Auto tire chains

[RedNeckRacin]

Don't drag me into this.

Awe, why not?

 

[Loadstar]

They are locked in beforehand, not when I'm just about stuck. Besides I never have got out to lock them in that's the women's job while they are getting me another beer.

 

[diesel lover]

They are locked in beforehand, not when I'm just about stuck. Besides I never have got out to lock them in that's the women's job while they are getting me another beer.

I knew a few people in Michigan with older ford trucks and manual locking hubs, they would leave their hubs locked all winter but did not drive far daily less than 15 miles a day. One guy I knew delivered firewood with his 1990 ford f150 5sp, 4wd, 300 inline 6 engine. He left his hubs engauged so when he got to the unplowed driveway for his deliveries he would simply pull the 4 wheel drive lever and engauge his 4 wd without getting out. This does lower fuel economy to leave your hubs locked in but some people do it on a regular basis during bad winters.

 

[diesel lover]

Starting in 2013, Ram added an electronically actuated Central Axle Disconnect (CAD) to all 4x4 3500 models. This feature was also added to 2500 models in 2014.
I don't really like the idea because the only thing you are stoping is the driveshaft and ring & pinion. The outer axle shafts are turning and the spider gears inside the differential are spinning a million miles an hour because the CAD only disconnects the "long" axle from the diff.

As far as I know this is how my gmc currently works but I could be wrong. I needed to do some research and read the owners manual. The manual states the front axle disconnects from it's front drive shaft, I believe this is done with an electric motor/ servo. My truck 2000/ gmc Sierra 1/2 ton 4wd has 155,xxx miles and we have ran the truck in 4 wd low and high at least 4 x per year to ensure everything is engauged. Engagement is always done while rolling slowly on dirt, snow or mud so each wheel is turning the same speed and also no binding can occur. As far as I'm aware of most 4wd issues can appear from not using your 4wd enough and you have electric motors, vacuum or other engagement issues due to the system not being used all year or longer.

 

[diesel lover]

The older 1/2 ton models (like ours) have the same thing, but its vacuum actuated rather than electronically actuated.

Aaron Z

This may interest you, although my dad and I have never had 4wd issues in 155,xxx miles there is a kit for my truck to have a cable "locked" front axle. m.ebay.com/itm/271569691470?_mwBanner=1

I have heard of front axle engaugment problems with these trucks like mine so if I ever have trouble I will simply swap it out to make it manual engaugment. For my 4 wd purposes I do not need it failing on me. I might use it to go several miles off the road dear hunting in sand, snow, and muddy mixes. If the 4wd failed on me when I needed it I may be walking and that's not fun at all.

I always have engauged it early, before it's needed and before I dig in and get stuck

 

[aczlan]

This may interest you, although my dad and I have never had 4wd issues in 155,xxx miles there is a kit for my truck to have a cable "locked" front axle. m.ebay.com/itm/271569691470?_mwBanner=1
I have heard of front axle engaugment problems with these trucks like mine so if I ever have trouble I will simply swap it out to make it manual engaugment. For my 4 wd purposes I do not need it failing on me. I might use it to go several miles off the road dear hunting in sand, snow, and muddy mixes. If the 4wd failed on me when I needed it I may be walking and that's not fun at all.
I always have engaged it early, before it's needed and before I dig in and get stuck

I have heard of those, it currently works fairly well. The truck is probably going to go up for sale in the not too distant future though. It's got almost 200k miles on it and while the engine is still strong, the body is getting pretty sketchy and the brakes have some issues.

Aaron Z

 

[Looking4new]

My '01 Jeep TJ has a solid front axle. Last year I changed the front diff to a on demand locker. It came out of a Jeep Cherokee, I think. I can also shift into 4wd just by pulling a lever inside the cab, 'on the fly'. The only downside to these is the small cargo area. That is why I have a trailer (M101cdn2) that goes with it whenever I pick up more stuff than will fit inside.

 

[k0ua]

This may interest you, although my dad and I have never had 4wd issues in 155,xxx miles there is a kit for my truck to have a cable "locked" front axle. m.ebay.com/itm/271569691470?_mwBanner=1

I have heard of front axle engaugment problems with these trucks like mine so if I ever have trouble I will simply swap it out to make it manual engaugment. For my 4 wd purposes I do not need it failing on me. I might use it to go several miles off the road dear hunting in sand, snow, and muddy mixes. If the 4wd failed on me when I needed it I may be walking and that's not fun at all.

I always have engauged it early, before it's needed and before I dig in and get stuck

My 94 chevy had the electrical operated device in the front differential case to engage disengage. I had trouble with it but it was really easy to change it out and replace it. I did it myself in a few minutes. If I remember correctly it was a heating element that heated a module with ether in it that expanded and engaged the axle's. It has been a long time, but that is what I remember. It seems that some people bought the manual kits to replace this module, but I just bought another module and replaced it.

 

[diesel lover]

My 94 chevy had the electrical operated device in the front differential case to engage disengage. I had trouble with it but it was really easy to change it out and replace it. I did it myself in a few minutes. If I remember correctly it was a heating element that heated a module with ether in it that expanded and engaged the axle's. It has been a long time, but that is what I remember. It seems that some people bought the manual kits to replace this module, but I just bought another module and replaced it.

Thanks that's very helpful. At what mileage did you need to change that out?

 

[diesel lover]

By the way with the stiff rear suspention on this truck this GMC is horrible in 4wd. I would have to really weigh down the bed to make it decent. Since the truck is 4wd im not worried about weighing down the bed this winter. This truck acts more like a 3/4 ton in two wheel drive on ice. If this was 2 wd with no weight in the bed it would surely be a beached whale