Front axle not engaging......

[ClassicJimmy]

Hey, fellas. I went to go work at a transmitter site today & couldn't get to the site because my front axle wouldn't lock the hubs. I have a 92 Chev K2500 w/a manual shift xfer but thermal actuated front "hubs" (or whatever gets engaged). Has anyone ran into this before? It happened to me last winter, but then started working again. I've had in 4WD several times this winter allready, but today it doesn't want to work. I read a while back about a cable actuator that runs into the cab & you manually engage the front axle. Found it locally at Central 4WD for $165 . Has anyone installed this? I like the idea of the cable actuator, because I engage it & disengage it, & I can have 2 low if I need it. Don't like the idea of having to route a cable into the cab & find a mounting location for it. If someone has done this, can you please let me know what you think & maybe post some pics inside your cab. Does it work better, same, worse? Was it a pain to install? Thanks, fellas.

[msgross]

I had the same problem on my 86 S-10. It had a vacuum actuator under the hood that went bad, left me in 4WD for a long drive home. replaced it and never had a problem again. SOS with your thermal actuator $65 to replace it.

I have seen the cable that you are talking about $165 seems decent for guaranteed 4WD forever

[kwmech]

The thermal units are crap. Your local GM dealer should have an updated 'kit' that has a small motor that will actuate the shift fork, also comes with a small wiring harness that will splice into the trucks harness. I install, probably 6-10 of these every year as an upgrade.

[motopatzo]

Absolutely! The GM kit is the wayto go.

[ClassicJimmy]

Yeah, the GM guy told me about it. Cheaper for the actuator, but the wiring harness is expensive! Close to $200 for the "upgrade", but I like the idea of a motor instead of the "TAD". Thanks for the input. I'll be checking & working on it tomorrow.

[ClassicJimmy]

Allrighty....... I did the Chevy "upgrade" for the front actuator & I can hear the motor doing what it suppose to do, but still no 4WD. Can anyone tell me or even show me an exploded view of the front axle so I can figure out what part might be broke? I took it to the shop I trust & has done work on the truck before, but they don't do transmissions or diffs. I know I need the outer right axle since my CV boot is split in half & water just poured out of it. Any advice? Is it fixable or should I try to find parts from a salvage yard? Thanks for your help so far.

[ClassicJimmy]

So I got it into a tranny shop that does diff work & now I find out I have a bad bearing that was leaking fluid. Not alot, but just a little at a time so I wouldn't notice. Lack of fluid caused another bearing to go & that's what caused a misalignment that wouldn't let the axle engage. They can't get the diff apart, so a used one from the local salvage yard will be finding a new home. A new right half axle due to a blown CV boot & new U-joints in the front driveshaft will compliment my new diff - all for $1100.00. Hooray! (I should count myself blessed the diff didnt completely sieze on me while on the freeway!) Thanks for the replys, & I hope this might help someone else in the near future.

[ClassicJimmy]

So I now have 4WD, but now when it's engaged, I get a "crawling" sensation in the steering wheel. Like the left side has traction, then the right, back to the left, back to the right. A little scary when I'm pulling a snowmobile trailer & a sled in the bed on icy roads. I thought maybe it was cuz the back was weighted, but now it's still happening. Anyone? I'll probably should take it back to the guys who replaced the front diff.