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Originally Posted by dakota1820
Good info to have. What is the point of the thermal actuator? Other trucks don't have that , that I know of.
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There is some sort of dog gear or something on the passenger side of the front differential that disconnects the two front axles. That way the spider gears just get driven from the driver side and the ring gear and front driveshaft don't turn. It's supposed to save gas and wear. The newer trucks have a electro-mechanical actuator that they tell me works fine (I will find out eventually since I bought a 2016).
The thermal actuator is a plunger filled with oil that an electric resistance heater is supposed to make expand and push the axle connector together so you have four wheel drive. Both type have a switch that works off the transfer case lever (or the push button/knob controls). The problem with the thermal is that either the heating element burns out, or if it's real cold like driving in deep snow it doesn't get hot enough to expand properly.
Or so they tell me ... mine never worked, which enabled me to buy it cheap because no 4wd. I just cut a piece of 3/4" PVC about 1" long and jammed it on the end of the plunger to hold the axle disconnect in the engaged position. I did jack up the right front wheel and turn it slightly until it engaged while I was re-installing the thermal actuator. You can feel it lock in and then the front driveshaft will turn when you turn the tire that is off the ground.
It was a "temporary solution" to see if I could get the 4wd working before I spent any more money on the old pickup, but it's been that way I think about seven years now. If this was a nice pickup then I would $pring for the cable control kit, but the farthest I usually go from home is 25 miles one way to the dump, and to fill the gas tank.