Think we'll do that then. We have jack stands and a 40x60' barn with concrete floor. Truck can go right in where the backhoe is now for testing purposes.

And yes, we definitely have too much snow up here. Last year I only had to plow once and that was really just because we weren't going to have decent temps or sun for a few days after (got 10" in late October and didn't plow it, melted the next day) but this year we've had two storms back to back. I've thought about putting a plow on our quad but I'd be SOL in snow/drifts like this. I liked winter much better before I had to start plowing the driveways.

Thank you again for your help and advice.

 

if you hit the gas hard in 2wd on a snow pach then do it again in 4wd you will definatly feel the difference if it is engaging

 

Well I didn't get to do the testing today that I had hoped and won't tomorrow due to the holiday. I did possibly learn something tho. Went up between work conference calls today to clean up the edge from more minor drifting and take a pass in our driveway and also do the barn (did that with the backhoe first because it was drifted, hadn't been plowed - no animals in the barn) and I had more faith in the front end loader in 4WD to just drive straight out. Did cleanup with the truck.

Anyway, I backed out of garage, put it in 4H with a pretty good "i'll show you who's boss" yank on the shifter, had husband look at front drive shaft as I slowly pulled forward. It was rotating (I had him watch where "U" joint is at end of shaft to very front part. Ok good.... plowed with no problem and could tell it was in. Got done with that driveway, took it out and put it in 2H, drove down dry pavement road to my house. Started up that in 2H and started slipping a bit so I put it in 4H, went right up no problem. Did our driveway, finished, back to 2H back up to barn. Got front wheels off into barn driveway, put it in 4H, pulled forward, stuck. SOB!!! More swearing ensued. Forward and back once to see what was what. Now I should have had my husband come look under it but he wasn't right there and my back end was closer to the road on a sharp curve than I wanted. Took it out of 4H to 2H, then put it back in 4H with a pretty good yank on the shifter and got right out no problem.

So it looks like possibly you need to be a little rougher with it than I have been? Is that normal? I'm really wondering if the transfer case fluid (which I assume is a form of ATF?) needs to be changed or something being as my dad's been deceased 5 years and I know it hasn't been done since then. With not being used as much as he did, I know things don't like sitting.

 

It really doesnt take much effort for shifting to 4x4.. barley any at all.. I would start taking a look at your shift linkage to see if there is any binding going on.. And the t-case does take atf +4 like the transmission.. Just beware that the drain plug and fill plug tend to not want to come loose..

 

Thanks. It isn't that I thought the shifter moved hard or anything, just that I was pi$$ed and decided to give it a good yank. The truck only has 65k miles on it (my dad drove only a few miles each day to and from work) so while that doesn't seem like a lot on the fluid, I was just thinking heck if it is the original fluid, why not get it changed. Does looking at the shift linkage require disassembly of anything or if I have it up on jack stands, can I see things pretty clearly if someone is moving the shift **** in the truck.

 

You can just lay under the truck and be able to see it.. It could be out of adjustment or binding somehow.. Its a pretty simple setup.. If just shouldnt take that much force that you are explaining.. You should be able to reach down and pull it back with very little force.

 

I'd offer that the effort to shift to 4Hi is more than using the column shifter for the tranny.

It seems to me like your stuff is working properly from what you've described. Idk if mentioned but going to 4lo requires being in N and preferably not moving, then move tcase lever to 4lo. Shift tranny to 1st and easy. Just giving you a caution is all as I try to minimize grind as that can happen momentarily.

Good idea to get truck on jackstands to see the tcase linkage. No disassembly needed.

Here's a picture to help out.

 

Thanks. Hopefully the snow will stay away for a while as this weekend is likely the next chance I'll have to spend any time with it. The t-case shifting is "harder" than the tranny shift but I wouldn't call it hard in general. Seems smooth, no binding but clearly something goes askew periodically. Thank you for the picture.

For going to 4L, I go to 4H, the roll about 2- 3mph, going to N on the tranny and then going 4H to 4L on the t-case without stopping anywhere in the N area on the t-case. From 4L to 4H the same way. I heard that wicked grinding once in a friends truck many years ago and it was because he was going too fast or stopped in N or something and it scared me so darn much I am extra careful about going into or coming out of 4L so I never heard that noise in our truck.

 

Would you do us a favor and go to Upper Left of the website, find USER CP. Find on the left side Edit Your Details and Edit Signature (further down).

in those places put your truck Year, Model, etc. Then every post make will show us all how to respond to your issues, current and future.

 

Will do, thank you. And Happy New Year!