Front Axle Disconnect

[JDTeeter]

When operating a 2004 Ram 3500 6spd 4X4 in low range, is it possible to disable the front axle? Sure would make it easier to park my gn trailer in tight spots without the tires scrubbing!

 

[JFaulkner]

Not without replacing the hubs to manual locking ones or removing the driveshaft that I'm aware of.

 

[chuckwilson]

JD, yes you can, one company makes a manual cable & one makes a elect. solinoid kit for the vacume lines to the front shifter so it wont ingage!!!!

 

[Spunkys Ram]

JD, yes you can, one company makes a manual cable & one makes a elect. solinoid kit for the vacume lines to the front shifter so it wont ingage!!!!

Not to rain on your parade but after 2002. 5 models ALL 2500 and up 4x4 NO LONGER have a CAD (Central Axle Disconnect) thus rendering the cable/vacuum option no longer worthy.

 

[Alphacowboy]

Not to rain on your parade but after 2002. 5 models ALL 2500 and up 4x4 NO LONGER have a CAD (Central Axle Disconnect) thus rendering the cable/vacuum option no longer worthy.

actually even as early as 2001. 5 there were trucks without the CAD unit.



I too am curious to a solution as my 2000 now has 3rd gen axles under it. I know someone was working on a kit to allow the 271HD t-case to have a 2wd low shift point, but for me that does no good either. Anyone know of a way to make the 241HD case have the 2wd possition as well?

 

[Motorhead]

I have read in the posts that someone has a mod for the transfer case to give you a 2WD LOW range.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I have read in the posts that someone has a mod for the transfer case to give you a 2WD LOW range.

That would be the ticket

 

[DPKetchum]

Do a search on Dynatrack or EMS front manual hubs for 03 up. Kits look to run(I think) $1400 to $1800.

 

[JFaulkner]

Do a search on Dynatrack or EMS front manual hubs for 03 up. Kits look to run(I think) $1400 to $1800.

Wow for that amount of money I'll personally remove your driveshaft at the campground. 8 bolts/$1800 that's 225 per bolt! sign me up. :-laf

 

[mymtnhauler]

actually even as early as 2001. 5 there were trucks without the CAD unit.



My 02 has the CAD front axel.

 

[Spunkys Ram]

actually even as early as 2001. 5 there were trucks without the CAD unit.



My 02 has the CAD front axel.

Ditto, so does my early '02 (Mfg date: 8/01)

 

[DPKetchum]

Not to be sinnpy about this but at least I seem to see a lot of answers about 3rd generation trucks by 2nd generation owners. Totaly differant trucks. Don't assume systems are the same without really knowing the answer. I see wrong methods on repairs posted this way,torque specs etc. Sooner or later if it hasn't already happened someone going to cause a great deal of wasted time or a repair that costs much more to do then originaly.

 

[JDTeeter]

I had a 2001 with an external axle disconnect, but I see now that the '04 does not have an external disconnect. I can live with some tire scrubbing in lieu of paying $1400 - $1800 for locking hubs!

Thanks!

 

[DPKetchum]

03 dosent eaither

 

[RRees]

If I had a spare t-case to experiment with and a plasma cutter, I'm quite sure I could fab one up.



Looks like another winter project. If I can sneak the "why do you need that" past my wife.

 

[bighammer]

If I had a spare t-case to experiment with and a plasma cutter, I'm quite sure I could fab one up.

Looks like another winter project. If I can sneak the "why do you need that" past my wife.

I hear ya. I kept thinking if I could score some beat up trans case for next to nothing, I'd see if I could find a way to just shift the range fork without the mode fork. I'm guessing it wouldn't be that hard. Thetrick would be to make it easy enough that everybody would want one and could do it themselves. Make it a slick-o kit like the KDP jig.

 

[grabinov]

I could really use one of these as well for my '04 4wd. I have a 12,000+ fiver that I have to park on a hill in front of my house when loading/unloading. Try pulling that uphill from a dead stop -it's a transmission killer for sure (although I am running a Dunrite valve body which has helped by raising line pressure at low engine speed). I have thought about just using 4 low even with the front locked up, but that's a lot of force to be putting through the driveline on asphalt when the front and rear axles are geared differently (even if only slightly) - and I for sure can't make the turn at the top of the hill without crunching something.



And I'd rather not spend $1,400 on replacement hubs just to get the first 100 feet from my house. For that I can just replace the torque converter...



Anyone have any ideas? Is there even a solution given that the connection is now mechanical (rather than electrical or vacuum actuated)?

 

[opjohnny]

I thought we had a west coast member start a tread about mods to the tcase. Seems like he had done one. I will try to search.

 

[fkovalski]

How bad it is to just use 4WD low for short spells for limited backing up? I use mine in this setting when placing my TC on the truck. Granted, it is done on a hard dirt driveway so there is some slippage when compared to asphalt... but even if it were on a friction surface... is it all that damaging since I always thought that the transfer case "winding" up on itself is due to 4WD on hard surfaces over time at high speeds? Can it be bad to use 4WD low for a short time on hard roads?



Can some one expand on this theory.



.

 

[Motorhead]

How bad it is to just use 4WD low for short spells for limited backing up? I use mine in this setting when placing my TC on the truck. Granted, it is done on a hard dirt driveway so there is some slippage when compared to asphalt... but even if it were on a friction surface... is it all that damaging since I always thought that the transfer case "winding" up on itself is due to 4WD on hard surfaces over time at high speeds? Can it be bad to use 4WD low for a short time on hard roads?

Can some one expand on this theory.

.

The transfer case in our trucks have no "center differential" THANK GOD! It, center differential, allows for difference in axel speeds between the front and rear diffs. If you had an old full size Chevy Blazer with "Full time 4wd", If you got the front or rear axel stuck or high sided, You were S. O. L. #@$%!You might as well had a one legger rear axel!
When you have a "locked" transfer case as our trucks and other TRUE 4X4's have, if one axel turns slower or faster than the other, the axels and tires are forced to slip or hop on the road surface. When you turn a frontend right or left to turn, the front axel speed will be different than the rear Thus it will want to bind because the transfer case is trying to turn BOTH drivelines and axels at the same speed.
Running on hard surfaces doesn't give the wheels easier "SLIP"

Clear as MUD... . Eh?