There are no ill effects. The 4th gen V6 has the same center differential, so nothing will be damaged if you use it on dry pavement. The parts are basically identical to the V8, but there is a 2WD mode in the transfer case and an Automatic Differential Disconnect (ADD) up front. Just don't lock the center differential on dry pavement. The 5th gen (except Limited trim) has no center differential, so it would be bad to leave that in 4WD all the time.
Why is V8 Full Time AWD?
- Thread starter DaveK22
- Start date
There are no ill effects. The 4th gen V6 has the same center differential, so nothing will be damaged if you use it on dry pavement. The parts are basically identical to the V8, but there is a 2WD mode in the transfer case and an Automatic Differential Disconnect (ADD) up front. Just don't lock the center differential on dry pavement. The 5th gen (except Limited trim) has no center differential, so it would be bad to leave that in 4WD all the time.
colorado4wheeler
New member
AWD is great on the 120. Seriously.
oldmansimek
New member
Why would you ever want to leave it in 4hi that is the main reason not to buy the V8. Who the hell wants to drive around in awd all the time go buy a subaru. Also the towing difference is barely noticeable if you need to tow that much go buy a vehicle that was meant for towing. So basically all the v8 gives you is a marginal amount more power which is then taken away by being in awd all the time, worse gas mileage and oh yeah a nice $1000 gift every 80,000 miles.
Rodtheviking
New member
I love my V8 AWD, wouldn't change it.
I'll line my V8 runner with 35's and stock gears up against your V6 any day of the week! You can then try to tell me how it is "marginally" more powerful. lol
You do NOT lose any power in AWD, and actually after driving around for a week without the front driveshaft I can tell you that in 2WD you can hardly get it to hook up. Awesome burnouts/donuts at will though! As for mileage, stock it does great. I consistently got 19mpg, which is great for a 5000lb box on wheels. Lets see what mileage the V6 gets with 35's .... The same or worse, especially since it's working way harder to do anything and everything. The timing belt I'll give you, it's annoying and retarded, but there is a huge difference that numbers on a piece of paper just can't show you. As for AWD only, well get an FJ cruiser t-case, bolts right in, then you have 2WD for day to day life.
sport2004
Member
Will say that for my first mileage check, on a trip across the State, I got 19 going and 20 coming, driving on the e-way at 68 mph. Faster, I would expect to be much less, and this with the V-6 in 2wd.
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Yup, at 60-70 mph long cruise I averaged the same. 70+ it dropped fast! City/highway combined I got 16. Nowadays with the big heavy tires and lift I average 13, and 80+ on the freeway nets me 8-9mpg! Lol.
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
AdmiralAugbar
New member
This back and forth arguing is hilarious.
All I'll say is that I absolutely love driving my V8, brings a smile to my face every time.
All I'll say is that I absolutely love driving my V8, brings a smile to my face every time.
The sound of dat V8 doh!
https://m.flickr.com/photos/132186222@N08/30665102013/
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
https://m.flickr.com/photos/132186222@N08/30665102013/
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
sport2004
Member
If yer getting mud on yer windshield you must be doing something right.
03v8raleigh
New member
Related question: Do the AWD v8's generally last as long as the v6's that run in 2wd, without major repairs? I mean the longevity of the driveline (t-case, differentials, etc). I had a 2000 2wd with 230,000 miles for a few months last year (all I could afford at the time), that needed the whole rear end replaced from worn diff gears, bearings, and u-joints. And it had never even been taken offroad. I ended up selling it instead of paying to fix it. I don't look forward to having to replace all of that mess on my 2003 AWD if it starts to go! I figure it sees a lot more wear and tear over the life of the vehicle compared to the v6 since it is constantly being used and stressed, even as a pavement princess. Of course this is all just conjecture, but has anyone seen a noticeable difference between the two, since people generally drive these trucks to very high mileage?
Of course the engines and main components can go forever on these trucks but when all of the expensive 4x4 parts start to go, I imagine maintaining these things gets very pricey.
Of course the engines and main components can go forever on these trucks but when all of the expensive 4x4 parts start to go, I imagine maintaining these things gets very pricey.
Actually you get less stress and wear on the full-time 4wd because it is dividing the power up over the full driveline. U-joints wear, but at $10 you can't really complain much. Differentials and such shouldn't wear out if driving in normal conditions, but as with anything, anything can happen. There's guys consistently getting 300k, 400k+ for miles without major failure. I have 230k on mine with 80k of that from me, abused and offroaded heavily, long highway miles, stop and go traffic, and my stupid heavy foot. I toasted a rear dif, but 35's, soft sand and trying to snatch an F-150 out of 6' of water while pulling uphill... Anything can happen.
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
It was really wet and sandy, so not mud per say, but still fun!
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
Differentials (which are the expensive parts of a drive train) will last indefinitely as long as they are kept full of proper lubricant that is free of contamination. They literally do not wear out as long as the parts are running in the proper oil. Failures are generally due to water/dirt contamination or running low on lube or some type of abuse or overstress.
CV boots wear out, but it's not clear that they last longer when used sporadically, or when running full time. The CV boots on my '94 lasted 200K miles and turned every mile of that. I think the primary failure mode on boots is just age, provided the angles are within reason.
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True, but, if you start offroading or are otherwise rough on your truck, one guy auto races his 4runner, the crush sleeves in the dif can cause the pinion to loosen up and everything to not mesh properly anymore. This is what happened to me. Solid spacer and you're good to go!
Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
Agreed. My post was in the context of the guy who worried about the rear-end giving up after 200K miles of on-road driving. That normally doesn't happen unless something went wrong with the lubrication. There's no reason to avoid AWD/fulltime4WD just because of the extra differential. That shouldn't be a major failure component given proper maintenance.
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