Can't help ya, but I can say that you don't need to worry about feeling ignorant here lol we're all here for the same thing.

 

The newer axles were completely connected, so if the front axle isn't engaging something is broken internally or missing. Spider gears ring and pinion or driveshaft is gone ect.

 

YIKES!!! I really do not want to hear that!! I just got a message that my job is closed down again Friday for the snow and ice, so I will get the front end up on a jack tomorrow and take a closer look...I sure hope it is a vacuum problem!!! I can sure fix that...

 

Well, it is raining like NORMAL here in Western Wa!!! And with no garage to get into, I guess I will hafta wait to work on the 4x4...

 

LOL What kind of man are you, afraid to get rained on? JK Get a canopy or a tarp to set up over and under the truck, if you really needed to.

 

I spoent the last three years building my house, and have just gotten tired of playing in the rain at 56 yrs old!!! LOL!!! I love to play in the snow, tho!!! I don't mind being cold, or being wet...BUT NOT COLD AND WET AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!

Since this is not necessary now that our snow is meltinmg away, and my Chevy Lumina is doing as well in the snow as my NOW 2WD Dakota, I don't need to drive it...so, it gets to wait...plus I want to take a look at the wet floor issues and see if it can be taken care of by the FAQ I seen here for that problem.....

Will let y'all know when I get a better look at the axle...

 

should be very easy to see the cad mechanism on the passenger side axle tube. the newer axles like '96 are 100% engaged and spin all the time. same setup you would see in the fulltime 4x4 trucks back in the 1970s. something about your first post dont sound right. if you had a '96 axle and tcase, it WOULD be in 4x4 when you pull the lever. aint no vacuum tubes or diaphrams to disrupt the process. hell maybe your tcase linkage has broken or fallen off ???

 

OK, just came in from the COLD after looking under the truck. I jacked up the front end, crawled under, and there is NO vacuum device on the axle at all...only a vent tube coming off the passenger side axle tube...the differential has a short axle on the driver side and it has a cv joint. The passenger side is a solid tube out to where the axle comes out and has a cv joint also. So, no CAD...the MFGR date on the door panel is 10/92...I have no prev owner info as to whether the xfer / axles were changed out or no...so at this point I am dumbfounded as to what to look at next.

UPDATE:
took the wife outside, had her back up and go forward in 2WD, and the driveshaft was not turning. Had her pull it into 4x4, back up and go forward again, and the driveshaft was turning. At this point I am thinking that I have a gear problem in the diff...I am thinking I need to get all 4 wheels off the ground, and see if it is working at all in 4x4. My guess is it will not be. I never had any 4x4 activity in the snow!!!

 

You don't have to lift it off the ground. If it's a live axle front end, leave it in 2wd, crawl under it and try to turn the driveshaft, if it turns, something is wrong inside.

 

Gotcha!!! I think I understand more as I go along...so, the front axles are always connected to the diff, and the engagement is done via the xfer case...so when it is in 2WD, the front axles and diff are still engaged, just not being turned by the xfer case...hmmm, ok, I will do that after a while...