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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/S-10 Blazer 4X4 1989

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Expert: - 12/12/2005


Question
What goes on inside the front diff. when the vacume acc. is engaged? My diaphrame is brokken open and I tried to engage manually and lock a vise grip on the cable to keep it engaged but It just wont happen.  RAY

Answer
Ray,

I'm not familiar with the system used in the Blazer. On the Jeep's, this diaphram operates a shift fork that engages a two piece axle.  With this unit, you can remove the vacuum hose, plug it off.  Then you can remove the fork cover and assembly, shift the locking unit in place.  Then you simply replace the cover making sure that you place the shifting fork onto the bushing that locks the axles in place.

In your case, I would purchase a repair manual ($20 at most auto parts stores), and see how your system works.  From there you can decide how to lock and unlock your front end manually.

I replaced the vacuum unit on my Jeep with a manually operated cable assembly.

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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