So, got the truck inspected today and went for a little test drive.

Well, someone filled in the mudhole, so we just tore up a dirt road. When I kicked it in 4 wheel, it was grinding and clanking hard in first and second gears. Drove fine in 4HI 3rd-5th gears.

What could cause that? Guy I bought it from 4 wheeled it for me on the test drive and it was fine. Maybe I don't have the lever in the right spot? Maybe the diff oil needs changed? Transfer case issue?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

It is possible it was just how you shifted it. The instructions are in the FAQ. Or the shifter rod needs adjustments. Also check the fluid level.

 

also check the linkage for the 4x4 shifter it could just be out of whack too but i always double check the shifter before i start 4wheelin. also when you shift it are you rolling in Neutral when you shift or are you doing it from a dead stop?

 

I was dead stopped when I was shifting, clutch pressed in. I couldn't really feel the stop locations, wasn't sure if I was in gear correctly.

I drained the transfer case and both diffs today. Transfer case fluid was low and very very dirty. Front diff was practically dry. I think that is the cause of my noise, but the front diff gasket is on order so I haven't been able to test drive yet.

 

should be easy to see where your leaks are. if the axle cover is fine then chances are the oil leaked past the seals at the end of the tubes. hard to say on the tcase. theres 3 seals plus a oring where the speedo plugs in (mine has oring, not sure if yours is the same), could have leaks in any of them areas or it could be leaking where it splits in half. i recomend the oem seals if you can get them or some high qaulity aftermarket ones. do not use cheap taiwan asian seals or youll severly regret it later

 

The transfer case wasn't leaking. It actually looked to be in great shape. I'm think it was low because they just didn't add enough fluid at last service.

The front diff was definitely leaking. Leaking hard. It had that paint-on gasket stuff and chunks of it were all inside of it. Replaced the gasket and filled it with LucasOil.

Now that both diffs and the transfer case were serviced, the 4x4 runs nice and quiet through all gears. I'm pretty sure the low oil/gasket chunks in my front diff was the cause of the ruckus.

I'm still finding it difficult to shift from 2HI to 4HI and back again. It seems to be stuck in 4HI at the moment. Shifter in neutral, clutch depressed, shifting to 2HI and the lever won't stay in place. Won't stay in place even letting the clutch out. I probably just need to be less gentle with it.

 

i cant imagine somebody would take the time to drain the tcase fluid but not take another 5min to fill it to the proper level. but if theres no sign of fluid leak then maybe thats what happened

one other thing, and im not positive on the '92 but on the trucks around '95-'96, if its a manual tranny theres a seal at the front of the tcase where it mates with the tranny. if it leaks at that seal it drips out of a weep hole thats located more towards the tranny and you might not recognise it as a tcase leak. also make sure that hole isnt plugged. just thought i would mention it

sounds like something aint right if its hard to shift in 4x4, it should shift with 1 finger literly. dont need to push in the clutch or stop when going from 2hi to 4hi or vice versa. should be able to shift back and forth up to 50mph if i recall. check the linkage is adjusted correct

 

The truck previously belonged to a guy that DIY'd stuff and pretty much let the truck sit the past few years unless he was moving mulch/dirt that weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if he had done the t-case service on an uneven surface. Either way, it's good and full now. I'll check it in a week or two to make sure the level isn't going down and that there is no fluid on my skidplate.

As for the hard shifting 2HI-4HI, either something ain't right or I just need more practice. The **** moves pretty easily (not quite 1-finger), but I can't feel the stops like I can with the gear shifter.

I've determined that it's stuck in 4HI now because the 4x4 shifter **** is hitting the edge of the opening as the body lift sunk it down in 2". That's preventing it from moving forward the whole way. I'm going to extend that with threaded rod and that should help there.

 

I think this was mentioned, but check your transfer case oil. I recently opened up my t-case and it was completely dry, I almost had a heart attack! No gear oil at all.



By the way, it's nice to see somebody else from Lancaster County on here I'm down in the southern end. Hope you figure it out!

 

i forgot you had a body lift. that may be causing problems with shifter movement. i had a chevy once with body lift and the auto tranny linkage had to be extended for it to shift correct. body lifts can cause all sorts of issues with gear shift levers and linkages etc etc