have I hurt my transfercase drving in 2wd on dry highway?

chris777 · 12-04-06, 10:07 AM

day before yesterday, I had my FJ60 in the driveway. I put it in 4wd because I had the instrument cluster out and was trying to fix my 4WD indicator light, which has not been working lately. changing bulbs didn't fix it, so I put the cluster back in the dash, and forgot to take it out of 4WD. (oh, and my hubs were locked).

the next day I drove on the dry highway for 12 miles and drove 6 miles on dry city streets. I didn't notice I was in 4WD untill I turned the wheels sharply at a slow speed to park. I felt that binding feeling you only get in 4WD.

I immediately stopped and tried to get it out of 4WD. With great difficulty, I got it out of 4 wheel drive. I drove home, after my meeting, with no issues or symptoms of any kind.

My transfer case was just rebuilt last May.

question: what kind of damage have I done to my transfer case? have I compromised its reliability or performance?

agent orange · 12-04-06, 10:10 AM

Absolutely none. FJ80s have a full time transfer case as well as a lot of other makes, its completely fine. You could do it again tommorow if you want.

-Matt

euclid · 12-04-06, 10:10 AM

Tcase should be fine.

Were the hubs locked?

Mark W · 12-04-06, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agent orange

Absolutely none. FJ80s have a full time transfer case as well as a lot of other makes, its completely fine. You could do it again tommorow if you want.

-Matt

Step back there. Bad advice. Full time 4WD uses a diff in the T/C to prevent binding. Not at al thge same thing as an FJ60 T/C

An FJ60 is not meant to be driven in 4WD on dry pavement without problems. Lots of stress on the T/C and everything downstream from there.

That said, doing it once for a short distance will not cause problems.

The T/C has not been damaged.

Mark...

89s rule · 12-04-06, 10:21 AM

Should not mess anything up. What does dry streets ahve to do with it????

Mark W · 12-04-06, 10:50 AM

This is "four wheel drive 101"

A part time transfer case solidly links the front and rear axles. The tires cover different distances as the rig travels. In a low traction situation the tires slip and scrub easily enough to account for the difference. In a high traction environment (dry pavement) it is much harder for the tires to slip and stress is introduced into the drivetrain.

4WD on dry pavement in any Cruiser prior to the '80 series is to be avoided.

Mark...

89s rule · 12-04-06, 11:44 AM

Thats good to know, thanks Mark.

I dont make a havit of it, but it does happen ever once in awhile. (going btwn trails, etc.)

zcruiser · 12-04-06, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89s rule

Should not mess anything up. What does dry streets ahve to do with it????

More traction on the tire contact patch meaning more stress transferred back to the T/C as opposed to being on gravel or some other slippery surface where the tire is allowed to slip and take pressure off the internal gears.

hks3sgte · 12-04-06, 12:10 PM

SO... if the hubs weren't locked and it was in 4WD, no binding should happen, right?

lunyou · 12-04-06, 12:15 PM

^i'm not sure but i think that is an even bigger no-no then driving on dry pavement but don't quote me on that.

lunyou

euclid · 12-04-06, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hks3sgte

SO... if the hubs weren't locked and it was in 4WD, no binding should happen, right?

Correct. The axles will spin, but not the wheels because they aren't connected.

MoCoNative · 12-04-06, 12:39 PM

I have to comment here. It's 20 degrees out right now, it's actually a heatwave at the moment. Our roads are very snowpacked at the moment, but the sun is hot enough along with traffic to melt the pavement here and there, but not all of it. I have been driving the past week in 4wd because of the patchy ice. I have always done that, sometimes I will take it out of 4wd and go on drive pavement if I know I will have it for awhile, but when it is patchy like this, you always need 4wd at the stop signs and stuff.

Of course I am driving my 40 right now, and I never get binding or anything else from it, even on dry pavement in a parking lot at tight turns. But when I do drive on hard surfaces and this patchwork of ice, I try totake wider turns at lower speeds to negate any serious speed differentials between axles.

Bottom line, I've been driving on hard surfaces for years in the winter, and I have not ahd any bad sideeffects, but I'm careful. I also drive at highway speeds, as Toyota advertised a stock 40 could run 88 MPH (Ha, Ha,) but my 40 came with the drive covers and not hubs, so I know the front end was designed to take the speed. But again I do it in moderation, and of course in the summer, I take my hubs out, (retrofitted long ago)

So am I awaiting a time bomb here in my TC, or do others drive this way in the mid northern latitudes in the winter.

rat · 12-04-06, 01:07 PM

well, I've always thought that the evidence that there is stress or tension on the drive components is in the fact that you may need to back up a few yards to get it out of 4wd....

