New TEP Owner Part-Time 4WD Question

Erkelbot said:
It's interestimg how many lectures are dealt out in this forum. The lectures to advice ratio is almost an even split on most threads.
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Erkelbot said:
Now that I'm thinking about it again, this makes sense. I mean, it's certainly not normal to have the VSC system fail, but the back end sliding out from under me also isn't normal. These systems are pretty damned smart -- even when you're trying to be dumb.
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Advice comes in all forms, especially lectures.
Seriously this VSC won't let you slide unless you are on glare ice. Take it in.
 
owner's manual? i'm confused

In the 2014 manual p. 232 for p/t 4wd systems it says H4 - use only for driving on tracks that permit the tires slide, like off-road, ice or snow covered roads. This position provides greater traction than two-wheel drive.

No where does it mention anything about avoiding turns etc.

p.234 Shifting H4 to H2 - shift the front wheel drive control lever to H@

This runner is not front wheel drive in H2 is it? Confused

It does mention to run it in H4 for at least 10 miles a month to keep things 'lubricated'
 
BCrunner78 said:
In the 2014 manual p. 232 for p/t 4wd systems it says H4 - use only for driving on tracks that permit the tires slide, like off-road, ice or snow covered roads. This position provides greater traction than two-wheel drive.

No where does it mention anything about avoiding turns etc.

p.234 Shifting H4 to H2 - shift the front wheel drive control lever to H@

This runner is not front wheel drive in H2 is it? Confused

It does mention to run it in H4 for at least 10 miles a month to keep things 'lubricated'
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Please don't get confused.
The 4Runner in 2HI is rear wheel drive.
The good advice not to make sharp turns is for when you have it in 4HI on dry pavement, like in July when you have it in 4WD to keep things lubricated.

Guys, putting it in 4HI on dry or only wet roads is fine. Just be mindful of sharp, city or parking lot type turns on high traction surfaces when you have it in 4WD. Much like driving a manual transmission, it actually takes thought to drive a part time 4WD. Put in in 4WD when it is slick, take it out when it is not. When you can't decide, put it in 4WD unless you are making really sharp turns.
 
Thanks. That's good, constructive advice. I don't mind doing some work at all -- I actually always have preferred a manual for that reason -- but I don't want to worry about screwing things up.

Side note, I am going to bring in the truck to have the VSC looked at. It really didn't do much to correct the slide at all, which as you all have pointed out seems problematic. If it's anything like my 3rd gen or 4th gen, the VSC should have applied braking to help correct the limited traction.

When I bring it in to have the truck looked at I am also thinking about talking to them about some new rubber. Frankly, these tires seem to be a bit of a let down in terms of quality in any types of weather (snow and mud especially, from what I read), so I wonder what if anything the dealer might do for me. I mean, the tires only have 380 miles on them...

If the dealer isn't interested in after sale service, do you have any recommendations for national chains (or specific to the Minneapolis area) who will take a VERY lightly used tire in on trade? Rev IIs or AT3s seem like a better choice, so this might be a good time to negotiate that while my current racing slicks are fresh... Thoughts?... Suggestions?...
 
4FL said:
What kind of driving? Highway, city streets, and how fast? How long? Are their hills? Lots of stop and go?(maybe I missed this in the first post).

This is one of those things that is hard to advise, because "patchy" and your commute is something that only you are experiencing, so only general advice can be given. Really, experience with 4wd's goes a long way.

In 2wd, with all of these traction gimmicks the 4r has, you should be just fine on patchy roads. If you have to stop on some slippery stuff, and you start to go and get some slipping, then just throw in 4h and go, then jsut throw it back in 2wd.

If the road has a lot of patchy parts, like 3/4 or so, then you probably be fine in 4h. Again, it is hard for someone to specifically advise without actually seeing what you are talking about, and actually being there to get the "feel" of the road.

Your tires are your best friend, get a set of snow tires for your 4r. Usually though, people get the "feel" for their car after a while, and know what needs to be done, whether it is throttle response, braking, 4h, 2wd, etc.
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During one fishtail I was on a flat surface -- an underpass going 40 as I recall. During the other, I was on a 3-5% grade uphill. You could see FWD cars spinning in the slower traffic, but none of them becoming imbalanced. To be honest, it made for a really hairy ride. It reminded me of the truck I learned to drive in -- a 2wd suburban. That was a baptism by fire in MN winters.

As you can see in my previous post, the tires conversation is on the table. I just need to see what kind of value I can get out of these 5 tireswing-worty tires so I don't have to drop $1K on tires and open myself up to the Spanish inquisition from my wife...
 
Erkelbot said:
As you can see in my previous post, the tires conversation is on the table. I just need to see what kind of value I can get out of these 5 tireswing-worty tires so I don't have to drop $1K on tires and open myself up to the Spanish inquisition from my wife...
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I think most people have been lucky to get $50 a tire for them new. As far as dropping a grand on new winter tires, just look at it this way. What's your insurance deductible? And how much will your insurance rates go up if you rear end another vehicle (or worse) because you slid on ice? The winter tires don't seem that expensive any more. Then again I've got around $3k worth of tires for my 4Runner between the MT/Rs and Rotiivas so maybe I'm not the most objective person to talk to...
 
Intruder said:
I think most people have been lucky to get $50 a tire for them new. As far as dropping a grand on new winter tires, just look at it this way. What's your insurance deductible? And how much will your insurance rates go up if you rear end another vehicle (or worse) because you slid on ice? The winter tires don't seem that expensive any more. Then again I've got around $3k worth of tires for my 4Runner between the MT/Rs and Rotiivas so maybe I'm not the most objective person to talk to...
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Fair point.

$50!?... Ouch. At that price, it ALMOST makes me want to find a place to put these stock tires away for summer, dry driving.

We'll see what the dealer has to say. If I am get $75/tire I would be in for a new set of 275s that actually do the year-round job.
 
Thanks for the help, all. I feel much less paranoid about using the 4wd system a bit more liberally in weather.
 
Sold my Grandtreks locally with less than a thousand miles for $325 (4). They ran really nice down on the road and I would have kept them if I didn't plan to get offroad a bit. Even with the little offroad I'll do, the reality is I'm sure the Grandtreks would have been fine. But it gave me a way to justify getting a better looking/meaner tire (ha) but of course also made my pocket book a little lighter. Though after rebates & tire promos I only paid $100-$150 difference to swap... so worth it to me for the little out of pocket.
 
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