So I was out wheeling this weekend, everything was working fine. Then my 4 hi started wanting to pop out back into 2hi. did this a few times but I was always able to get it to go back and stay in 4hi. I shifted into 4lo and started up a pretty steep hill, got about halfway up it and my 4X4 quit working completely. Have messed with it all weekend, checked the bushings on the linkage and done everything I know how to do and still can't deduce the problem. The 4WD indicator light comes on, and it gears down when I go into 4lo, but my front tires will not spin. Jacked it up, spun the tires and they spin the driveshaft, so I don't think its in my front end, I just don't know what it could be in my transfer case. I got under it and manually moved the linkage into 4wd position and it does the same thing as when I pull the shifter. light comes on but only back tires have power. A friend told me that it could be a bushing inside my transfer case that the fork moves, or a chain that engages it. That makes sense but I don't see why it would still gear down the rear in 4lo if that's the case. Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

You checked the bushings on each end of the cable?
Did you also check the cable case anchor points on each end of the cable casing? If those are loose or broken, the t-case may not stay in the position you select.

 

Yes I checked all the bushings at both ends of the cable. All seem to be fine. I manually moved the selector by hand, at the t-case end of the cable. It says it's in 4 wheel but only the back tires spin.

 

So now that I'm back at my house and am able to jack it up and look at it easier, with all four wheels off the ground the front tires turn. With just the back jacked up they don't, so i'm leaning towards it being the chain in the transfer case...? with all four wheels in the air though, the back driver's side tire turns for a second then acts like it gets bound up, kinda jumps for a second, then turns again and gets bound up again, etc. etc. My question now, is that if it is indeed the chain in the transfer case, would or could that cause the back tire to act like that? The back tire only jumps like that when it is in 4 wheel drive, it turns just fine in 2wd.