4WD won't Work...sometimes

[disabledvet]

Have a 98 Ranger 4X4 ext cab V6, 155,000 and I am having probs with the 4WD. About a year and a half ago, i brought it in cuz the 4x wasn't working at all. He said the main component was shot and replaced it - worked great for a while.

The problem I have now is this: When I get it in 4WD and I KNOW it's in it works great. But when I turn the switch on the dash to off, and then have to turn it back on, sometimes it doesn't engage right away. I'll get stuck in the snow with the 4X ON, and I'll be told my front isn't spinning. OR...if i am in 2WD and get stuck and switch to 4WD, it won't kick in right away...it's quirky and hard to 'splain.

Anyone got any ideas?

I'm a disabled vet living on the Iron range of MN, and I NEED that 4WD..anyone up in this area who could look at at?

Jim

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Well with my truck the T-case doesn't engage immediately some days, its really annoying. I'll put it in 4x4 to pull from a stop and it doesn work until half way down the road then clunks in. It sounds like the T case motor in which I would try doing this to it.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/TCaseshiftmotor.htm

If not the problem will be with the pulse vacuum hubs, they are notorious for giving up after a while because they rely on vacuum to engage and disengage them and either the hoses to the hubs get cracks or the oring around the hubs is not as effective and the hubs do not work. Mine ended up be gummed up with old grease and would engage as long as the vacuum was pulling on the hubs, I cleaned them up and they worked every time. Here a write up I did about figuring out whats wrong:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73097

Some other options people have done was put full time axles in from an explorer or newer ranger like this:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/99hubswap.htm

Others have also taken the hubs apart and perminately locked them

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Apr04/offroad.htm

you can also do the above link but instead of doing all that, just remove the cap and pop out the mesh and remove the pin wheel then put it back together and you have a manually lockable hub.