4HI vs 4LOW

[CG]

Although Ive owned 4x4's in our style trucks for years I seldom put them in 4 wheel drive. Once in a while to get out of a muddy spot or something.

Today I was jonesing for a Mt Dew and since my Scion is buried in the snow the only way I was going to get one was to take my K20 in to town.

I locked in the hubs and stuck it in 4Low to back out of the garage and up the small slope that is my driveway. Only my rear wheels were spinning. Couldnt get up the driveway. I put it in and out several times...no go. So I stuck it in 4Hi and backed right out. Everything worked liked it was supposed to. I stuck it back in 4Low, and once again the fronts didnt lock in.

My question is, whats happening here? Do I have a hefty repair bill in my future, or maybe its just a matter of a linkage adjustment. Any help is appreciated.

[Prerunner1982]

When you put it in 4low did you notice a reduction in gearing?

[CG]

Originally Posted by Prerunner1982

When you put it in 4low did you notice a reduction in gearing?

I just noticed that the front tires weren't spinning, you could feel only the rears were doing the pulling. And when I put it in 4Hi it drove right out.

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by CG

I just noticed that the front tires weren't spinning, you could feel only the rears were doing the pulling. And when I put it in 4Hi it drove right out.

Even if the fronts arent turning you should notice a reduction in gearing. If it doesn't feel like it is in a lower gear then it might not be shifting into 4lo at all, either internally (??) or the linkage is messed up.

If it does lower the gearing then something internally with the front output/gears is messed up.

[eric67m]

Mark,

It is telling you that you need to pull out the 4spd/np205 and swap in your TH350/np205.

Sorry to hear that it doesnt seem to be working correctly.

I would shift it into 4 low (with hubs not engaged) and see if you can turn the front driveshaft by hand. If you can something is wrong with the transfer case. I would check the shifter, see if it is hitting the body or if it is not moving the rods on the transfer case correctly.

I hope you figure out the problem.

[Blue_71]

sounds like the t-case has internal problems to me; there should be a very notable difference in wheel speed in 4-lo, even if the front wheels dont turn

[CG]

The problem with trying to notice wheel spin speed or lower gearing when only the rears are turning is that basically they are spinning on hard packed snow and ice. I might as well have the thing jacked up in the air in back...plus like I said, I almost never use the 4 wheel drive so it might just be I dont have enough experience to "feel" these things like most of you 4x4 guys.

Eric give me a call when you wanna come down and help me swap that stuff out...lol. Actually you should call me anyway I have a question about the cab on your 4x4.

[CPNEJR]

i would try what eric67m said and keep the hubs unlocked and put the t-case in 4LO and see if the front driveshaft spins, also try that with four high just to make sure.

[eric67m]

Mark,

I will give you a call this weekend. My cab on my truck is going to get swapped in the near future.

My cab was so rusty.......... how rusty was it?

Well the rear cab support bolts punctured the gas tank....... Is that bad?

[68K20 x Drill]

Hubs locked?
or a non original shift knob telling lies?

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by 68K20 x Drill

a non original shift knob telling lies?

That's what I was wondering... wrong indicated pattern for your t-case?

[72armyswbtruck]

I was wondering the same thing, but CG sureley didn't forget to lock the front hubs.

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by 72armyswbtruck

I was wondering the same thing, but CG sureley didn't forget to lock the front hubs.

That doesn't mean that they actually "locked" though, a bad hub could cause all of this.

[CG]

Wouldnt go anywhere in 2 wheel, just both the rears spinning happily away. Locked in the hubs, stuck it in 4low, same thing with the rear wheels, they just spun. Put it in 4 high, everything worked like it was supposed to....backed right out of the snow and ice.

So I can assume the hubs are fine. Both shift knobs are original. I need to stick it in 4low like was suggested and try to spin the front driveshaft by hand and see what happens.

[blackscout]

You do not need to be a 4by guy to know when your truck is in low gear. Once you get to some solid ground put it in what you think is 4 low. Then first gear. It should move R e a l s l o w...... Make sure that low is engaged properly before you look else where. If 4 high is working fine it is fairly unlikely that you would have a major problem with 4 low. anything that catastrophic would likely cause bigger problems. I suspect you are not getting it all the way into low. possibly the low linkage on the t-case has become disconnected??? If a hub was the problem 4 high would have the same issue.

[jerry moss]

sounds like the linkage isn't pushing the 4 low completely into gear. you don't have a twin stick conversion do you? or as stated above, the shifter is hitting the cab floor and not allowing complete engagement.

[special-K]

I agree linkage problem.I`m 99.999999999% sure you have a linkage adjustment issue.It`s rarer than hen`s teeth for one of these cases to have a problem,I can`t imagine 4hi engaging the front axle and 4lo can`t,you`d have some serious shrapnel clunking around,that would have roached the whole thiong in not many miles,and you aren`t in lo transfer because you`d know it.You`d need to be in 3rd or 4th/4lo to come anywhere close to feeling anything like 2nd/4hi.In snow you need momentum and 4hi is what you want.In 4lo the tendency would be to sit`n`spin.