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4WD problems on '95 YJ

I have a '95 Jeep Wrangler and I have been troubleshooting the four wheel drive system lately. I can move the shift lever as it should, I put a new transfer case vaccuum switch on it, I pulled all the vaccuum lines and tested them, I do get vaccuum down to the motor itself and it feels ok, I tested the wires going down to the motor and I have source voltage. Is there anything else I can do besides through a $100 axle shift motor? I would like that as a last result. Is there an electrical switch on the transfer case that could be the problem? I checked the

4WD light bulb and its ok. Can a low transfer case fluid level cause any of this? I would think the light would at least come on if the motor was working correctly. I'm at a loss, I would rather not put a motor on it, but if that is what it is.... Thanks for the help

'95 Jeep Wrangler

4" RE suspension lift 1" shackle lift 3" body lift 35" M/T MTX's 4.88's with front Detroit Trutrac
Reply to
big95yj
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Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

It's a vacumn shift motor, the electrical line is only for running the light on the dash. The motor is controlled by the vac switch on the transfercase that you already replaced. 1st thing is to make sure that when you switch from 2wd to 4wd and back that the vac switches between the 2 vac lines going to the shift motor on the axle.

As Bill mentioned, make sure that the axle is doing/not doing what it is supposed to. Jack up the right front wheel, put transfercase in 2wd, start engine to get some vacumn, wheel should spin free. Pull shift lever into 4wd HI, jocky the wheel a bit with the engine running, it SHOULD pull in and lock the wheel. If it doesn't pull in, the shift motor is bad or you have a jammed shift fork/shift dog. If so, take off the shift motor and verify that the shift dog moves back and forth and that the shift fork fits over the shift dog. You should be able to make the shift fork move back and forth by moving the TC lever.

The worst case is if the wheel seems to grab something and get hard to turn but still turns when the transfer case is in 4wd. That means that the shift motor engaged but the transfer case does not. That MIGHT be just a linkage adjustment or it might mean serious trouble in the TC.

big95yj wrote:

Reply to
RoyJ

Thanks for the good tips! I did do the check by lifting the vehicle and seeing if the wheel will lock. It doesn't :( I pulled the motor off after finding a website that gives instructions on how to convert the motor into a mechanical shift for under $26! I peeled the cover of the vaccuum portion of the motor and sure enough, there was rust and other crud inside, along with a hole in the diaphram. The website for that conversion is

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have begun the conversion and I am getting the supplies from the bikeshop tomorrow. I am assuming that I should just place vaccuum plugsover all of the connections that are now going to be out of service, asthe website does not say. Thanks again for the help and I will let youknow how the mechanical version fairs.

Reply to
big95yj

Reply to
RoyJ

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

If you wish you could bypass the vacuum system with a manual disconnect. Engages and disengages the front axles using a cable instead of that troublesome vacuum system. You can find them at Quadratec under posi lok brand name or you can make one if your MacGyver.

-Brian '91 YJ 4.0

Reply to
Brian

Agreed. I used a power take-off cable with a solid core thick enough to push the fork without the aid of a spring. It's nice to be able to feel the fork moving as opposed to just releasing tension on a soft cable and wondering if the spring has done its job.

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Steve
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L.W.(ßill) Hughes III wrote:

Reply to
Steve

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