4x4 steering

It is behaving normally. It does get in a bind when used on pavement, if it's not slick. Wet pavement does not provide enough of a surface for the front end components to slip on. If you continue to leave it locked in four wheel drive on pavement, then you'll need a mechanic to fix what will eventually break.

Spdloader

You'll need the mechanic because at the rate you are going you will break something. The 4wd system in your truck (hi and lo) are not meant to be driven on high-traction surfaces. The axles are locked together, and when you each wheel wants to roll at a different speed...the differentials in each axle allow this from side to side, but the axles still want to turn at different speeds (front one slightly faster) so by locking them together in

4wd you are introducing tremendous driveline stress, which is causing your binding. Repeated abuse of this nature will eventually grenade a U-joint or transfer case.

If you have manual hubs, you can leave them locked in during the winter months and just shift the transfer case to get into and out of 4wd. Only on surfaces that will provide enough slippage to relieve any binding. Wet pavement ain't slick enough.

I was driving on 11" of snow but only experienced this when trying to enter a parking space where the snow had melted or been removed to the pavement. Thanks to both of you. I've had Chevy 4x4s and Mopar 4x4s and never experienced this. I guess Ford is different. We will be a little more careful in the future. Thanks again as I was worried that there was a problem with the transfer case. Much cheaper to follow your advice.

Then you should be alright, it is normal, but it might be a good idea to stay out of 4wd when parking in a space like that.

All normally functioning part-time 4wd systems act this way. Perhaps your other ones were "Full Time/All Wheel Drive" systems, with a transfer case differential or viscous coupling to absorb the binding, or part of the system was faulty.