I have a 98 12v 5speed with 4.10

I tow an 8'wide 7.5 ft high trailer--no way I can see around it.

I have to back in through 14 foot gate, but I can't back straight, it is from a narrow street and I have to be on an angle. (and backing into dirt/mud)

With my old auto Suburban I could thread a needle, but I'm lousy with my Dodge.

The reverse is geared too high, I'm riding the clutch way too much.

The 2L in my 4WD slows reverse speed down a lot, but I'm guessing that would be bad to use on asphalt with the heavy cranking angle pushing back the trailer (4-8K)

Suggestions? I'm afraid I'm wearing out my clutch...didn't anticipate this problem when I bought it

 

get a front hitch :-) I used to have to back my boat up my drive and turn 90 degrees into the garage around a huge tree. My vision was blocked by my tailgate (from the angle of the hill) and that **** tree. It used to take me 10 minutes to get it right. I made a front hitch for it and could do it in one swing easy as pie.

 

That would be sweet,

but I'm trying to back a horsetrailer (they move) so I can't unhitch and turn the truck around...

I know its just a learning curve, but I hate to think it will cost my clutch!

So putting it into 4L really IS a bad idea?

 

Get manual locking hubs for the front from ems then you can use your 4 low setting

 

Get a front axle disconnect kit off of ebay, thats what I plan to do eventually so I can put it in 4L but it only be in 2wd so the front end isnt under any more strain than it needs to be, it would also do away with the vaccum 4wd problems.

I know what you are talking about, these trucks need a lower reverse gear. I used to have a f-350 powerjoke with a 6 speed and 4:10's and you could put the truck in reverse and get out and make a lap around the truck before it went anywhere. This dodge is faster in reverse at idle than my ford was at the redline, makes it a real pain backing a trailer.

 

Thanks, sounds very do-able

Glad to know I'm not the only one...

I've been feeling pretty feeble about it...
almost makes me miss the Suburban...

yeah right

 

If you have 2Lo, as you indicated, use that - has greater torque, but the slower ground-speed is the advantage - can't hurt the truck or the trailer - as mentioned, don't use 4Lo on pavement without disconnecting the front driveshaft or installing unlocking hubs

 

I didn't realize your truck is a 98 which means that you CAN get the 4 low kit to keep the front axle disengaged. I was thinking it was a gen 3 where you can't do it like that.

 

Yeah get the kit or make one with some a vacuum switch (and some other parts I'm not sure of) which will allow you to put the truck in 4WD low range, but keep the front axle from engaging, allowing you to still turn safely and use low range.

 

man, my reverse seems really low, to back up any distance takes forever because it revs out so fast. But so does every gear with a 5spd and 4.10's.

 

OOps, no, I meant 4L...

When you guys are talking about the 4L kit,

is this is a vacuum kit to disengage the front wheels, and it doesnt' require
manual locking hubs?

 

I think there is a way to use the vacuum system and do this, but probably what most everyone is talking about is the POSI-LOK system. It eliminates the vacuum actuated CAD (central axle disconnect) on the front axle. When you want to use 4-wheel drive, you pull a cable to engage the front axle along with your t-case shifter. If you want to use 2 low, you just use the t-case shifter and leave the cable in (front axle disconnected). Pretty slick and much more reliable than the vacuum actuated CAD. I bought mine from discountjeepparts.com (I know, I know, cheapest I found) for about $150. That was a better price than ebay had on them.

 

The way the front axle is set up on these trucks is that there are actually two shafts on the drivers side which can be connected by a sliding collar. This collar is vacuum actuated and engages when you shift into 4wd. There are kits out there that allow you to switch the vacuum so that the collar does not engage when you shift 4L and you essentially get 2L because only the drivers side wheel is connected and it is an open differential so it will just spin the spider gears on the other side.

The CAD is prone to failure after many years so some people choose to go to a posi-lok cable instead which allows you to manually engage the collar with what is basically a pto cable from in the cab. This system also gives you the option of 4L since you don't have to engage the collar.

 

Posi-Lok definitedly sounds like the way I'd like to do it.

Is this a doit-yourselfer kind of kit?

Does the dash light work with this install,
bypassing the vacuum tubing?

 

Just get a 2wd low kit from BD, they work great, and those kits are very inexpensive. Allows you to put the transfer case in low range, and keeps the front axle from being locked in 4wd.