My truck has the electronic shift transfer case. While on a trip and four wheeling I had my truck in 4 low. I had to try several times to get it to shift into 4 high before it finally did. When I tried to put it into 2 high, no matter what I tried it was stuck in 4 high. I was about 150 miles from home and would be towing a camp trailer. I didn't want to damage the drive train or scrub the tread off my tires. I drove about 5 miles on the pavement to where I could work on it. After looking at it for a while, I unplugged the 2 electrical plugs, removed the shift motor and it's gear drive by removing 3 bolts. I was then able to get a wrench on the transfer case shifter shaft. By turning it 1 notch counter clockwise it shifted into 4 high. What a relief to find out that it can be done. I left the gear drive off and headed home. The dealer put a new shift motor and gear drive on which fixed it.

 

yuk

I had a 01 half ton that lost 4wd in the middle of crossing a creek. Well because of losing 4wd in the middle, I got stuck. I called the "roadside assistance" provided by dc, they told me that since I was stuck that they would'nt cover the recovery, I finally got them convinced that I was stuck because of mechanical failure, and they decided to send a wrecker out. There was a tractor that ultimatly yanked me out, so I cancelled the call. After I got on the pavment I was just plain mad, here my 4wd went out on a camping trip, so in my opinion it just about ruined the trip. I got on the pavment and started looking underneath, and I saw a vacum line disconnected. there are two vacum lines about the center of the body right behing the transfer case. That was the whole problem one of the lines had come undone, and made the 4wd go out.

FWIW I wonder if a similar "fix" would help next time you can't get out of 4wd. I think DC moved the lines to the wheel well on the newer trucks but it would be worth a shot on the older ones to at least look at it.

 

I guess the short answer is "no" if you added the word "easy"?

Reading these stories (which answer my initial concerns during the buying process), I'm glad I decided to get the budget version with the little stick on the floor.

 

One thing I've noted about the old style lever is that it does not pull the Xfer case out of 4x4. When you shift to 2H from 4H the lever at first is loose, only when the xfer case pops out itself is it back in 2H. To make it further odd the light on the dash goes out before it shifts out.

 

when that vacum line came off my 4wd light never came on.