if there is excessive driving in 4 wheel drive, particulary my 08 suburban, can damage be done if so what?

Answer 1

you will burn more gas$$$$ and your cv joints want last

Answer 2

The real question is why there is excessive 4 wheel use on an 08 Suburban. The automatic diff (and auto choice on the dash) is the best way to go. 4WD is only going to burn more gas (like it's not bad enough already, I drive an 07 Burb), and cause your CV joints/diff to wear faster.

The 4WD on the Suburban isn't like the 4WD many of us remember from 15 years ago. It's meant to be used in low traction situations only...i.e. icy roads/snow, etc. It is not by any means intended for heavy off road use and is also not intended to be left on.

The auto option is linked to the traction control system. When the computer senses the need to send power to the front wheels it does so, otherwise you run at 2WD all the time. Many people stick to their roots and choose not to put their "trust" into the automatic system. It works...trust me, the GM engineers have spent years perfecting it, the computer on board can calculate and distribute power to the wheels much more efficiently than you can.

As a fellow Burb...and gas guzzler owner, turn it to auto. Save yourself the gas, the extra tire wear, the CV joint wear, etc. It's unneccesary. You paid a fortune for it for a reason, it's highly capable and highly intelligent...let it make the decision.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Depends on if your vehicle has a full time 4wd option. If it has a full time option then you can drive in that position the whole year if you wish, as the center differential is open and allows all the wheels to spin at different speeds.

However if your vehicle's 4WD system is only Part-Time then no you should not operate it on dry pavement. The reason is during turning mainly, but it will eventually happen even while driving on straight roadway, is that the transfer case and all related parts will start winding up caused by stress on the drive train due to the wheels being locked together and not allowed to slip such as when going around a corner or a curve in the road the tires on the inside of the curve will want to spin slower than the ones on the outside of the curve, if the 4WD system is in use this can't happen and it starts breaking expensive drive-train components and eventually leads to a complete failure of the transfer case, and possibly a driveshaft or both drive shafts, and damage to the CV boots, and CV axles. All of which is quite expensive to fix, and is not covered under warranty, as its expressly stated in the owner's manual to NOT use a part time 4wd system on hard dry surfaces.

Answer 4

OK now that you have everyones opinion here is the real answer:
1. if it is an auto 4WD then if the roads are clear go ahead and put it in 2wd this saves fuel. running.
2. If you have to switch it to 4WD then only do that off road or on Snow when you need traction. using it all the time WILL bind the drive train and can seriously damage transfer cases and drive lines.

Most GM products of that size show AWD on the dash or something like that which is automatic and it will only switch into 4WD if it senses slippage in the wheels.

Answer 5

i own a 88 v-2500 4x4 suburban with the live axle up
front . if you really need to use the 4wheel drive then do so
if you don't need it you should turn it off and save wear and tear on the drivetrain. i only use 4wheel drive when i need it most like off roading in the desert( i live in apple valley ca)
the off road trails into the mountains, snow and ice, and
death valley ca. i do make sure to use my 4wheel drive
at least once a month to excersize the t-case. i put at least
20 miles of off roading while in use.

Answer 6

i would recommend driving in auto 4x4, it will lock the front dif
in and use a clutch in t-case to cycle in and out of 4x4 as needed. this will cause a little more wear and tear and a little worse gas milleage. but 4x4 will come on a soon as you need it. also it is designed to be able to be run in auto 4x4 with no damage

Answer 7

if your off roading use 4wd
if your driving down the highway why dont you try saving some gas for the rest of us...i know you need a suburban for your one kid but geez, i enjoy paying 5 dollars per gallon...so kudos for you for keeping the demand as high as possible

how many drowned polar bears per mile does an 08 suburban get?