Took my 5th Gen 4runner (2021 SR5 Premium) for off-roading this weekend, I am in northeast with lots of snow and ice in Connecticut. Not much great trails here, but I took a mediocre trail (According to my standards for those off-roading must have been probably easy ones). I got stuck in two places while I was trying to get out of slippery ice & snow in a sharp bend, along with a steep slope it struggled to climb I had to do a lot of maneuvers at that point tons of questions started to rush to my mind am I doing the right things sort questions
I was in 4L- D2, D3 and I could see my RPM meter hitting the red-zone as I was slowly inching up the slippery icy slope
a. By doing that am I going to damage anything at that high (8000) rpm during 4L what are the limits of engine rpm speeds to be aware of …?
b. I was constantly shifting between drive & reverse fast just to keep the momentum is there anything I should keep in mind or is it ok..?
c. Also I had to shift between 4L and 4H in order to keep the momentum I needed in some places to be in 4H and to 4L
d. Finally I notice when I come to main road and turn to H2 I hear some sort of very slight rubbing noise, Its probably I feel its coming from engaging and disengaging 4WD this is not the first time I am hearing, I heard this noise even early on now I have ~1600 miles I probably heard It earlier I don’t remember exactly around what miles, any thoughts here..?
e. When I park in the garage I smell some sort of heat smell, definitely not burnt smell, I can smell something is hot and I used to get the smell when I have normal drives, is that normal I did not encounter those when I had my 4thgen but its was a 2WD (when I was in houston area) Should I check that out or is it normal new engine and gears smell due to heat..?
f. any recommendation for those scratches from tree branches and bushes mine is getting bad I have a Black Rig.
Any feedback would be appreciated specially those questions are constantly lingering in my mind
I posted this in a tips thread did not get any response so far, hence reposting here