I am having 4wd issues in my '96.

I can put it in any 4wd mode, 4Hi or 4Lo, and it will not put power to either front tires.

I know the vacuum to the transfer case and the front axle is there and good, but even if it wasn't shouldn't it still pull on the driver side?

It also grinds pretty good when going into 4Lo.

The 4wd light comes on when in 4Hi and 4Lo.


Any ideas?

 

to get 4wd, 2 things have to happen -
1) t-case shifts and spins the front drive shaft.
2) passenger side axle CAD collar must slide over and connect the split axle.

so the biggest question is - is your front drive shaft turning

grinding when shifting into 4LO is normal if shifted incorrectly. the only right way to shift is -
trans in neutral.
rolling forward at 1mph or stopped.
shift it as hard and fast as you can from 2HI to 4LO.
do not pause in neutral
do not shift slow
do not shift gently. slam it to 4LO.
if it does not shift clean, and makes any grind -
then turn off ignition. complete the shift. restart the engine.
there are no syncronizers in the t-case.

the 4wd light indicates the collar is sliding properly and contacting the switch. this is an indication your vaccum cad is working properly.

so the question is - is the drive shaft turning.
the best way to troubleshoot is to put it up on 4 jack stands and operate it with engine running.

 

The shoes on the fork inside the CAD may be worn and not engaging the collar fully. As far as 4lo goes, stop the truck and slam the shifter into 4lo, not the same as putting it in 4hi. Read this too, http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/repair/..._engagment.htm

 

I will jack up the truck tonight and see if the front drive shaft is turning when in 4wd.

If the front drive shaft is turning, would it be beneficial to go with the CAD eliminator and just lock the front axle in full time? Posi-Lok Part #1100 is a full time lock without the cable selector.

I have seen on eBay a full length passenger side axle shaft that eliminated the 2 piece axle. If I don't have lockouts on my axle, would this cause any problems?

 

Front driveline will be turning all the time. Gas mileage will suffer a bit, but, that's about the only drawback.

 

Gas mileage doesn't bother me; I am only getting 9mpg city now as it is.

 

The fork, fork shoes and collar still need to be operating correctly even if you opt for the Posi-Lok. I would not do the one piece shaft( gas mileage sucks as is). I had the Posi-lok on my 98, and JMO, but I didn't like it. One more thing to do, and I have no reason for 2wd low. If your not crazy into wheeling or do commercial plowing, making sure the CAD/vacuum system works before the winter season, is more than adequate for a daily driver.

 

The exact reason I was looking at doing a solid passenger side shaft or the complete lock.

My fuel mileage sucks anyway because I only drive my truck in the city, and most of the time it is on the way to a fire run, which means a little heavier foot.

I know I need to get this fixed. It pissed me off this past weekend with the snow and then finding out the 4wd doesn't work.

 

Do a search here on DF for PLENUM. You might be able to get some extra power and mileage.

 

The plenum isn't blown on my truck, I have investigated that issue. It was replaced about a week before I bought the truck.