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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/1996 Chevy Blazer 4wd WON'T Disengage

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Expert: - 9/19/2007


Question
I have a '96 chevy blazer and one day I accidentily hit the 4 wheel HI button.  Well I went to hit the 2wd to disengage the 4 wheel and nothing happens.  Driving straight with the 4 wheel on is good, but when I turn it howls and sometimes bogs our truck down like its hitting the brakes or something.  ANY SUGGESTIONS how to get back into 2wd?  Thanks, Jeremy
p.s. 4 wheel drive light IS on

Answer
Jeremy,

First of all, don't drive it until you get it fixed.  Driving it in 4-wheel drive on a hard surface will ruin your transfer case, and possibly the transmission.  It is also extremely hard on u-joints and axles.

Get a manual (around $20) for it at you local auto parts store.  The manual has trouble shooting sections that can help you trace out the problem.  It sounds like you may have a bad 4x4 switch, or the transfer case is in a bind and stuck in 4-wheel drive.

It is a slight possibility that if you back up 10 feet or so, and go forward a few times hitting the appropriate button, it may shift back into 2 wheel drive.  Try this first, but do it very slow, and don't try this more than 2 or 3 times.  Hopefully you haven't hurt any of the components yet.

If you can't get it working yourself, then you need to have it towed to a reputable transmission shop, preferably one that specializes in 4-wheel drives.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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