4x4 not enganging

So just figured this out today because periodically I check everything on this truck seems like I’ve had to way more then I’d like recently but today I’ve noticed when shifting to 4hi or 4 lo I get a faint click but no action from the front tire I tryed doing a small take off on loose dirt on a very steep incline

 

Are you referring to 4H or 4L? post isn't clear.
Is the light solid or flashing?
start here

 

Both hi and lo the light stays solid but 4wd doesn’t do anything

 

It’s my understanding from 3 years on here that if the light is solid, the mode is engaged. A blinking light indicates the mode is not engaged.

Good luck getting it sorted.

 

Edit to this post I engaged 4wd in neutral it blinks then I switch to reverse it goes solid but the only “click” I get is when i actually flip the dial on the dash

 

Sometimes the actuator won't engage due to misalignment. It occasiionally takes moving back into gear for the drivetrain to spin things a bit so everything aligned and the actuator can muscle everything.

 

Even after driving a down the road a little ways it still doesn’t activate

 

On my truck, it seems like I need to be coasting for it to go into 4hi. When the indicator light is solid green it is engaged.

Stop, shift to N, then into 4lo.

 

Try putting in 4x while stopped, in neutral, if it flashes, put it bsck in gear for a moment, then back into neutral. Don't drive off right away.

Edit- the idea is to spin the drivetrain a fraction of a revolution to allow betrer alignment, not to put power down righr away.

 

Shift into 4wd and back to 2wd while the truck is in motion. If you try to do it at a stop the gears in the transfer case may not be properly aligned to mesh. If you're moving, they will engage when everything lines up. In theory it should do it from a stop, but 50 years of driving 4X4's has shown me that it works better while in motion. Even then the truck may have to move 10-50' before it actually engages. This is why you shift into 4X4 before you get stuck. If the front wheels can't move 4X4 may not be able to engage.

If going to 4lo I like to 1st shift into 4hi while in motion. Once in 4hi come to a stop, or near stop, and shift to neutral. Then shift to 4lo. Once again it will shift more easily if you're rolling at very slow speeds. Under 3 mph. In theory you should be able to do it in one step from a stop, but I find it better to break it down into 2 steps.

Getting out of 4lo can be a PITA with any 4X4. The gears in the transfer case bind up and don't want to disengage. Often you'll have to put the truck in reverse and back up 10-15 feet and then try to go to 4hi. I've had to repeat the reverse/pull forward dance multiple times to get 4lo to disengage. Once again it's best done in 2 steps. Once in 4hi simply start driving and shift to 2wd once underway.

One other thing. If you don't use 4X4 regularly the internals don't get lubricated and it takes a lot longer to engage. Sometimes it simply won't engage until maintenance is done to the 4X4 system. If you don't use it, you lose it.

 

Just tryed it and nothing

 

Marshall mentioned it earlier, but you can shift into 4H up to about 62 (don’t remember the exact number). May want to try that, mine usually goes right into 4H when I turn the dial and let off the gas a touch.

This can be done on pavement if you don’t turn too sharply.

 

Very true I’ve used it maybe 4 times total this summer in some sloppy roads especially after all the flooding so maybe just time for a “tune up”

 

Update I tryed a few different things on my way into work nothing worked. When i shift from 4hi to 2wd I get a squeal like an old car horn and a short half second grind sensation

 

At what speed did you shift from 4hi back into 2wd at, and did any of the lights flash?

 

No lights flashed and I would say between 5-10mph

 

What exactly are you expecting it to do? How have you verified 4x4 is not engaged?

 

How do you know front wheels are not engaged?
In op #1 you said, quote, "I tryed doing a small take off on loose dirt on a very steep incline" quote.
If you tried and were able to make it up (assuming you were going up) front wheels were probably engaged if it was actually "loose" and "steep". Otherwise typically rear tires spin only and no traction.

 

Here's a good test for you OP. Put the truck in 4 HI until the dash 4WD indicator light is solid green (i.e. not flashing). Then turn the steering wheel hard left or hard right and give her a little gas. If the front tires start skipping and chirping like something is wrong, your 4WD is working just fine!

PS: don't make doing this test on a hard surface a habit!

 

I got it on the lift at a buddy’s shop and figured out the brand new cvs I had put in are broken on the inner hub