Chevrolet Repair: 4x4 use and maintenance, antilock braking system, chevy colorado

Question
I recently bought a chevy colorado and have a couple of questions about the use and maintenance of the 4x4 feature:

1. driving on the highway in the winter time with slippery roads, I have read that you can drive at normal speed in 4H just as you would 2H.  Is this true?

2. I have also heard that you should go too long without engaging the 4x4 feature.  Is this true as well?

Any advise would be appreciated very much.

Answer
Hello Mike,
Well, if you mean you can drive at the normal 70 MPH because you have four wheel drive, where other vehicles need to drive thirty five due to road conditions, Hmmmm.

You can drive pretty much as fast as is safe to do so, keeping in mind that 4X4 does NOT help you stop....it only helps you go, so don't let it lull you into a false sense of macho-ism, or false security.
It also defeats the antilock braking system on some vehicles when in four wheel drive, which seems wrong, but that's the way it is, so be careful.

Yes, you should probably engage the 4X4 every few months, even in the summer, just to keep things lubricated and free, but you don't need to find a cliff to climb.

Good luck,
Van