What T-case?

[DirtyLarry]

Well, first off you DO NOT want an electric shift transfercase no matter how little you use 4wd or get tired of tripping over the shift lever. And pneumatic systems are very complicated and usually only used on large industrial type trucks. Pneumatics are also $$$$ to swap given the fact you need an air source and all that jazz.

The electric shift units (especially Autotrac) are not reliable and just when you need 4wd the most it won’t be there for you. In fact, that is one of the biggest problems with them is they don’t get used often enough and the encoder motors stick. The fact that they entire system is over engineered and totally unnecessary is another thing (lever’s aren’t that hard to pull people!).

Believe me, I am on my second Tahoe with electric shift and you can’t rely on them! If I keep this Hoe it will get a NP261 someday down the road (it is still in warranty now). Both my 2002 and 2004 Tahoe’s have had warranty work on the electric shift tcases. I also work in this industry and spent a rotation on the GM tech line where we supported dealers when they need help with repairs. I wound up in the drivetrain/chassis group where I took over 30 calls a day with electric shift issues. The system is TERRIBLE!

Also, there was not an electric shift tcase with a right side front output shaft. Even if one existed you would not only need the transfercase you would also need a transfercase control module and a pile of harness that needs input from the VSS and a few other inputs to prevent “Service Transfercase” codes from popping up and the TCCM from locking out shifting. Even with your 6.0L/4L80E swapped in powertrain it would be much more of a hassle than it would be worth to make a huge step backwards to the electric shift.

If you are only planning on using 4 HI once and a while keep the NP205 (I am assuming that is what you have). NP205’s are synchronized for 2HI to 4HI shifts and they do so real easy on the fly if the shift linkages are lubricated properly. The aluminum manual shift transfercases NP208, NP241, NP261, etc are also synchronized to allow shifts in and out of 4HI as well.

Swap in different front seats with a cup holders if that is what is driving you crazy. …it would be much cheaper. The 1999-2006 GM center consoles can be trimmed real easy to allow for a manual shift transfercase if you tweak your shifter a bit or you can shorten your shifter stick and just pop out the cup holder to reach down to the shifter when you need to.

I love technology and am all about retrofitting modern powertrains into older vehicles but the electric shift BS absolutely sucks and you would be crazy to go that route.