I bought this 96 Dodge 2500 from my brother, who had it 3 years. V10 5speed manual 4wd extra cab long bed. When I bought it, my only 4wd check was to see if the transfer case engaged. Well, today, after about 8 " of snow dumped last night, I took it out to see how it did. Glad I didn't try this when I had to get somewhere, as it when the road got slick and I shifted into 4 wd, the only place it went was sideways.
So I started checked it out. No 4wd indicator light. Checked the light with a jumper made from a paper clip, with a piece of vacuum hose over it; hose gave it a little outward spring, so it held into the connector, light was fine. Checked the switch with an volt meter, it appears to be bad, no reading. Disconnected the vacuum lines blew air thru, and I could hear a leak. Seemed like it was up on top of the trans, so I pulled the inspection cover off from the inside. There, I found the red vacuum line broken in two, with the broken piece missing. Not sure how I'd reroute hose when I cant even get my hands up in there, so I read a few posts here, and read about the mechanical solution, the Posi lock. Watched a couple You Tube video's roving those clips inside the housing, and the adjustment with the cable conncetion is a little intimidating, but it I think I can do it I did read about how it can be a bit balky when engaging/disengaging, but my old Ford was like that, so I should feel right at home. So, is the the best and simplest option for me?

 

Posi Lock will make it hard to engage if the truck isn't level. You have two options:
1. Use a hose clamp to keep the actuator engaged (I'm using this now and off road my truck hard). Since in 01.5 they got rid of the CAD completely.
2. Buy the one piece axle from EMS Offroad to eliminate thew two piece axle. (I have the one piece but don't need it)

 

What inspection cover? If you have a broken vacuum line, just put some of the rubber line of the right size over it, as a splice. Quick, painless, (maybe...) and easy.

 

The cover where the gear shift and transfer case lever are at. I didn't buy the truck for offroading, but to pull the trailers and like yesterday, get me to job sites when the snow makes using my 2wd w/ chains too much work. I'm a little short on parking space, so wouldn't the axle mod make that near impossible? Now, if the hose clamp mod you mention was used, it sounds like it would be easy enough to place it during winter and remove it when 4wd isn't needed. That may work for me now, as this Corona virus scare has my just killed business for a while. Looking at the different kits, the psl400 and the alloy usa kit any suggestions as to which? They both look similar in pictures, but a price difference of about 40 bucks.
Thanks for the help, bear with me here!

 

It's easier to get to the vacuum lines and such from underneath the truck. Got a pretty clear shot at them... of course, that also offers the truck to drop all sorts on interesting things in your face.

 

Just permanently lock the actuator and leave it alone.

 

Agree about access to the lines from under and stuff in my face, but the snow was worse, laying on a tarp. I see where the metal lines come out off the tran, it's the red one that is obviously broken, but I'm not sure that the main supply isn't also damaged. Thinking to run a line from there to the actuator and see if it works. Any clues as too what I'm looking for ( vacuum at that connection point obviously) would help.
I'd like to see pics of how others locked the actuator arm, again not familiar with it except for poking around there yesterday. This is all new to me, thanks again for the help and suggestions.

 

I used a $0.05 hose clamp

 

I think the feed line is white, the vent line is green, and they both go up the back side of the motor, to the passenger side, where they hit the bag o' snakes of vacuum lines. If the red line is broke, it just goes to the vacuum switch on the t-case. Running a vacuum line from some vacuum source, to the inboard port on the actuator, would have the front axle locked whenever the engine was running. I don't think there is a spring in there to disengage it when vacuum isn't applied.

 

I put a Perm-Lok on my 1500 and have been very happy with it. Got rid of all the vacuum lines.

https://4x4posi-lok.com/app_dodge.html