Just finished fixing a problem that no current manufacturer seems to care about. I now have 2WL. Installed a hand opperated valve in the vacuum line that feeds actuators on the front axle. No vacuum, no engagement, no bindup in hard turns while in low range. this is great backing boat up into my driveway, it is much easier on the clutch.

That sounds interesting. Can you give more details? I'm not sure I understand what you did.

What he's describing isn't a true 2wd low, but a little trick. It is more or less the equivalent of unlocking one or more of your hubs on a 1st gen and shifting into 4wd low. But on a 2nd gen, the vaccum disconnect engages the front shaft when shifting the tcase into 4wd. By defeating this and operating it manually, you can still shift into 4wd and keep the front axle shaft from connecting. The front output of the tcase is still turning, but power isn't being transferred to the front wheels. It also only works if you have an open diff. Add a front locker, and you'll find yourself in 3wd low range rather than 2wd.

-Rob

Yep John, Low 2wd comes in real handy pushing around trailers. Woops, I guess I ought to add, I put a 1&1/4" reviever hitch up front for just that purpose. I have parked my junk in some small places that way. It's like driving a fork lift. Used to go to the lake and would hook up the Jet Ski trailer to the front and leave it there the entire weekend. With a front hitch your drive tires were usually still on dry ground. Made it real easy to launch and retrieve the buggers every morning and night. Not to mention the many times the kids would bring the PWC's to the dock full of water and about to sink. There for a summer or two I just left the truck with the boat trailer on front, right next to the boat ramp so I could retrieve the dang things from the lake with my winch. Boys figgured it didn't hurt the boats if they rolled them and filled them with water. Dad could always get them dryed out and running in no time. I got so tired of draining water out of PWC's I sold them.

I've got a little different tranny than you do, but it's still the same concept. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Maybe someone will get curious and ask for the details here soon.

John, It's not that the car manufacturers don't care. But you can imagine what the public response would be if some airhead were to drive on the freeway like that. They'd be trying to sue the Manufacturer for a safety defect. Let's face it. People are, by in large, stupid when it comes to the mechanics of cars. No sense in building an option that your average driver would use to screw up their vehicle.
I think it's pretty handy that they left in that unknown option in the transfer case. But try and get warranty coverage if they find it.

Welcome,

CJ

Hey kevo,

RobG is right on target, we have the option to install manual hubs on our trucks but I didn't want to spend the money right now. I did not make any changes to the xfer case at all, so when I push the 4WD button the front output shaft does engage. However, our SOTF mechanism is a vacuum opperated solenoid. All I did was to break the vacuum feed to this device. Now when 4WD is selected and the solenoid is energised it does not actually move because there is no vacuum present, therefore the front end does not engage.

Thanks for the explanations. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />



Anybody know of an electronic valve to control the vacuum instead of a manual valve? Call me lazy. I like push button controls. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

John, Where did you put your valve? Can you control it from the driver's seat?

Yes, the 1st Gen Troopers have a little vacuum solinoid over on the passenger side inner fender that kicks the idle speed up when the AC compressor kicks on.
You could use that solinoid as the control unit and just run a switch out to it to turn it off and on.

Personally, I think the manual hubs would be the better way to go.... but either way will work.