Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) dana 60 front

[horseman]

i have a 95 2500 5spd and when i put the truck in 4wd all i hear is grinding in the front axle and it wont engage the front wheels. also when i am driving if i let off the gas i can hear a mix of rattling and grinding and it won't always do that. any thoughts on what this might be???

 

[JDKammin]

First of all, make sure you do not have a lower ball joint going bad on the right side. Second, remove the 4 bolts that hold the shift fork onto the axle housing, which is on back of the passenger side. At each end of the fork, there should be a pad that fits into a groove. If this pads get brittle, they can break off and will not shift the collar onto the inner axle shaft far enough.

 

[CumminsPower98]

The diaphragm in the shift motor could be bad or the vacuum valve on the t-case or a leak in a hose. Any of those might be able to cause this as its not getting enough force to fully engage.

 

[JDKammin]

I have had bad diaphrams in the shift fork and have seen the steel lines from the transfer case to the front axle rust in two, but these problems would make my truck not shift into 4WD at all. What I do to check the shifting action, is to remove shift fork unit from axle, start truck up and shift transfer case in and out of 4WD. You should be able to watch the diaphram move the shift fork in and out. This test may take a couple of people.