Will drivetrain burn out early?

[tacobel]

'03 4x4 TRD Taco, V6,a/t, hi-lo T-case, stock driveline.
I drive aprox 20K mi/yr.;
In winter I'm moving 65 mph, through snow, icy roads,heavy rain.
In these conditions I use 4-wheel high.
Truck sticks to road like on rails and feels like it'll run a million miles.
Stock vehicle, Goodyear Wrangler LT's, nothing broke (yet). My first 'yota.
How good is T-case, front driveline? I'm used to old US-made iron that wears out alot.
Ford friends say don't use truck as if it had full-time 4W.D., don't drive over 50mph in 4x4. Tacoma manual sez not to 'wheel on dry roads, which I don't.
What I can't get a straight answer to is:
Can the truck go fifty miles (through a blizzard on an icy unplowed highway) in 4-wheel Hi on a daily basis? Is it :(made to do this??
(I lube all greaseable points, change oil, tranny, diffs and t-case every 4-5K miles. I wash undercarriage, check all my seals and boots, etc. every week during winter.)
Thanks to all who take time to read this and can share their advice/wisdom/insight.

[Sean]

For sure its made to to it. And for sure it will cause premature wear to front driveline parts. The most important thing to do is make sure it is properly lubricated regularly. You defiately dont need to change the transfercase, diff and tranny fluid nearly that often, around every 100 000 miles should be fine. But grease on the other hand can never be done too often.

[tacobel]

How can I prolong lifespan of front driveshaft, diff, C-V and U-joints, wheel bearings, etc.?
I've read manual front hubs reduce wear on front driveline, because Toyota's system only unlocks at the t-case.
I'm spinning my whole front driveline when I'm in 2WD, right? It sounds like manual locking front hubs would help.
So, what brand/model of manual front hubs works the best on 2001 & up Taco's?

[snorkleman]

Actually the auto4x system spins the CV's but not the driveshaft and TC. When you lock it up it then starts to spin the DS and TC. You can prove this by spinning the front DS when sitting still. It won't be locked to the front CV's.

By switching to manual hubs you reduce the wear on your CV's.

You can run 4x4 High when on icy roads and be fine. It will increase wear on them but that is expected with any use over time. Just don't use the 4x4 when on high traction surfaces. This causes the 4x system to bind and puts unwanted load on the components.

Bottom line is use = wear. The toy can handle daily use as long as you use it correctly. It sounds like you are doing fine with keeping it lubed and using it only when needed.

[tacobel]

Thanks. I do my truck's mechanical work myself (like most people on this site; I'm sure we're all gearheads here).
I think I wll install the manual front hubs. Do you prefer one particular company?
There's a few out there, they all claim to be the best. In your experiences, what brand do you recommend?

[snorkleman]

If you don't have a lift on your truck, the wear might be minimal. Most guys with IFS lifts go with manual hubs since they run at more extreme CV angles which wears them out fast. I'm not sure which ones will fit the taco but I've used Aisen (toyota spec) which are awesome and I've used Warn which also did a good job on my older model toy.

[tacobel]

Thanks snorkleman and Sean. One of the best things about this site is getting is tech help. Your recomendations are great.