Front axle CV shafts. '18 1500. Turn all the time?

[Stronger800]

I have not gotten around to having my wife drive this thing down the driveway while I stand back and try to look, but do the shafts turn with the tires all the time? And the dis-engaging  occurs in the center section?  I'm more familiar with fords that use the (occasionally troublesome) Independent Wheel Actuators that use Vaccume to disengage the shafts out at the hub/bearing. Thanks.  

[catpartsman]

Yes. The cv shafts turn all the time and will engage in the center diff.


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[Stronger800]

Bummer.  I really didn't research this truck at all. Has GM always been like that? I know they were back in the 80s. 

[rudyb]

My 2000 half ton Z71 was like this. I’m pretty sure any 4WD vehicle without locking hubs will be set up like this. 

[BigBadSierra]

Al trucks have been like this Ford just started to deactivate the Front CV shafts but this is done with electronics and servo's so it's another thing to break  and I'm not sure it saves very much fuel.

 

[Stronger800]

Ford has used the vacuum actuated hubs to disengage the front shafts since '04 or so.  I've owned four and put 300k (combined) on them with out ever replacing one.  I need to install my leveling spacers next week, just went with 2", hope the shafts don't lookto be on that much of an angle. 

[2018GMC]

Since the dawn of the GMT400 platform back in 1988!

 

Hell, my 1979 K10 was AWD / Full Time 4WD. I converted it to manual locking hubs and changed out the planetary gear in transfer case.

 

On 1988+ front CV always turn. When in 4WD, the transfer case then engages the front drive shaft. There is also an actuator in the front differential that engages as well in 4WD.

[Stronger800]

I see how it works.....same as 30 years ago...I was just hoping it was different.  This day in age I just would have thought it hard to believe that a manufacturer wants to have that rotating mass (the shafts....although not the differential) turning all the time, wasting energy.