Anyone convert from pushbutton to floor shift 4x4?

[JeffsJeep04]

In every push button truck I've seen, the t-case is different from the manual version. Is it any more work then swapping out the t-cases, cutting the hole, and fitting the trim piece? I really dislike the push button, especially when it gets flakey. I pull the lever, I know it's in (unless the axle disconnect actuator goes out...). Thoughts/experience? I'm sure I could turn around and sell my existing t-case to recoup some costs. Eventually I'd like to put a lever on the floor for the transmission too, but that's a little more involved and down the road

 

[North Maine]

isnt the floor one just as finiky? i dont think that it was ever a mechanical selector like my dads 2001 F250.... i could be wrong, but our 1990 GMC sierra was on the floor but i dont think it was a mechanical linkage

 

[JeffsJeep04]

If it's like every other NV transfercase, it's a mechanical connection, might be through some linkage, but you are actually turning a selector shaft on the t-case.

 

[North Maine]

ahhh then maybe its the front diff that has the finiky crap? yea i think now i recall, you are correct. Ours had trouble engaging the front diff.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Up until around 03 you could still get a true manual shift transfer case. Around 03 alot of the manual shifters were actually just connected to an electric switch and the transfer case was still electronic. The early thermal actuators were the weak link for the GM system. Around 96 or 97 they switched to the electric motor to engage the front axle and corrected that problem. If your refferring to the 97 in your sig, then Idon't see why you couldn't convert it to a manual shift transfer case. You would probably need to get a new transfer case harness and splice a few wires to get the disconnect and instrument lights to work in addition to cutting the hole and installing the shifter assembly and trim piece.

 

[JeffsJeep04]

So is my suspicion that they have the same "footprint" true? Will driveshaft changes be needed? The wiring and hole cutting are pretty straightforward to me.

 

[jrsavoie]

Up until around 03 you could still get a true manual shift transfer case. Around 03 alot of the manual shifters were actually just connected to an electric switch and the transfer case was still electronic. The early thermal actuators were the weak link for the GM system. Around 96 or 97 they switched to the electric motor to engage the front axle and corrected that problem. If your refferring to the 97 in your sig, then Idon't see why you couldn't convert it to a manual shift transfer case. You would probably need to get a new transfer case harness and splice a few wires to get the disconnect and instrument lights to work in addition to cutting the hole and installing the shifter assembly and trim piece.

Is that 03 supposed to be 93? My 94 & 95 floor shifters work fine but I've had nothing but problems with my 96, 97 & 98 4x4 engaging when I push the button. It seems they have to move forward a couple of feet before the 4 wheel drive will engage. If you are stuck before pushing the button you stay stuck.
Does anybody else have similar problems.
I'm an old fashioned give me manual lock-outs & a floor shifter type of guy. No shift on the fly but it worked every time.
& that's why all the girls love me.

 

[Bullseye240]

I'm an old fashioned give me manual lock-outs & a floor shifter type of guy. No shift on the fly but it worked every time.

Same here, that's why in a few years after I get back form Italy I will be converting my Blaze to a straight front axle/leaf spring and 203/205 doubler setup which is actually shorter than the original transfer case by about a half an inch?!?!?!?

 

[dirtfarmer629]

My 93 and my dads 99 6.5 both have the floor shifters. His 99 is much better then my 93 his as soon as u pull the it into 4X4 its in. Mine you put it in 4X4 and have to back up a little and pull forward to get it to engage. From what i understand there is a part i can buy and put on it and mine will work like his but i havent gat around to buying it.

 

[Matt Bachand]

I need to roll forward at around 3mph and I can hear the gears line up and thunk, i'm in. Floor lever style. Hasn't failed on me yet.

Object of 4x4 IMO is to use it BEFORE you need it. Its not a miracle button that will get you unstuck. Even climbing steep hills that are half snow/half melted I through it in 4x4 to avoid the rear tires slipping and then grabbing the dry pavement ahead and sending that shock throughout my drivetrain and into my rear end.

 

[TurboTahoe]

I just try and remember what my old buddy Mike used to say - "Go in in 2WD, get OUT in 4WD". If you go IN in 4WD and get stuck... well, you're stuck (unless you have a winch).

