4 HI won't shift on the fly

Soneill · 2020-09-23T00:18:40+00:00

4 HI won't shift on the fly 1st off: 2011 SR5, 128k, lever shift 4x4 Yesterday morning it was raining and I went to shift into 4 HI while I was driving. The 4x4 light just kept flashing. At one point it seemed like 4 wheel drive had engaged but not completely. I pulled over and stopped it - finally got it to engaged after some fiddling. I tested 4 Low, no problems. Put it back in 4 HI and hit the road. Got up to 60 and had crazy vibration coming from the front drive train. Went to put it back in 2 HI, light just flashed(like before) and 4 HI was still engaged. I drove about a mile and it still wouldn't disengage. I made a right turn to find a place to stop and heard and felt a loud "BANG", truck went back into 2HI. After more testing of the 4HI transition. I found the truck will only shift into 4HI while sitting still and 4 HI will ONLY disengage when put into REVERSE. I tried driving forward and turning the wheel left and right, no difference. I did find a torn CV boot on the passenger side, that may be the vibration but I'm not too sure. Has anyone run into anything like this? Before yesterday it would shift IN and OUT of 4 HI while driving forward, backward or sitting still without an issue.

Thread starter Soneill
Start date Sep 23, 2020

Smitty19TRD

New member

Feb 17, 2021

Pbuscemi said:
My 4Runner (05 V6 4WD) is currently not shifting on the fly either. I hear a loud clicking or clunking (Not grinding) when I try to disengage.

My tires haven't all come in yet, so the rear ones are 265/75 and the front are 265/65. Would that cause the issue?

Yes, the wheels need to be rotating at the same speed.