Front Differential Issue

[marinegrunt]

My wife has a 2005 Envoy XL with the 4.2. The 4 wheel drive stopped working awhile back and I finally have time to mess with it. I completely jacked up the vehicle and noticed that the front driveshaft was spinning but the tires weren't. The actuator wasn't extending so replaced it. I can now hear the whining sound of it doing its job. When I first checked to see if the front driveshaft was spinning I just put it into gear. I didn't give it any gas. Well, after completely the install of the actuator I put it in gear and gave it some gas. Still no spinning of the front tires and I'm hearing kind of a whining/grinding noise that seems to be coming from the front diff. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy a used or rebuild the current diff. I guess I'm just wanting some advice on where the problem could lie. I'm sure it's kind of hard to say without tearing it down though. I guess I'm just wishing for an easy fix without having to pull the diff. We purchased the vehicle about 3 years ago. The first thing I did was replaced all of the fluid with Amsoil. I'm kind of a freak when it comes to maintaining our vehicles so fluids are always checked and changed well before they're due. We haven't used the 4 wheel drive much so I'm surprised we're having issues.

I also searched the forums and read that it's safe to drive with the front diff removed. I'd just feel better hearing it again. We are going out of state in a few weeks and would feel better knowing it is safe before we load up the kids and head out. I can always take my truck if need be but the Envoy is more comfortable for the kids and gets better gas mileage.

Thanks for any and all help and advice.

Brian

 

[linneje]

Your front diff is actually spinning all of the time, regardless of whether you are in 4wd or not. Are you sure that the sound isn't coming from the disconnect, which is on the pass side of the front axle? Have you gone through the troubleshooting steps to diagnose where the sound is from?

Judging by your post, I think you know where the sound is coming from (the disconnect) and you are using the term "differential" (which is on the driver's side - the driver's side half axle goes into the front diff).

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks for the reply Linneje.....I didn't realize the diff spun all time even in 2 wheel drive. Lucky for me I haven't had to mess with any part of the 4 wheel drive system in any of our current or previous vehicles. I heard the noise and just assumed it was the internals of the diff. While sitting in the driver's seat it sure sounded like it was coming from that side. I do know that noises can be very deceiving though. I'll definitely jack it back up and get a better listen now that you mentioned the disconnect. I haven't gone through the troubleshooting steps to diagnose where the sound is coming from but will do that in the process.

I sure will be tickled if it's just the disconnect. From the way your talking it very well could be just that.

I'm going to dig deeper on all of this now. I'm getting ready to do ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links, and bushings too but want to figure it out first so I can get pull what I need to while I'm down there. I'll let you know what I find out.

Thanks again!

 

[marinegrunt]

Well, that took about 10 seconds to prove you are spot on. It's definitely the disconnect. I got out of the vehicle this time and could tell.

I was honestly planned on pulling the diff but figured I'd post first just to see what others would say. I sure am glad I did! You saved me a lot of time and money.

Thanks!

 

[marinegrunt]

Actually, it seems the disconnect costs about as much as it would to rebuild the diff. I figured it would be a lot cheaper. Is there a rebuild kit nowadays or can you buy parts separately?

 

[IllogicTC]

Actually, it seems the disconnect costs about as much as it would to rebuild the diff. I figured it would be a lot cheaper. Is there a rebuild kit nowadays or can you buy parts separately?

I didn't realize the front diff. rebuild is that cheap I thought someone posted some part numbers around somewhere once, but I'm not sure if you can get them individually or not.

I did find the part number for the shift lever shaft. 12479132 It appears to be a little over $60 online. Trying to find part numbers on the other internals, but at the rate it's going you may as well plop the $300-400 for a whole new (or rebuilt or whatever) disconnect assembly. Dorman makes them.

Sometimes it's the shift lever that's broken, but usually it's the splined bits that break in there. That part number I supplied may be of no use, I'm still trying to find other numbers.

 

[mrwitty_1]

The complete rebuild is on the sister site www.offroadtb.com search for front axle 4 wheel disconnect. Tried to paste the link but it locks up my webpage.

