So here's what happens....

I come to a complete stop and go into Neutral. Then, I switch the dial from 2wd to 4wd. When I give it gas after it completes the switch the truck feels "stiff" and heavy... I don't know if that's right when I'm in 4wd. When I give it gas and let go, almost instantly the truck comes to a complete halt.... There's no momentum or a slowing roll when I let go of the gas. It just stops...

Anyway, I tried switching it back into Neutral. I then turned the dial from 4wd to 2wd. After I put it back into gear and started pushing the gas the engine is now making a blub blub blub blub revving noise and I'm not sure why. It sounds like it's a dog panting... I gave it gas and the truck is now feeling really weird. It feels "heavy" and "stiff" like when I was in 4wd. It reminds me of the time I tried putting the gear into 4wd LO. Same stiff feeling when it was in that setting.... Anyway, the truck doesn't feel smooth at all.. When you slightly step on the gas it doesn't move like it normally would. There's some kind of resistance and I don't know why.

The tire even started to slip and I'm on my level driveway (that was when I was in 4wd though). I think it was the front tire. Not to mention I'm going 3mph!


Does anyone have any ideas why this happened? To correct the problem I simply just shut off the vehicle (it would be in 2wd now) and restart the engine. It would act normal and smooth after that.

It only happened twice so far, but I never felt this before in my truck when I've switched it into 4wd and back in my previous times of experimenting with it.

 

Update:

Been going back and forth from 2wd to 4wd. The problem occurs when I switch INTO 4wd. I'll start driving while in 4wd and then all of a sudden the wheels will start to lock up and slow down... The truck will feel heavy stiff. Then, when I make a right turn or a hard right turn my front passenger side tire grinds against some type of plastic (wheel well or bumper I think). That side USUALLY does this when I make fast sharp right turns... Not sure why, but I always rub the tire against the inside of the plastic. I think it's because my tires are a little oversized. Anyway, this is all happening at a VERY slow speed. I'm talking about max 5 mph in my driveway.

The truck shudders too when this happens....

Can someone please chime in? I'm afraid it's something major.

 

Are you doing this on pavement or concrete with good traction? 4WD is geared differently front to rear and if you have good traction on all 4 tires it will bind up and stop you, just like you are describing. Find some mud/show/gravel/slippery surface and try it.
$WD is for low traction situations ONLY, unless you have a full time 4WD. Also your owners manual will have a full explanation.

Not sure on the dog panting though!
Let us know!
LB

 

It also happens when I drive onto my lawn (which is sort of soggy from rain). I'll put it in to 4wd and start driving really slowly... All of a sudden the whole truck will lock up and act as if I'm driving through glue.

It also will NOT switch out of 4wd all the time. The indicator light will switch off from 4 WD Lock, but the truck will stay stiff and act as if it's still in 4wd.

My driveway is paved.

I think something is wrong, but I don't know what it is... When I first bought the truck and experimented with 4wd this stuff NEVER happened. I could drive any which way and the truck wouldn't struggle (especially at 5mph) and nor would it shake, vibrate, or jerk, or lock up.

 

I just read these and this is exactly what happens to me:

Note: I have an automatic.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0194948AA5mjCo

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...5192441AAhQhib


Last night I would drive onto my wet lawn and then switch into 4wd. When I got off the lawn and onto my pavement I think that's when it started to slip. The pavement is dry and as it says in the link there... Dry pavement is not so good.

 

yup,
I think that is exactly what is going on. I really don't think there is a problem, I think you are engaging it on surfaces with fairly good traction which will bind it up VERY fast. IF it does not unlock backup about 10 feet and then try to disengage it.
When you engage it it should roll about 10-15 feet before binding, if it binds instantly then you may have a problem.

You really need to test it on a slippery surface.

LB

 

Does this sound weird to you?

I drove off my paved driveway onto the wet grass. Upon leaving the grass I turned on 4wd so I wouldn't slip and tare up our grass....

I get to the edge of the grass where the pavement starts and switched it back into 2wd...

I started to give it gas and drove back onto the pavement, but realized my tires were seizing up again and feeling like I was driving in mud or something...

I thought I just needed to go another 30' till it fixed itself. So I kept driving.... Well, at the end of my driveway there is a pretty steep hill... So I changed gears and put it into Neutral (Automatic tranny) and rolled down my hill.. The tires literally locked up and I slowed down.... I was like Sh*t so I popped it back into Drive and it instantly corrected itself and I drove off down the street just fine.

Is this normal as well? I thought that the tranny being in neutral would null out the idea that my 4wd transfer case was acting up...

 

Something doesnt sound right... almost like your hubs arent disengaging.

 

I called my trusty mechanic and he told me thats normal....

 

ya, your "trusty mechanic" sounds like he's mentally retarded.

That's NOT normal, no matter what ANYONE says.

4wd should not feel like you're driving through mud.

I know I have more power while in 4wd. If I'm on snow or ice, and in 4wd, the truck takes off like a bat outta hell.