Very hard to put into 4wd, almost impossible.

96OBS · Apr 23, 2013

Hey guys. As you seen I'm having a very very hard time getting my truck shifter to move to 4wd. Actually I can't move it at all but my dad got it to go after a lot of yanking, and when it was in, it was fine. Worked perfect. When we went to take it out it was very hard again, I had to get my dad to go play with it. I had truck in neutral and let it roll around, but still I couldn't do it. It says push down and pull, well I pushed it down and try pulling it and it budges a little, but won't pull on back. I sprayed the linkage all down with WD 40, and still no luck. It seemed like it loosened it a little. I guess I'll let my DSD go try it again and if he can move it I'll just tell him to keep on until it frees up more. But got any suggestions??? BTW the tran and TCase look very new. No rust or corrosion anywhere on it.

kramarj · Apr 23, 2013

If you are just going from 2wd to 4wd all you do is pull back on it. The only reason to push down and pull back is to go from 4 high to 4 low. Have you tried driving slowly and engaging it, not just rolling around?

jschildm · Apr 23, 2013

As mentioned 4 hi is straight back one click. To go into 4-low i believe the truck has to be in neutral and its back and down.

Bugman · Apr 23, 2013

Have you crawled under the truck and looked at the linkage yet? It may be dirty and rusted and just might need a little grease on it to help things.

When you start to force things that is when things start to break on hard to find parts.

96OBS · Apr 23, 2013

Ya I took and sprayed the linkage with WD 40. I just went and checked it and didn't push down on it and it works perfect now. I'm glad it was something simple. I guess the linkage was a little rusty. I bought it from Ohio, but now it spends its life in no salt TN!!

Rideracelivemx7 · Apr 23, 2013

the 4x4 bracket/shifter set up is cast aluminum, they gunk up and swell to the point where it is etremely hard to move them and it WILL break at the neck at the top where it bolts too the trans. my suggestion is taking it out and taking as much of it apart and dowsing as much of the internals with neversieze. mine is 5 years old with newengland weather and its still perfect since ive cleaned it

96OBS · Apr 25, 2013

Okay I'll look into it, how hard is it to take apart ?

Pstroke96 · Apr 29, 2013

there is a T50 torx bit to take out. loosen the pinch bolt that holds the shifter on and slide it out, that can stay put, pull it out, the linkage to the tcase just pops off, but be careful not to break the grommets. lube it up real good with antisieze or something like it, and put it back together and you will be good as new. if you bust it, it is a pricey mistake of about 220 bucks, i did the same thing. i got into 4wd but snapped the cast aluminum on the way out