 

[IllogicTC]

The complete rebuild is on the sister site www.offroadtb.com search for front axle 4 wheel disconnect. Tried to paste the link but it locks up my webpage.

Ah, yes! http://www.offroadtb.com/articles/tech-docs/front-axle-4wd-disconnect/

This contains all part numbers for a COMPLETE rebuild. You may disassemble the disconnect, determine which parts actually need replaced, and do a partial rebuild to save some money.

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks guys....that's a great tutorial and will be very helpful. I think I'll do exactly what you recommended. Tear it apart, see what all is screwed up, and decide if it would be better to replace the broken parts or just drop the $370 for a new one.

I don't want to get off topic and I'm sure others have thought of this but just thought I'd mention this. I'm also replacing the ball joints, front sway bar links, rear sway bar links, sway bar bushings, and tie rods. I picked up the parts yesterday. Advance Auto always has the $40 off for every $100 spent. You have to purchase online though but you can pick up right away at your local store. What I ended up doing was placing like 7 separate orders. I tried to keep each order right around $100 so I could get the $40 off more than once. I went with Moog. If I would've placed one order it would've cost around $700. But, since I placed 6 separate orders I got the $40 off 6 times so I got everything for about $400. One of the ball joints was $93 so I added an oil filter to keep one order right around $100. Another order an air filter. You get the picture. Just thought I'd throw this out there for the ones who haven't thought about it.

Thanks for all of the help and thanks for the link!

 

[linneje]

There are definitely two schools of thought on the disconnect. In my case, I took mine off, took it apart, found the broken part, replaced it, and reassembled. But in my case time was not an issue, so if I ran into unexpected trouble I was OK.

Others have had the whole disconnect case break when getting it off, or have the internals with many parts needing to be replaced. Buying the entire assembly (e.g. RockAuto) might be an easier way to go if time is important.

Let us know how it all goes.

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks for sticking with me.

I pulled the disconnect and cleaned it up. Everything seems to be in good shape. The gears mesh good. There's no way they could jump a tooth. The bearings turn freely and I don't feel any resistance or rough spots when spinning. The fork is in good shape. The grease was black and hard in some spots. Could it be possible that the hard grease prevented the actuator from engaging the gears? I remember reading a post where Roadie said it takes 3 pounds of pressure for the actuator to engage. That really isn't that much. One thing I did notice was that the inside housing that has the little nubs that keep the washer in place seem to be worn down. The washer seems to be cupped to where it could spin and ended up catching the top of the nubs wearing them down. You can see where that happened. I can see where this would cause a grinding type noise but I don't see how it would prevent the 4 wheel drive from engaging. Since this is the first time I've messed with the 4 wheel drive system for all I know that washer is suppose to have a "cup" to it. I have rebuilt rear ends, an automatic transmission, t-case, etc so I do have some knowledge on how things work but I'm just not seeing anything with the disconnect except what I mentioned.

Since the front diff is constantly spinning, and I'm not hearing the noise in 2 wheel drive, I don't see how it could be anything else but the disconnect. Besides the washer being cupped, the nubs, and the hard grease it looks to be in perfect shape. I can flip the washer over and it will catch the nubs. Without knowing if the washer is suppose to be cupped or not I can't really do that. Since it's not hard to remove I may try that and see if it does anything. From the looks of the housing on that offroad link the nubs on his housing weren't very big. I can definitely tell my washer ate into them a little though.

With the front driveshaft spinning, no noise in 2 wheel drive, and everything else on the 4 wheel drive system seems to be working properly I just don't know what else it could be.

Any ideas or thoughts on my findings?

I attached some pics so you can see my disconnect.

Thanks again.

 

[IllogicTC]

The washers in the offroadtb reference photos appear to be flat. We're talking about the inner washer that just has the two little spots poking out, right? Or do you mean the outer washer that has a bunch of notches cut around the radius? The inner washer looks to be under $4 (shipping on Amazon costs nearly $2 more than the part itself!). Outer washer is also pretty cheap.