NocalFJ60 · 12-04-06, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid

Correct. The axles will spin, but not the wheels because they aren't connected.

So how does the TC handle this? It has no resistance from the axles so it is like both wheels have lost traction.

Mark W · 12-04-06, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoCoNative

I have to comment here. It's 20 degrees out right now, it's actually a heatwave at the moment. Our roads are very snowpacked at the moment, but the sun is hot enough along with traffic to melt the pavement here and there, but not all of it. I have been driving the past week in 4wd because of the patchy ice. I have always done that, sometimes I will take it out of 4wd and go on drive pavement if I know I will have it for awhile, but when it is patchy like this, you always need 4wd at the stop signs and stuff.

Of course I am driving my 40 right now, and I never get binding or anything else from it, even on dry pavement in a parking lot at tight turns. But when I do drive on hard surfaces and this patchwork of ice, I try totake wider turns at lower speeds to negate any serious speed differentials between axles.

Bottom line, I've been driving on hard surfaces for years in the winter, and I have not ahd any bad sideeffects, but I'm careful. I also drive at highway speeds, as Toyota advertised a stock 40 could run 88 MPH (Ha, Ha,) but my 40 came with the drive covers and not hubs, so I know the front end was designed to take the speed. But again I do it in moderation, and of course in the summer, I take my hubs out, (retrofitted long ago)

So am I awaiting a time bomb here in my TC, or do others drive this way in the mid northern latitudes in the winter.

When you are driving in patchy snow/ice/pavement, there are enough breaks in traction to allow the tires to slip and relieve the stresses on a continual basis.

If you hit long stretches of dry pavement, you really should pop it out of 4wd. With the hubs locked you can do this at speed and at will.

Mark...

Mark W · 12-04-06, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunyou

^i'm not sure but i think that is an even bigger no-no then driving on dry pavement but don't quote me on that.

lunyou

Nope, not a problem at all. Many of us 'round here lock the hubs in October or November and unlock them in April or May. Yank the lever into 4x4 when needed.

In fact the FJ62 has push button engagement of the T/C to facilitate just this approach. But the hubs have to be locked for it to work right.

Mark...

zcruiser · 12-04-06, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NocalFJ60

So how does the TC handle this? It has no resistance from the axles so it is like both wheels have lost traction.

Uneducated guess: The TC doesn't care (it's just turning both driveshafts) but the front diffs would, and who know what's going on up there...

JohnnyBoy · 12-04-06, 07:40 PM

with lockers maybe a chance of damage. with open diffs it should just wok itself out.

chris777 · 12-04-06, 08:06 PM

yes, my hubs WERE locked at the time, because we had just had an ice storm.

pvidrummer · 12-04-06, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris777

day before yesterday, I had my FJ60 in the driveway. I put it in 4wd because I had the instrument cluster out and was trying to fix my 4WD indicator light, which has not been working lately. changing bulbs didn't fix it, so I put the cluster back in the dash, and forgot to take it out of 4WD.

the next day I drove on the dry highway for 12 miles and drove 6 miles on dry city streets. I didn't notice I was in 4WD untill I turned the wheels sharply at a slow speed to park. I felt that binding feeling you only get in 4WD.

I immediately stopped and tried to get it out of 4WD. With great difficulty, I got it out of 4 wheel drive. I drove home, after my meeting, with no issues or symptoms of any kind.

My transfer case was just rebuilt last May.

question: what kind of damage have I done to my transfer case? have I compromised its reliability or performance?

I don't think you caused any problems in your transfer case. If you want to be 100% shure, change the transfer case oil and check for metal shavings(small metal particles.) I doubt that you will find anything, but it will give you peice of mind on the condition of your transfer case.

Did you have your hubs locked? If your hubs were NOT locked I am 1,001% shure that nothing happened to your T-case. Because your front wheels were completely disconnected from the front axle and there was NO stress on the front axle, front driveshaft, and T-case.

I hope this helps.

PS: If you want to change the gear oil, get SAE 80W-90 Gear Oil (with the pump.) The tranny, T-case, and diffs use it.