Does the transfer case have a neutral? 2wd stopped working but 4hi and lo does.

[Wescustogo]

As title says, I suddenly am not able to use 2wd. Forward or reverse does nothing but when I switch over to 4hi I can drive somewhat normally. I've been hearing loud clunking for the past month in the rear, which I've thought was just the slip yoke, and it has suddenly stopped several times at low speed which I assumed was the brakes locking up as the rear brakes leak and they were low on fluid.

Any ideas? Maybe the differential destroyed itself? But there is zero feedback when I let the clutch out in 2hi, and no noise in 4hi.

98' 4x4 5 speed

 

[franklin2]

Put it in 2 hi and then get someone to try and drive it while you look underneath. Is the rear driveshaft turning?

 

[Wescustogo]

Put it in 2 hi and then get someone to try and drive it while you look underneath. Is the rear driveshaft turning?

Put my phone below and took a video, It turns the driveshaft like normal in 2hi so I'm guessing it's the rear end. What do you think is going on back there?

 

[19Walt93]

Time to pull the rear cover and look, it probably ain't good.

 

[pjtoledo]

to answer your question, yes there is a "neutral" position in the transfer case.
the planetary gears in the front of the case are what switch between HI and LOW.
there is a narrow spot during the transition where they are in neither HI nor LOW.
the position will completely prevent any power from going thru the case.
since you have 4 LOW & 4 HI, it's not stuck in neutral.

as stated, time to open the rear diff and assess the damage.

helpful hint: temporary solution is to remove the rear driveshaft then drive around in 4 HI.

 

[2011Supercab]

helpful hint: temporary solution is to remove the rear driveshaft then drive around in 4 HI.

In an emergency that might be ok, but not knowing what's wrong in the rear diff, not a good idea.
Depending on what happened, it's very possible the rear diff could lockup on you at a bad moment.

 

[19Walt93]

/\ /\ Like he said.

 

[franklin2]

If you simply lose the spider gears in the center, you are not going anywhere. What do the junkyards look like in your area? If they have some laying around would be simplest to drop a complete used one in place.

 

[901wd#2]

In an emergency that might be ok, but not knowing what's wrong in the rear diff, not a good idea.
Depending on what happened, it's very possible the rear diff could lockup on you at a bad moment.

He’s right, I thrashed the 7.5 on a Sunday in my B2 back in 07. Shifted to 4hi and kept driving it. That Wednesday turning onto the highway after dropping my daughter at daycare the dr side wheel & axle walked out of the housing. Tossed it in the back and made it to work on time. Six people called 911 cop followed the drag marks to my job. He wasn’t impressed.