With your description of the grease, it sounds like it was high time to repack the unit anyway. And that article isn't the only one endorsing the use of Mobil 1 Synthetic grease in there, I've seen it mentioned by quite a few people.

 

[marinegrunt]

I'm referring to the one with a bunch of notches around the outside. Those notches look as if they're suppose to catch on the little nubs that are on the inside of the housing. I know I already mentioned it but I can see where the washer wore down those nubs. The only thing is I don't see how that would prevent the 4 wheel drive from engaging. Regardless though, it needs replaced. Maybe I'll get lucky and for some reason that will be the cause of my problem.

Yeah, I wish I would've done more research about the different parts when we purchased it. I didn't know anything about the disconnect. I definitely would've checked it. Heck, I just put hubs in last year so would have been an easy check.

 

[marinegrunt]

I was able to pickup a washer from my local GM dealer yesterday. Yeah, the new one is definitely flat. I wonder how my old one ended up cupped. My actuator was bad so maybe it had something to do with it be engaged or partially engaged? The old washer was definitely spinning so I'm confident that's what was making the grinding noise. I'm not so sure it will fix my 4 wheel drive issue unless the cupped washer messed up the spacing inside and prevented it from engaging. I don't see how it could have been cupped enough to do thought.

I replaced the tie rod, upper ball joint, and lower yesterday. The topped pressed out easy but the bottom wouldn't come out for anything even with heat. I finally ended up drilling a hole and burring a groove out of the old ball joint all the way to the very edge of the hole in the control arm. I've done quite a few ball joints over the years and I've never had on like that.

 

[IllogicTC]

I was able to pickup a washer from my local GM dealer yesterday. Yeah, the new one is definitely flat. I wonder how my old one ended up cupped. My actuator was bad so maybe it had something to do with it be engaged or partially engaged? The old washer was definitely spinning so I'm confident that's what was making the grinding noise. I'm not so sure it will fix my 4 wheel drive issue unless the cupped washer messed up the spacing inside and prevented it from engaging. I don't see how it could have been cupped enough to do thought.

I replaced the tie rod, upper ball joint, and lower yesterday. The topped pressed out easy but the bottom wouldn't come out for anything even with heat. I finally ended up drilling a hole and burring a groove out of the old ball joint all the way to the very edge of the hole in the control arm. I've done quite a few ball joints over the years and I've never had on like that.

Just search Lower Ball Joint on here. The "LBJ" is almost famous for its ability to hold tight. I suppose that's a lot more comforting than one that doesn't hold enough! I think some people just get a new lower control arm with LBJ installed to cheat it

 

[marinegrunt]

That's probably the best thing to do. At least it would keep the oh s#*! wrench from flying across the garage as much and would save time. I ended up getting them. On the second one I burred a little too much so had to resurface a small groove. Even getting the bottom ones in is a pain. Uppers came out and went in fine. On the lowers I used the impact but I still had to smack with a hammer, impact, hammer, impact, and so on. After about 15 times of that back and forth they finally went.

It's still bugging me how that washer on the disconnect ended up "cupped". I know I already mentioned it but I wonder if the old grease so hard and so packed it caused some spacing issues. I hope that's it because that's the only thing I can think of that would prevent the 4 wheel drive from engaging. Maybe the spring from the actuator wasn't able to extend all the way? I'm hoping to have some time to finish it up today so we will see.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

 

[kawi9rr]

That's probably the best thing to do. At least it would keep the oh s#*! wrench from flying across the garage as much and would save time. I ended up getting them. On the second one I burred a little too much so had to resurface a small groove. Even getting the bottom ones in is a pain. Uppers came out and went in fine. On the lowers I used the impact but I still had to smack with a hammer, impact, hammer, impact, and so on. After about 15 times of that back and forth they finally went.

