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Whats up with my 4 wheel drive?

WhiteyZ71

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WhiteyZ71 Enthusiast

WhiteyZ71

Posted
Posted

Well for starters, I have a '98 Z71 with push-button 4wd

 

Well I was down at my camp the other weekend and took it out on the beach by the river, its a nice mix of loose sand, gravel, and a bit of mud here and there, I was driving though the water and having fun until I got stuck. So I tried to back it up and go forward, really not getting anywhere, the thing is one of my buddies noticed that neither of my front wheels were spinning when I was stuck, I know I have an open front diff, so I know both shouldnt be spinning, but at least one should. Weird thing is that when I stuck it in 4lo and had a Samuraui pulling my out, one of my front wheels got power and I came right out. Any clue to what happened? Almost as if it wasnt engaged in 4hi, but I had in in 4hi the whole time and I could feel it pulling, I remember reading somewhere about someone had a front axle come out a bit and they tapped it back in and everything worked fine, I guess I'll go out and have a look, could be a bad cv joint too I guess? Both of my boots are intact and no grease is leaking.

 

Any help would be appreciated

asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

Posted
Posted

The automatic hubs require power/motion of some sort to engage, maybe they weren't locked, when the Samurai (with apologies) pulled and provided the motion the hubs locked and well, four wheel drive. But I would think if it had already been engaged they would have locked before hand. I would lean towards hubs, or T-Case, before the diff, but that's just me. Have you tried it since then? With what results? I would test it again in a controlled situation see what happens.

Meatywand Enthusiast

Meatywand

Posted
Posted

It may have something to do with the whole electric push button thing, I know my dads old 2001 and his new 2006 Z's both did the same weird s**t sometimes, but I have never had that problem with my manual floor shifted transfer case, my want to get that looked at

WhiteyZ71 Enthusiast

WhiteyZ71

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well I used it the other night on a steep rocky trail and I could feel it pulling me up, maybe something is wrong with one of my axles, like when I was stuck it was sending power to the wheel with the bad axle(or bad hub even)?

 

 

edit: I do occasionally hear a 'clunk' or a 'pop' from my right front drivers side, not like a cv joint clicking, but a single pop every now and then

99-2door Senior Enthusiast

99-2door

Posted
Posted

Chevy trucks haven't had locking hubs since the new body in 88. They have a diff actuator for that duty. And it does not require motion to engage.

gotitbad Enthusiast

gotitbad

Posted
Posted

Sure sounds like a bad 4wd actuator....we sell a lot of them....part number 26060073 from GM...nothing to change out.....These things are bad about going bad...(LOL)....look at your front diff....see two pieces with wires coming out that screw into your diff...one is small, the other large black and plastic (if your large one is metal, you will need a harness too!). The large black plastic piece is your 4wd actuator, and just screws in. It engages a "fork" that locks your axles in 4wd. Again, just my two cents....but the are PRONE to go out..

TONY

WhiteyZ71 Enthusiast

WhiteyZ71

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Sure sounds like a bad 4wd actuator....we sell a lot of them....part number 26060073 from GM...nothing to change out.....These things are bad about going bad...(LOL)....look at your front diff....see two pieces with wires coming out that screw into your diff...one is small, the other large black and plastic (if your large one is metal, you will need a harness too!).  The large black plastic piece is your 4wd actuator, and just screws in.  It engages a "fork" that locks your axles in 4wd.  Again, just my two cents....but the are PRONE to go out..

TONY

 

 

 

 

 

Would this cause only one of the axles not to turn? I'm pretty sure my drivers side wont turn, only the passenger side. And i'm sure that at least the one side is working as I was doing a little testing down at my camp in some dirt, in 2hi I could sit there and spin, then in 4hi I would just go forward, and I tried it in 4lo to see if I could break the tires loose, I did a little, but as I was looking down at my front drivers side tire, it wasnt throwing anything up at all

 

thanks for the help

 

 

update - I went out and crawled under my truck and found the actuator i think, it kinda resembles a starter, has a few wires going to it. I was black plastic and it fit onto a metal shaft looking thing coming out of the front diff, is there any way of testing the part to see if I really need a new one?

mdub Enthusiast

mdub

Posted
Posted
Chevy trucks haven't had locking hubs since the new body in 88.  They have a diff actuator for that duty.  And it does not require motion to engage.

 

 

 

The front axle disconnect is a collar that slides over the splines of the split axle shafts -- if the splines are not aligned, rolling motion IS required. It's not a good idea to attempt actuating the front axle disconnect after the vehicle is already stuck -- it should be placed in 4WD prior to entering the mud/sand.

 

Question to the original poster: was the vehicle already stuck when you shifted into 4WD? Base on your latest post, it sounds like your 4WD is working properly. Since your front axle is an "open" differential, you can't expect both front wheels to spin simultaneously -- you would need a front locking differential for this to occur.

 

Also, the pre-'98 trucks had the worse actuators (thermal gas charged actuator)and were prone to many problems. In '98 (after only 9 years of poor reliability...), GM began using a much more reliable electric motor actuated unit. You already have the better actuator, even though it could still be going bad. I just don't think it's your problem based on the description.

WhiteyZ71 Enthusiast

WhiteyZ71

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Chevy trucks haven't had locking hubs since the new body in 88.  They have a diff actuator for that duty.  And it does not require motion to engage.

 

 

 

The front axle disconnect is a collar that slides over the splines of the split axle shafts -- if the splines are not aligned, rolling motion IS required. It's not a good idea to attempt actuating the front axle disconnect after the vehicle is already stuck -- it should be placed in 4WD prior to entering the mud/sand.

 

Question to the original poster: was the vehicle already stopped when you shifted into 4WD? Base on your latest post, it sounds like your 4WD is working properly. Since your front axle is an "open" differential, you can't expect both front wheels to spin simultaneously -- you would need a front locking differential for this to occur.

 

Also, the pre-'98 trucks had the worse actuators (thermal gas charged actuator)and were prone to many problems. In '98 (after only 9 years of poor reliability...), GM began using a much more reliable electric motor actuated unit. You already have the better actuator, even though it could still be going bad. I just don't think it's your problem based on the description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

yeah I was in 4hi when I got stuck, and I know I have an open front diff, but at least one wheel should always be spinning, right?

mdub Enthusiast

mdub

Posted
Posted
yeah I was in 4hi when I got stuck, and I know I have an open front diff, but at least one wheel should always be spinning, right?

 

 

 

Yep, if the 4WD is engaged, at least one side of the front would have to spin at the same rate as the spinning back wheel. With an open diff there is typically an inherent bias toward one wheel spinning. Sorry, I thought your last post implied the subsequent tests showed at least one side was working.

WhiteyZ71 Enthusiast

WhiteyZ71

Posted
  • Author
Posted
yeah I was in 4hi when I got stuck, and I know I have an open front diff, but at least one wheel should always be spinning, right?

 

 

 

Yep, if the 4WD is engaged, at least one side of the front would have to spin at the same rate as the spinning back wheel. With an open diff there is typically an inherent bias toward one wheel spinning. Sorry, I thought your last post implied the subsequent tests showed at least one side was working.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah the one side works, unless i'm stuck, that was in response to the other post about the actuator, wondering if that could cause one side not to work

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