Last month we had the worst ice and snow storm in 40 years. 6 inches of snow, followed by 1/2 in of ice, followed by 12 inches of snow.

I was out in the Tahoe, and tried to get up a hill. Slipped like crazy, slid back down the hill. Engaged the floor lever in 4LO, and waited for the thermal actuator to work. Thankfully, it did. I started crawling up the hill, and 1/2 way up, I started to slip again. I rolled down the windows and stuck my head out. What I saw was that one of the front tires had no grip and was spinning, and one of the rear tires also had no grip and was spinning. Although I have limited-slip on the rear, it appears to make little to no difference in this case. The truck was just stuck. I had to slide back down the hill, and WALK up.

I like the simplicity of the basic 4WD on our trucks. I know if I had taken the time to chain the tires up (which is a colossal pain with 33" tires) I would have been fine. My wife's all-wheel-drive van actually did better, as it dynamically adjusts to send torque to the wheels with more grip. It is a WAY more complex system, and will be a bear if and when it breaks, but it does do a LOT better in these situations.

In this case, I found another way up the hill with the Tahoe.

Off-topic, I know. but for maximum reliability, I would like a totally manual system, which is why I am saving up for a manual cable system for the front differential. I think I'll leave the Burb alone, as when my wife is driving, I like that she doesn't have to fool with anything, just throw it in 4x4 with a switch. I think it would be too intimidating with levers and things to mess with.

-Rob

 

[Matt Bachand]

I just try and remember what my old buddy Mike used to say - "Go in in 2WD, get OUT in 4WD". If you go IN in 4WD and get stuck... well, you're stuck (unless you have a winch).

Last month we had the worst ice and snow storm in 40 years. 6 inches of snow, followed by 1/2 in of ice, followed by 12 inches of snow.

I was out in the Tahoe, and tried to get up a hill. Slipped like crazy, slid back down the hill. Engaged the floor lever in 4LO, and waited for the thermal actuator to work. Thankfully, it did. I started crawling up the hill, and 1/2 way up, I started to slip again. I rolled down the windows and stuck my head out. What I saw was that one of the front tires had no grip and was spinning, and one of the rear tires also had no grip and was spinning. Although I have limited-slip on the rear, it appears to make little to no difference in this case. The truck was just stuck. I had to slide back down the hill, and WALK up.

I like the simplicity of the basic 4WD on our trucks. I know if I had taken the time to chain the tires up (which is a colossal pain with 33" tires) I would have been fine. My wife's all-wheel-drive van actually did better, as it dynamically adjusts to send torque to the wheels with more grip. It is a WAY more complex system, and will be a bear if and when it breaks, but it does do a LOT better in these situations.

In this case, I found another way up the hill with the Tahoe.

Off-topic, I know. but for maximum reliability, I would like a totally manual system, which is why I am saving up for a manual cable system for the front differential. I think I'll leave the Burb alone, as when my wife is driving, I like that she doesn't have to fool with anything, just throw it in 4x4 with a switch. I think it would be too intimidating with levers and things to mess with.

-Rob

I would have already been in 4-HI, and would have taken your tahoe quickly up that hill the first time, and I've never seen your tire treads.

Thats why its so important to use 4wd BEFORE you need it.

You were going too slow up that hill, depending on each revolution of tire to grab. You need to go fast enough so all tires are on the virge of 'slipping' If not 'just' slipping.... the ENTIRE way up the hill at a good rate of speed (15-20 or so, not crawling).

When you have forward momentum, ALL 4 tires will aid to that forward momentum. You can't rock crawl UP snow/ice.

Only time I use 4-Low is those really scary downhills.

Another trick to try is reverse. The main advantage here is it tends to keep your Steer/engine weighted tires a little more weight management, and most importantly, IF you don't make it up said hill, at least your sliding back down facing forwards

Trust me, that tahoe of yours is a snow demon, a beast. Just like a burnout, need to control 4-wheel powerslides on snow/ice without letting it lose ANY momentum, not this is not abuse to the vehicle. Tires slip easy on ice.

You stop, you stuck. Better off just trying to turn around then to try to go forward again.

 

[Matt Bachand]

Another beneift of having it in 4wd BEFORE you need it is fast stopping.