It's still bugging me how that washer on the disconnect ended up "cupped". I know I already mentioned it but I wonder if the old grease so hard and so packed it caused some spacing issues. I hope that's it because that's the only thing I can think of that would prevent the 4 wheel drive from engaging. Maybe the spring from the actuator wasn't able to extend all the way? I'm hoping to have some time to finish it up today so we will see.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281511788869?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

305$$ new oem disconnect if you need to replace it. Free shipping

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks for the link. That's a great price!

Here's where I'm at. I went back and followed the 4 wheel drive troubleshooting guide. Something I should've done from the get go. I jumped the gun and assumed. According to Roadie's guide it's either my disconnect or my diff. When I have just the driver's side tire jacked up it will turn on its own. The front driveshaft is not turning when turning the tire by hand. So, from the sounds of it it's either my disconnect or something in the diff. I'm still getting the grinding sound so it wasn't that cupped washer. I also can't be 100% that grinding is coming from the disconnect. It's more prominent on the right hand side but almost sounds like it's coming from the center. From the looks of my disconnect I highly doubt or just can't see anything being wrong with it. Every piece looked to be in great shape and the bearings looked and felt fine. There doesn't seem to be any play. I do wonder though, the write up said worn bearings could cause 4 wheel drive from not working. Sure, they don't seem to look worn but I've been wrong plenty of times. Maybe the grinding sound is coming from a bearing in the disconnect? I've learned that just because something looks and feels okay doesn't always mean it is.

When I'm turning the driver's side tire by hand I can hear a click or thud coming from the diff that keeps up depending on how fast I turn the tire. That might just be the spider gears though.

What do you think my next step should be? If a worn bearing in the disconnect can prevent 4 wheel drive from engaging, as cheap as they are, I'd rather take a chance and replace those before pulling the diff. I do know for a fact the gears in the disconnect are okay.

What do you think? Pull the diff? Replace the bearings in the disconnect?

 

[kawi9rr]

Thanks for the link. That's a great price!

Here's where I'm at. I went back and followed the 4 wheel drive troubleshooting guide. Something I should've done from the get go. I jumped the gun and assumed. According to Roadie's guide it's either my disconnect or my diff. When I have just the driver's side tire jacked up it will turn on its own. The front driveshaft is not turning when turning the tire by hand. So, from the sounds of it it's either my disconnect or something in the diff. I'm still getting the grinding sound so it wasn't that cupped washer. I also can't be 100% that grinding is coming from the disconnect. It's more prominent on the right hand side but almost sounds like it's coming from the center. From the looks of my disconnect I highly doubt or just can't see anything being wrong with it. Every piece looked to be in great shape and the bearings looked and felt fine. There doesn't seem to be any play. I do wonder though, the write up said worn bearings could cause 4 wheel drive from not working. Sure, they don't seem to look worn but I've been wrong plenty of times. Maybe the grinding sound is coming from a bearing in the disconnect? I've learned that just because something looks and feels okay doesn't always mean it is.

When I'm turning the driver's side tire by hand I can hear a click or thud coming from the diff that keeps up depending on how fast I turn the tire. That might just be the spider gears though.

What do you think my next step should be? If a worn bearing in the disconnect can prevent 4 wheel drive from engaging, as cheap as they are, I'd rather take a chance and replace those before pulling the diff. I do know for a fact the gears in the disconnect are okay.

What do you think? Pull the diff? Replace the bearings in the disconnect?

The light constant clicking in the diff is normal, mine does it and two others I tried also did it with 70k, other with 160k. The clicking I am referring to is when you spin the Lt. front tire the diff makes a light clicking noise that follows the speed of you turning the tire. I would replace the disconnect bearings as they are relatively cheap, you will need the new seals also. Take my advice do not pull the diff unless you know for sure that is what it is, very labor intensive and expensive to rebuild. My noise ended up not being the diff but I needed to pull it anyways sooner or later as my pinion and drivers seal were leaking and would need to be replaced sooner or later anyways.

 

[linneje]

If the sound is coming from the center, could it be a problem with the intermediate shaft that goes from your disconnect to the diff (through a channel in the oil pan). Any chance that is not seated properly?

