Switching from 4H to 2H in reverse, anyone else hear a loud clunk?

I have a 2024 Tacoma with 6,700 miles (not that mileage really matters here). When I switch from 4H to 2H while reversing, I hear a loud clunk. My driveway has a bit of a slope, and on snowy days, I drive up in 4H. When backing out onto the road, I shift to 2H while reversing. I know it’s probably normal, but I just wanted to see if anyone else experiences this.

Were your wheels turned when you disengaged? If so, it might’ve been in a bind. You’ll feel and hear the gears release when that happens. It sounds rough, but try keeping your wheels straight before switching next time.

@Darby
If I was driving forward in 4H in a parking lot, then reversed into a 90-degree turn into a parking spot (yeah, bad move), and then switched to 2H—would that be enough to cause binding? I only reversed the length of the spot. That was the only time I ever heard the clunk. When I switch while going straight and in neutral, it never happens.

@Zhen
The binding happens when you turn, not when you switch to 2WD.

@Darby
I don’t think my wheels were turned enough to bind. My driveway is short, and I mostly pull in and back out in a straight line.

I remember back in the day when you had to get out of the truck, usually in the freezing cold, and manually turn the hubs to switch 4WD on and off. Glad that’s not a thing anymore!

Remi said:
I remember back in the day when you had to get out of the truck, usually in the freezing cold, and manually turn the hubs to switch 4WD on and off. Glad that’s not a thing anymore!

Yeah, my old Dodge had a whole process in the manual for switching into 4WD on the fly. It was like: drive exactly 17 mph in second gear, let off the throttle, wait for RPMs to drop to 2,300, move the lever to neutral for five seconds, then switch to 4WD. Now? Just press a button at 60 mph, and boom—done.

Remi said:
I remember back in the day when you had to get out of the truck, usually in the freezing cold, and manually turn the hubs to switch 4WD on and off. Glad that’s not a thing anymore!

If you’re on a slope, maybe stay in 4WD until you’re on flat ground before switching back. Just a thought.

My 2023 doesn’t like switching to 4WD on an uphill if I’m already slipping. I don’t hear one loud clunk, but a bunch of smaller noises and, of course, those annoying Toyota beeps.

Casey said:
My 2023 doesn’t like switching to 4WD on an uphill if I’m already slipping. I don’t hear one loud clunk, but a bunch of smaller noises and, of course, those annoying Toyota beeps.

Mine doesn’t always do it either, but if I’m holding the brake and not moving, then yeah, it does.

Might just be the weight of the truck putting pressure on the gears in the transfer case. Try shifting in neutral while rolling a little—that sometimes smooths it out.

I’ve heard that clunk for years. My old 3rd gen did it too. Still worked fine, so I never worried about it.

If there’s any torque on the 4WD system—whether from turning or being on a hill—you’re gonna get a pop when it disengages. Rolling straight with no brake or throttle usually makes for a smoother transition.

My 2025 makes the same clunk my 2009 and 2018 did. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes it clunks. Seems normal.

Sounds like there’s pressure on the pin that controls engagement/disengagement. If you shift while parked or with pressure on the system, it can get stuck before popping free. Try shifting in neutral on flat ground—it should be smoother.

I notice rougher shifts between 4H and 2H if my wheels are turned or if I’m pressing the gas. In your case, I’d back out in neutral, switch to 2H, and then go to reverse. You could also stop, put it in neutral with your foot on the brake, switch to 2H, and then reverse, but that’s an extra step.

I have a 2024 manual, and the first time I switched from 4H to 2H, it made a loud clunk. I was on a slight decline with the parking brake on. Ever since then, I’ve only done it on level ground with no parking brake, and it’s been quiet.