How to take OUT of 4WD

[jetman]

I have a '83 K10 which I recently bought (auto transmission, auto locking hubs, everything is stock).

Put it in 4x4 low to get out of a small mud hole. Got out of mud, put back into 2wd.

Started driving down the highway, heard a loud clunking noise (like the hubs were still locked in or the transfer case was still in 4wd). I remembered back in the 80's seem like we had to reverse a short bit to get things to unlock, so I backed the truck up a bit. Clunking went away.

Can anyone shine some light on what is going on? Is reversing normal to get this vintage 4wd truck out of 4 wd? Many thanks!

 

[Driver4r]

*******'s at school put mine in 4hi when i wasnt looking, Well i started to back out of the shop and it started Doing the loud bang bang "Im glad they didn't blow up my t-case(rear is 3.08, front is 4.11)" Well, i got out and unlocked my hubs, then put tcase in 2hi, then pulled forward to release. I dont really know if theres an actuall way to get the out. You just do what works on your truck.

 

[bucket]

With the auto locking hubs, you are supposed to back up about 10 feet to disengage them. However, mine would always unlock after rolling backward just a couple inches.

Now, if everything is fine, there shouldn't be any noises from driving with the hubs locked, as long as the t-case is shifted into 2wd. You may have an auto hub that is hanging up. They are extremely unreliable and should be replaced with standard locking hubs.

 

[Stroked]

With the auto locking hubs, you are supposed to back up about 10 feet to disengage them. However, mine would always unlock after rolling backward just a couple inches.

Now, if everything is fine, there shouldn't be any noises from driving with the hubs locked, as long as the t-case is shifted into 2wd. You may have an auto hub that is hanging up. They are extremely unreliable and should be replaced with standard locking hubs.

My '86 always had one auto-locking hub that wouldn't disengage. Now that's fun to deal with. Get a set of manual lockouts and be worry free.

 

[bucket]

My '86 always had one auto-locking hub that wouldn't disengage. Now that's fun to deal with. Get a set of manual lockouts and be worry free.

I had one that was lazy and tried to get me stuck in the snow a few times, it would usually lock in with an authoritative 'POP' because I was on the throttle pretty good. It wasn't a pleasant sound. Then one day the left hub started trying to randomly lock just driving down the road and made all kinds of racket. I had enough and did the 3/4 ton swap and lift then.

 

[Stroked]

I had one that was lazy and tried to get me stuck in the snow a few times, it would usually lock in with an authoritative 'POP' because I was on the throttle pretty good. It wasn't a pleasant sound. Then one day the left hub started trying to randomly lock just driving down the road and made all kinds of racket. I had enough and did the 3/4 ton swap and lift then.

It actually did that at towards the end of it's life. I'd put it in 4wd and make it about 10-15 feet and BANG! Needless to say, they didn't last much longer.

 

[89Suburban]

Man this brings back memories. Get some manual hubs. I miss my auto hubs but mine did the same thing on the right side. Then I would slow down and it would catch and felt like it was going to rip something out underneath.

 

[Brandon_l1000]

man to get mine out you have to pull forward about 15 feet the back up about 5 then it will come out. lol they can be a bitch sometimes lol