 

[marinegrunt]

I guess that could be a possibility. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why that thrust washer was "cupped". The only thing I can think of is that something had to have been putting some strong pressure on it. If the intermediate shaft was seated properly that would cause everything to sandwich together tighter which could cup that washer. I kind of pulled and pushed on the intermediate shaft before putting it all back together and it seemed solid so I know it's not broke. I'm not sure about not being seated.

I'm surprised anything is wrong with the 4 wheel drive. We purchased it about 3 years ago. The previous owner was an older rich lady who took great care of it. It's my wife's vehicle so it has never been off road. The only time it has been in 4 wheel drive is if there's snow. If there's snow on the roads she won't leave town at all. She's a teacher and only has about a mile drive to the school. If there's snow on the roads she'll put it in 4hi. I changed all fluids to synthetic when we bought it and all old fluids looked good with no metal particles. I just drained the front diff and it looks fine so that tells me the diff gears are all okay.

The sound it's making sounds like it could be a bad bearing. Could a worn bearing in the disconnect prevent the 4 wheel drive from engaging? Maybe too much slop so the gears won't mesh when the actuator engages?

Thanks for sticking with me on all of this. I really appreciate it.

 

[marinegrunt]

You know, after doing some reading it seems that the vehicle has to be rolling a little to engage the 4 wheel drive. Do you know if this is true? Maybe it's now working after replacing the actuator and the noise is just a bearing in the disconnect going bad. I've been testing it in the garage while having it jacked up. I'm going to take it for a spin now and see what it does. I'll let you know!

 

[kawi9rr]

You know, after doing some reading it seems that the vehicle has to be rolling a little to engage the 4 wheel drive. Do you know if this is true? Maybe it's now working after replacing the actuator and the noise is just a bearing in the disconnect going bad. I've been testing it in the garage while having it jacked up. I'm going to take it for a spin now and see what it does. I'll let you know!

If you end up needing a disconnect I just got an email that oem disconnect is on sale for 255 with free shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281511788869?item=281511788869&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:XROI:US:3160&vxp=mtr

My trailblazer will kick into 4wd just sitting still, with Lt front jacked up it will engage and disengage with no movement on car. Left front locks and unlocks.

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks for the info Kawi....I remember reading a post somewhere that said if your disconnect bearings are starting to go that it will sometimes need to roll just a bit for it to engage. I wish I could find that post again and I wish I knew if it were true. After having the disconnect apart I don't see how worn bearings would prevent from engaging unless a little slop in the shafts could keep the two gears from meshing together. I just don't know.

I took it for a spin and it seemed like 4 wheel drive was working. I jacked it back up and all wheels were turning. I'm no longer hearing the grinding sound either. I put it into 2 wheel and back in 4hi and it would spin but only after I gassed it. But, the power in the front wheels isn't there. I can stop the driver's side front tiring from spinning with my boot even when I have the rpm's up. Something is definitely going on. Also, it kind of clunks in the diff area when I hit the brakes. If I gently ease on the brakes nothing clunks. This is only in 4 wheel drive. Everything is fine in 2 wheel.

This thing really has me stumped. The grinding just disappears. Now it somewhat works but has no power and the clunking with the brakes. It has to be the diff internals. Don't you think?

 

[The_Roadie]

If you're in 4HI on jack stands, and stop one front tire from spinning with your boot, the OTHER side should spin twice as fast due to the differential.

Typically no power to the front, if the disconnect is engaged (check that the way the flowchart says), means a transfer case clutch problem, either the encoder motor or the clutches themselves.

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks Roadie......I followed the flowchart after reinstalling the disconnect. The driver's side tire would spin when jacked up. After starting it and giving it some gas the 4 wheel drive engages. Once it engages everything seems to work fine according to the flowchart. If I go back to 2 wheel and then back to 4 wheel it won't engage until after getting on the throttle pretty good.

The other tire did spin twice as fast when holding the driver's side. Someone mentioned try to stop both front tires from spinning.

