I would say it’s basically the same thing. Not trying to be snarky. I just don’t know what you are asking.

I drove my 4Runner over Berthoud Pass today in wet snow and down into Demver and never took it out of 2H. No problem.

I just reread the OP, and I guess the first question was pretty clear. Stay in 2H unless the road gets slippery for some reason. Then put it in 4H. You will not need 4L.


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I shift to manual mode and switch to 4 or down to 3 depending on how slow I want to ho and how high I want my engine to rev while holding me back.

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If you're worried about the Smokies, you would be absolutely terrified at the highways out west where we have real mountains.

You'll be ok lol

I grew up in East TN and was just there in my 4Runner in October visiting family. The previous post is correct. There is no reason to be in 4H or 4Lo when on DRY pavement. This will damage your drivetrain a lot faster.

However, if there is snow/ice, by all means shift into 4H as you feel it is needed.

In October, I drove from Gatlinburg to Cherokee and back with no braking issues or fatigue.

Have fun and tell Dolly hi from me.

tbh I thought your cargo area was on fire at first glance

True, but I think it's easier to tell this guy to just not do that than have to worry about him going completely straight and not driving up and down switchbacks in 4H or 4LO. I'm fully aware you can drive lightly and straight in 4 wheel on paved roads but some people don't understand it.

I don’t think my thread was that crazy after I saw this. This place has almost no rails, roads where two trucks would barely fit, steep roads, etc.

So I did pretty good this far using 2H. Going down from the top though I’m sure I was picking up some heat on the breaks and there were a few low gear signs for trucks.


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