I've got a 2000 dakota 4x4, 210,000km, with a 5.9 magnum. I've been having an issue with my 4x4. Whenever I shift it into 4 wheel drive, it pulls hard to the right, and if i disengage it, it doesnt always seem to want to disengage. the lever shifts back to the wheel drive easily, but it still pulls to the right as if it was still in 4x4. If i put the vehicle in park, and shut it off, the start it up again, it acts normal. It does have a fairly new front dif, and I was told the transmission was rebuilt. Not ure at what kms though. Any ideas?

 

I'd be looking at the front differential more than the transfer case. The transfer case only supplies power to the differentials. The differential "distributes" that power.

Are both front tires the same size? Try swapping them.

Give the suspension and steering a good once over. Any play may cause this, similar to "torque steer" in a FWD vehicle.

 

If it pulls HARD to one side, i'd almost think you had a broken half-shaft.

The lack of disengagement would be hard to say.

 

Good thought. Half shaft or stripped splines.

 

i used to have a toyota 4x4 and it got stuck in 4x4 too, the geard under strain would bind up because they arent used often, so i would back up about 20 feet and then it would be nice and loose and shift into 2wd again. nothing to worry about. then again that t-case has some sort of random leak aswell, or i think it did.. who knows really.

 

I'll ask this question to learn, not dirty the subject.

Could there be an issue with the spider gears? I assume they are up front as well as in the rear... sorry, I'm learning and ask a few questions.

 

possibly, doubtfully with the gears themselves, but the splines could be stripped as Dan said.

 

okay think about it, splines make the shaft turn, if they were stripped it would freely spin, just not give power. a pull is caused by something not spinning or rotating freely.. im thinking a bearing because a stripped shaft would spin freely, and if the spider gears were ****ed it wouldnt affect only one side.

 

If it's pulling right, your right front is driving and your left front is not. So the left front shaft splines may be stripped. Spiders would affect both sides, yes, unless that's where the stripped splines are.

There is no disengaged state in our trucks, the front everything rotates together. But if the left front shaft was stripped, then the only thing keeping things together is that the front wheel can't spin faster than a back wheel. Now if you got on a slippery surface, that would be the telltale, if there was a speed differential from front to back.