Well....cleaned up and greased both hubs. Both were in good shape and didn't appear to really need servicing. After I put both hubs back on the axles were still locked. I grabbed the drive shaft going to the transfer case and worked it back and forth until the axles turned freely.

I then took it for a short drive, putting it in and out of 4WD. I did back up to free the hubs. Got back home and axles were locked again.

I had to grab the drive shaft and work it back and forth to make it and the axles spin freely. Why would my drive shaft be binding?

 

There is no need to back up to unlock the hubs, they should do that on their own as you drive down the road. Perhaps you have a problem with the vacuum solenoid that controls the hubs?

 

Took it for another drive. I switched it into 4WD Lo, made a sharp turn, and could feel my axles and tires bind as normal. Then switched to 4WD High, made more sharp turns, but I could not feel axles or tires bind as I would have thought. I assume I was locked in 4WD when I was in High, but shouldn't I feel the axles and tires bind as well?

Got back home and axles turn free. Maybe the 4WD system just needed to be used to make it work properly since I haven't used it for some time now.

 

Things tend to bind up when you don't use them frequently, so that's certainly possible.

 

Would you think it is normal NOT to feel my tires and axles bind in a sharp turn on dry pavement being in 4WD High? As I said earlier, I feel them when in 4WD Lo.

What are the chances that my truck will switch into Lo but not High, or is that even possible?

 

No, that's not normal at all. The binding on dry pavement is virtually impossible not to notice when you're turning the wheel. The only difference between 4-hi and 4-lo is the reduction gear.

Is your 4-hi light coming on? That light can't come on unless the range sensor detects that the T-case has coupled the front axle to the rear. It almost sounds to me like your hubs still aren't working correctly.

I've attached some light reading for you.

 

turn your hvac on. If it defaults to defrost when you put it in 4hi then you have a vacuum leak

 

I had a vacuum leak recently and I replaced the seals in my driver side hub to correct that issue. So no vacuum leak. When I get home I'll put it in 4Wd High and see if my drive shaft locks. It may be in 4WD and I just can't tell.

 

This thing is like hit and miss. Went for another drive and I switched into 4WD High. I could hear and feel the transfer case engaging, as always, but this time in a sharp turn the axles and tires binded. Switched back to 2WD and pulled in my drive. Got out and axles were still locked. I had to grab the drive shaft and twist it back and forth and the shaft broke free.

 

Did you bother reading the excerpt from the workshop manual that I posted?

 

Yes I did. I might have to take it to someone who knows exactly what they are doing. Obviously, I don't. I don't have the tools to test this system properly.

As I stated earlier, sometimes it locks into 4WD properly and other times it doesn't. When it does lock properly and when I put it back into 2WD the axles are still locked. When this happens, I switch the hubs to LOCK then back to AUTO. Then I grab the axles on both sides and twist them to break them free.

When I took the top off of my vacuum solenoid I did discover the foam filter with the two holes in it had deteriorated and I had to make a new one.

 

wow...what a proceedure....looks like another place a grease fitting should have been put in.

 

Several months ago while working on this issue, I discovered that my axle seal was leaking when my driver side hub assembly would hold vacuum. At the time I also popped the cap to my solenoid and I believe I switched the plastic disc and covered the wrong valve inside. I'm thinking now that I had two issues going on and I fixed one, which was the axle seal.

My 4WD will now engage the axles but will not disengage them. If I have the plastic disc on the wrong valve that might explain why they won't disengage the axles. When I switch the disc to the other valve I then have air blowing out of my defrost vents.

I found this pic on the internet and his valve towards the front of the truck is covered. Mine is on the valve towards the cab(rear).



Can someone do me a favor and pop the top off of your PVH solenoid? Underneath there is a foam filter and under that are two brass valves. One of the valves is covered with a plastic disc.

I need to know which valve is covered with this plastic disc. I had to replace my foam which had deteriorated and I don't remember which valve is covered.

I tried searching the forum but couldn't find any information.

 

Anyone???

 

I really don't know. you could try to put it together the opposite of what you have now. Won't hurt anything to try that.