You're describing normal behavior of the wheels, but not normal driving. Four-wheel-drive should never be used on dry pavement. That forces both axles to rotate at the same speed. That isn't an issue when driving perfectly straight ahead, but with even the slightest turning, as in when changing lanes, the two driveshafts want to turn at different speeds. The same with the two wheels on each axle. That is the entire reason differentials are used in drive axles. Those allow the two wheels to rotate at different speeds. Placing the transfer case in two-wheel-drive allows the two differentials to rotate at independent speeds.
As far as breaking something, the driveshafts and the axle shafts are having a real lot of twisting stress placed on them. A slipping tire is what's preventing an axle shaft or a universal joint from breaking. This also puts a lot of stress on the transfer case. I've already caught myself forgetting to shift back into two-wheel-drive after plowing through the show drifts in my driveway. Worrying about the stresses on the system makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Most newer models have an additional "automatic" four-wheel-drive mode that allows the system to engage momentarily on its own only when it's needed. I've used that feature a few times, but only when driving on snow-covered roads. Without it, my truck has a tendency to fish-tail on snow very easily, especially after becoming accustomed to driving front-wheel-drive Caravans for many years and being able to drive through anything without even thinking about it.
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Thursday, August 19th, 2021 AT 6:00 PM