2wd the front tires will instantly lock up, therefor losing all steering.
And crash into the car that cut you off, saying 'I wish I had it in 4x4'

4wd, the front tires will continue to turn, until you hit the brakes hard enough to lock up all 4 tires. And you can still steer. (which is good)And you slow down and turn away from that car that pulled out of their drivewwayt in front of you. And you say 'whew, I'm glad I had it in 4x4'.


.
I've had to do this before too, realizeing I WILL NOT be able to stop in 4x4, cut teh wheel and give it gas to rely on the front tires grabbing somewhat and turning instead of sliding straight. This was especially scary going down hill on a windy road. Granted I was going a tad fast and was towing another vehicle (Driving a Towtruck), but the front tires grabbed and turned the vehicle and away I went. In this scenario I was going WAY too fast for the road conditions especially in tow. Driving a brand new F-550 at the time and thought it was invincable... It wasn't


My 6.5 is a heavy ass chevy and it feels it with the plow on front, I have no choice but to go slow. I have enough weight with plow at 10,500lbs that even on my crap tires I have zero problems pushing snow. Always downhill

 

[dirtfarmer629]

Yeah but we are not all using 4 wheel drive for that reason. For me a lot of times i just need it to pull wagons out of pastures or fields then when i got on highway I take it out. But i don't want to put it into 4 wheel drive until i know i need it.

 

[mattthebrat]

The thing is you would have to get some kind of mechanical connection to engage the front axle with that swap. Front axle is often times what wont engage on these setups and it does no good to have your transfer case engaged if the front axle wont engage. You could, of course, leave the front axle engaged all the time.

 

[jrsavoie]

The thing is you would have to get some kind of mechanical connection to engage the front axle with that swap. Front axle is often times what wont engage on these setups and it does no good to have your transfer case engaged if the front axle wont engage. You could, of course, leave the front axle engaged all the time.

Ain't that what the lockouts are fur?

 

[TurboTahoe]

I would have already been in 4-HI, and would have taken your tahoe quickly up that hill the first time, and I've never seen your tire treads.

Thats why its so important to use 4wd BEFORE you need it.

You were going too slow up that hill, depending on each revolution of tire to grab. You need to go fast enough so all tires are on the virge of 'slipping' If not 'just' slipping.... the ENTIRE way up the hill at a good rate of speed (15-20 or so, not crawling).

When you have forward momentum, ALL 4 tires will aid to that forward momentum. You can't rock crawl UP snow/ice.

Only time I use 4-Low is those really scary downhills.

Another trick to try is reverse. The main advantage here is it tends to keep your Steer/engine weighted tires a little more weight management, and most importantly, IF you don't make it up said hill, at least your sliding back down facing forwards

Trust me, that tahoe of yours is a snow demon, a beast. Just like a burnout, need to control 4-wheel powerslides on snow/ice without letting it lose ANY momentum, not this is not abuse to the vehicle. Tires slip easy on ice.

You stop, you stuck. Better off just trying to turn around then to try to go forward again.

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the lesson in driving on the snow. I'll give it a whirl next time we go skiing or have another big snow storm. Much appreciated.

-Rob

 

[TurboTahoe]

I will say this - on that SAME hill, I decided to go to the top with my 4WD tractor (one of these: http://www.power-trac.com/) and give the extremely low center of gravity and full-time 4wd, I just hit the throttle and the tractor grunted a bit, but struggled to the top of the hill. Being a tractor, I was able to put the front loader to good use and scrape the layer of ice off the roadway, allowing cars to go up and down.

-Rob

 

[TurboTahoe]

For the record, I did try going up the hill in 4wd HI and it did the same thing when it got to that icy patch.

-Rob

 

[jbsaxman]

After a month of my 4x4 not working, thinking the thermal actuator when kaput, I discovered that the PO already upgraded the actuator and found that one of the wires on the switch located at the front of the transfer case had broken.

Rather than fix that, I opted to run a switch up into my cab. Now all I do is flip the switch (it's got a light in it, so I know that power is getting through), then move my lever. As soon as I let the clutch out, my 4x4 light on the floor turns on and I'm in 4WD. The nice thing about this is that I now have 2WD Lo. Once I got the kinks worked out (and a switch I actually liked) it's worked like a champ. It's even better now that I don't have to use my father in law's 1/2 ton truck to pull mine out of the driveway.