When we purchased the Envoy a few years back I changed all of the fluids. The old fluid in the t-case was red so I assume someone had put tranny fluid in it. Maybe that caused the clutch pack to wear.

You mention possibly the encoder motor. It sounds like it's working. Let's just say it is the encoder motor. Would that mean it's just partially engaging?

 

[marinegrunt]

I just thought I'd post a quick update. I installed new bearings in the disconnect so I'm confident it's good to go. It's locking into 4 wheel drive. The front tires spin when up on jack stands but there's no power up front under load. After going through the 4 wheel drive troubleshooting guide I'm confident the clutches in the transfer case are worn. I was going to rebuild the transfer case but found a great deal on a used one on ebay. I'd normally open up the transfer case to verify that it is in fact the clutches but the used transfer case was only $90 with free shipping. I figure I'd install it and then look at the old that way the wife's vehicle is only out of commission for a few hours and she can still drive.

 

[linneje]

For that price, that is definitely the way to go. Good luck with it.

 

[marinegrunt]

Thanks...that used one came out of a vehicle with 80K. It's being shipped from Wisconsin so it might have more wear and tear than one that came from down south but 80K isn't bad at all especially at the price. There's another one on there for $100 with free shipping. At that price it's about worth buying just to have a backup. I never figured I could get one for that cheap.

 

[IllogicTC]

If you want to keep a full-on spare part, you could rebuild the transfer case. Alternatively, you could strip it down and store spare parts!

 

[marinegrunt]

I received the t case today. Talk about fast shipping. They sent it off with fedex Friday and I got it at 10:00 am Saturday.

Do you know what year they started using that updated bearing? I've read a few different years. I have a 2005 but this used t case I got came out of a 2006.

I'm tempted to open up both transfer cases, look the parts over, and put together one good one if anything is worn in them. It would also give me a chance to clean it real good and replace any bearings if need be.

If I can find parts cheap enough I think I might rebuild the old. I like your idea about having parts on hand too. Heck, I couldn't buy one of the gears for the price I spent on the whole used unit! You start buying individual parts it gets expensive real fast. I was originally just going to buy the clutches but couldn't find a new set for less than $160. It was also hard to even find a place to buy them.

Thanks again for all of your help throughout this whole thread. I plan on tearing down the old so I can see what exactly failed. I'll be sure to post the results along with some pictures for future reference. That is if it is the clutches that failed. After looking at everything else I really don't see what else it could be. I made sure the disconnect was locked in and I could actually hold both front tires and keep them from spinning. When let go they would slowly start spinning again on their own. Also, when I was sure 4wd was engaged, I took it on the wet grass, and the rear tires were spinning. The front tires didn't do anything under load.

It'll probably be after Christmas before I get a chance to swap it out. I'll be sure to post the results!

 

[marinegrunt]

I decided to go ahead and teardown the used one I bought just to give it a good cleaning and replace bearings and seals if need be. I figure if I do that I hopefully won't have to worry about ever messing with the t case again. I have it completely apart now and this thing looks brand new inside. There's not one bit of dirt or grime inside. There is hardly even anything on the magnet inside. It came out of a totaled vehicle that had 80K on it so I wonder if it was replaced or rebuilt shortly before.

I might try and do a how to on rebuilding the transfer case so it's there for others. I haven't ran across one yet so figure it may come in handy for some.

Does anyone know how to tell if clutch plates are worn? I've seen some completely smoked in transmissions so can tell if they're completely gone. I assume that as long as you can still see the grooves in the friction material they're good to go? I wish I had some specs so I could measure them.

