Have a read through my post on ivannj's thread HERE.

 

If you really find it a problem, you should buy my 2000 Blazer, it has auto-4wd that only kicks in when you need it. hehehe

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=192572763

 

thanks for answering all my unanswered questio!ns....as to why that shiney little button on my dash turns my truck into supper dirt destroying batmobile off roader!
woo hoo!

 

Yes paved roads.
Never drive in 4wdr on paved dry roads. That is how you kill your drivetrain. Things in there don't like all the forces and tend to break little things like gears. Unfortunately, those little gears are not cheap to replace. The gears themselfs run about $140. Plus you need new bearings and seals, add in another $40 or so. Then add in a couple hundred in labor charges to have them installed. Imporperly installed gears will grind themselves to death in a thouseand miles. Plus make a whole lot or noise in the process. IT is possible to break an axle shaft, or u-joint as well.

Yes, use 4wdr in slushy weather. Don't get me wrong, you can drive in 4wdr on dry roads for a limited time, however the longer you do it the worse the wear and tear. This is not one of those instant breaks like dropping the tranny in reverse on the insterstate.

Bind up. Yes and no it will or will not stop moving. The deal is this. It will bind and it will become harder and harder for the truck to drive, eventually, it will stop moving. Unfortunately at this point you have reached total failure and something just broke. $$$$ to get it fixed.

How do you tell if it is binding. If you are driving on a dry PAVED road, you will usually hear a hollowing noise, or the steering gets harder, or the tires make funny noises, or the steering gets jerky. Those are all signs it is binding up.

 

This is exactly how you do blow your tranny up. Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. Driving in 4wdr generates tons of heat. Towing also generates tons of heat. Doing both of those at the same time is like a time bomb waiting to go off. Your only saving grace so far is your in 3dr gear. Hopefully you haven't cooked your tranny fluid yet. I HIGHLY recommend you don't drive in 4wdr while towing, especially at highway speeds. IT is OK to get the boat out of the water, or back to the main road. But once you hit a dry paved road, shift out of 4wdr. The only time to drive in 4wdr on a paved road is when it is covered in snow or another slippery surface, like a heavy rain.

I certainly hope you have an external tranny cooler, if not ADD one. I also HIGHLY recommend you drop your tranny pan and replace the 4-5 quarts of tranny fluid that drain out. I prefer to install a drain plug in the tranny pan and drain out the 4-5 quarts of tranny fluid once per year. This simple thing will make your tranny live a lot longer life.

If you want to know more about how a tranny works, post up.