i shifted to 4 hi at about 5mph and eased up and mashed on it alittle to get through a mud hole with slick tires that i couldnt get around and it sounded like it was jumpumg gears so i stopped put it in beutral and then back to drive and it was fine. anyone know what might have happened?

 

If you had full-time 4wd thats one thing, but part-time 4wd isn't designed for non-slick conditions.

http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/driveline-bind.html - great image of what your transfercase could look like... ouch.

http://www.4x4abc.com/jeep101/engage.html - in here it specifically states not to use part-tie 4x4 on rainy roads.

 

Our trucks use a CAD unit to engage the axle on the passenger side. It takes... 2-3 seconds for it to engage, shorter or longer depending on the condition of your vac and your lines... your CAD etc. you get the point.
So you might have caught it still engaging or disengaging.

If you gave it ample time to engage, then you might have a bad vac line. I had to replace mine, the lines were really rotted badly along the frame. Since it was replaced, it goes in and out of 4x4 rather quickly. You could have not fully shifted it in to 4hi, and the transfercase was just barely egaged.

test it a couple of times on a dirt road (not a rainy street)

 

I've got a co-worker with a '97 Ram, 5.9L 4x4 who has well over 300K miles on it, he's had it since it had 50K on it and its been in 4hi since the day he's bought it, its the way he was tought to drive. The only issues he's had with it are the front axle joints going out every 40~50K miles (just like my '99 AND my '01 Ram, the '01 I almost never used 4wd except for when I had it burried to the frame in mud).

There are times in rain when 4wd is helpful and safer than letting the rears spin thru an intersection or accelerating onto a highway and helpful to keep traction in standing water. Like I said before, my truck tends to hydroplane unless I'm in 4wd when it rains - any speed over 40mph and I've tried 3 different brands of tires to try and eliminate it; the rear on my truck (even with the topper) is too light to keep traction.

 

sounds like your buddy has a stuck 4wd switch in his CAD unit. 250K on Part-time 4wd on dry pavement? you buddy is fibbin.
Does he happen to have Full-Time 4wd? thats totally a different setup and possible. OR since you are in Minnesota, home of Jessie the Body Ventura!!!, you might have snow on the roads 365/24/7.

I know how people can only go by what they were told about how to use 4x4. My wife thought that she could only use 4x4 from a dead stop and disengage once moving. We had a Jeep Sahara and one day we were both driving to work, I was behind her in my accord, and I was watching her fishtail all over the on ramp. I called her on the cell and asked her what she was doing and to put it in to 4x4. She yelled at me and said that she didn't want to stop to put it on. I said WTF are you talking about, its shift on the fly!! When we first got the jeep she told me her father taught her all about 4x4... so I assumed for the last year she was using it right. LOL, guess not.

 

Like I said, Chrysler Techs dont know $hit about our Rams.

 

4wd for rain *shakes head* wow that is the first I've heard that!

and for hydroplanning...its fun! I don't own a boat so that is my only chance to feel like I have a boat!

I'll tell you what my dad told me growing up...only use 4wd when you have to...and never use 4wd lo to go further.

Further like...man I wonder if I can get a little higher on the hill?!? Use it only to get yourself of a bad spot.

I've also learned that when there is black ice the best thing to do it...pray...that's it! :P

BTW....has anyone siped their truck tires before? Does it work in the wet weather? I am just curious as I thought of doing it to my new truck tires.

 

LMFAO...

Let me guess...he really doesn't like you, does he? Ha ha...he knows better, I'd hope.

Or maybe he's trying to drum up some bidnezz for the shop....quotas ya know.

 

i doubt hes trying to screw me over lol he has helped me plenty of times. Oh well it doesnt rain hard very much so i rarely use it. twice a month at most. its usually 95+ outside with the sun blaring

 

he knows everything about them he's been working on them forever. its not like he charges me if anything goes wrong so why would he tell me to do anything that would be bad?