ok so it was raining pretty bad today and my truck was fishtailing like a supercharged mustang, threw it in 4hi at about 30mph, had a slight grind but 4x4 kicked in, i really dont like how my 4x4 sounds so i put it back in 2hi, the light went off but it was still in 4x4, i could still hear the same growling 4x4 noise, but the light was off, so went to a dead stop and punched it, in normal situation with this weather condition and 2hi i woulda spun liek crazy, but it just took off w/ no wheel spin. can someone point me in the right direction? thanks! i drive a 96 dodge ram 1500 4x4 5.9

 

Sometimes you have to stop and back up a little to disengage it. It can get into a little of a bind if you have a couple mismatched tires also...

 

Light off means the axle was disengaged, so I don't see how it had 4wd traction even if the tcase was still in 4x4

 

Your shift fork in the front axle could have broke. Drop the CAD. It's only 4 bolts and it's off. You could have broken something.


Transfer case in 2 hi and your still binding when you turn corners? Front end is tight?

Good luck.

 

my light turns off sometimes and 4hi stays on. throw it in reverse and you should be good. thats what i do.

 

Just because the light is off does not mean it is no longer in 4 wheel drive. Most switches that run that light are atatched to the shifter not the actual arm that engages the front axle. Dodge (and chrysler, ie. jeeps) like to rely on vacume pressure to engage and disengage the hubs. If these plastic air lines get moisture in them and it freezes the lines will not allow enough air through to engage or disengage the hubs. They also like to break after a few years in cold climates. That is why these are the first things that find their way into the trash on my vehicles weather they are working or not. If you live in a cold climate area it is not a matter of when you will have to replace the lines but when. Many after market 4X4 shops sell a cable system to manually engage the axle for around $130 bucks. Then when you pull the cable and shift the transfer case you KNOW its in 4 Wheel drive. Plus then you also have the added benefit of being able to use the lower range gears in the transfer case if you need to without having to have the truck in 4 wheel drive.

 

I forgot to mention that the first time my wifes truck had this problem I needed a quick fix on a tight budget so I made one out of a standard choke cable from my local auto parts store. Its basicaly the exact same thing it just didnt come with the brackets to hook it up. Good Luck