Broken Dodge 4x4

TheGeneral

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Wilmington
I found out while competing in the local truck and tractor pull tonight that the four wheel drive in my truck is no longer functioning. I know Dodges have a bad reputation for this happening without warning. The truck is a 97 Ram 3500. What should I check first? I have zero experience trying to diagnose vacume lines and all of that crap. As soon as I have the cash Im going to convert it to manual lock outs but for now I really need to get it working again. Any body know of the most common thing to cause this? I dont think its a busted shaft or anythig gruesome because I never wheel it and never heard any particularly morbid sounds come from the front end.
Thanks for any input
Justin
 
pull the vacuum lines off the actuator in the front axle. you should feel vacuum on one side. now pull it into 4wd and you should feel vacuum on the other side. if ya do, the actuator is either sticking, or it's shot. mine eventually crapped and pulled gear oil up those vacuum lines.

If you don't feel any vacuum at all, here's the line's path- from the engine bay, to the top of the t-case through a vacuum switch, then to the front axle. work your way back.. there are fittings on the front of your tranny x-member that you can slide off and check for vacuum there.

On another note - Manual lockouts? yeah, right, sure you are. It is about 12x cheaper to get a Posi-lok. New they are about $200.

I tried to go the cheap route and take everything apart, clean it, lube it, etc.. That worked for about 9 months... and I wasted alot of time.

With the posi-loh, it also gives you the option of 2lo.. GREAT for backing trailers around.
 
Thanks for all the info man. Whats a posi lock and who makes it? If I can save some money and still get relialbe 4x4 that sounds good to me.
 
Yeah I never realized the manual lockout kit was 2 grand!! The posi Lok looks like a much better option for a tenth of the cost. I dont even think I'm going to mess with trying to fix the stock system.
Thanks for your help.
Justin
 
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