 

[marinegrunt]

I thought I'd give an update. I installed the new transfer case but still having the same symptoms. When I take off the front actuator, and manually push in the fork on the disconnect, I really have to push on it and turn the tire to get it to lock in. I'm wondering if the actuator isn't engaging the disconnect or it's skipping gears. The actuator is brand new and I installed new bearings in the disconnect. The disconnect looks to be in perfect shape. The gears look great too. I thought of a way to make sure the disconnect is engaged so I can at least narrow it down to one of those two. If my idea doesn't work the problem has to lie in the front diff. Here's a pic of what I made so I know for a fact the disconnect is engaged. I used a small piece of 3/4" black pipe, traced out the pattern of the bolt holes on some scrap steel, welded the pipe to it, and tossed on an o ring to keep dirt out. I figure if I leave the actuator hooked up and zipped tied out of the way it shouldn't throw any codes. If I still don't have 4wd after this it has to be the front diff. I completely went through the used transfer case I bought and it's in perfect shape. I'm going to go through the old one, replaced bearings and seals if need be, so will have an extra one if anyone needs one. Here's a couple pics of what I made so I know it's locked in 4wd. It's pretty much just taking the place of the actuator plunger.

 

[The_Roadie]

Your thinking is spot on, and the gadget you fabbed is the best example I've seen. Somebody seems to do this once a year on ortb, because it's the cheaper way to leave the disconnect always engaged.

 

[marinegrunt]

This one just has me stumped. The front diff hasn't made any noises at all. You wouldn't think that if it was messed up you would at least hear something. You can kind of see some of the gears through the top fill hole and what I saw looked okay. I have a feeling it's the disconnect from how much force it took to push on the fork but I just don't see how it could be because it looks to be in perfect shape. I hooked upped the old actuator while it's zip tied up and it's working now. It wasn't working when I ordered the new one. Maybe old grease was just jammed in the plunger.

Charging the battery now so once it's ready I'm going to take it for a spin in the side yard so I can see if the front tires engage under load. If not the front diff is coming out and getting torn apart.

 

[IllogicTC]

If you or a friend has a borescope, the fill plug gives ample room to take a peek with one to help diagnose. I'd imagine, through the hole, you wouldn't be able to see the pinion too well.

 

[marinegrunt]

That's a good idea. I bet you could get a good look in there that way.

It seems that my 4wd is working but I didn't take for a far drive. I was getting crow hopping for the first time though. The service 4wd light came on so I pulled it back in the garage. I had installed the old actuator just in case I decided to leave the disconnect manual engaged. I didn't want the new one to get messed up from water splashing underneath. The old actuator is bad after all so that 's what popped the service 4wd. Put the n new actuator I bought back in and no more light. Gonna test out the 4wd a little more tomorrow but I'm sure it's working. I just don't see how the disconnect can be bad. You can see the pics further up in this thread. I don't see what could be preventing the splined collar from wanting to engage. Does the spring inside just allow the fork to disengage once the actuator goes back to the 2wd position? I replaced the bearings but maybe the bushings are worn? I did have that one thrust washer that was cupped but replaced it. Is that a sign of anything? I guess I could pickup a new disconnect but hate to without knowing why mine isn't working properly.

Also, can someone explain how my 4wd will function with my disconnect manual engaged and actuator hooked up to the wiring harness. I know my front wheels will be turning but will the transfer case not be giving them power while the switch is in 2wd? Reason I ask is because when in 4wd I get the crow hopping. When I'm in 2wd I don't get the crow hopping. You would think that since I have the disconnect manually engaged that it would in 2wd unless it also takes the encoder motor telling the transfer case to engage the clutch packs. Am I understanding this correctly? If that's what it's doing what's the harm in just leaving it with the little gadget I made?

 

[The_Roadie]

You understand the process perfectly. Without the transfer case clutches sending torque forward, 2HI mode will not crow hop. With the disconnect always engaged, you essentially are running like a Bravada in A4WD mode all the time. Little downside except a tiny bit worse mileage because more parts will spin inside the front diff.

 

[marinegrunt]

If that's the case I may just leave it with the gadget. My wife is a teacher and we only live about a mile outside of town. Besides an occasional trip to Kentucky we don't really put enough miles on it to where a small loss in gas mileage would cost us much extra each year.

I'd still like to figure out why the disconnect isn't engaging properly. Now that I have a better understanding of how it all works I might pull it off and give it a better look. For now though I'm going to say problem solved and let it be for awhile.

Thanks for all of the great help! I really appreciate it!