4HI to 4LO grinding noise

[V8Limited4wd]

So I was trying to drive out of my snowed in parking spot and decided to switch to 4LO & center diff locked. The center diff locked within 2 flashes but the 4LO kept flashing while I was in neutral. I decided to switch the gear intro drive while the 4LO was still blinking and I heard this horrible grinding noise. I quickly switched the gear into Park and it stopped.

Now I'm thinking the 4LO was stuck due to the cold, and after that happened it did switch without an issue. I'm just worried what the noise I was hearing was and if it's possible I damaged the gears.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bob22222]

Mine grinds when cold I mean even in the summer when not driven a bit. And smooth as silk when warm. So I only switch it when warm and then only to exercise it. You should not need to go to low to get out of a parking spot. It's really for pretty extreme conditions. I don't go "wheelen" or a "crawlen" but I a few times I've taken ill advised short cuts here in the rockies. The only time I felt I might need it I was afraid to use it for fear of it hanging up and leave me stranded literally up a creek and thirty miles from anywhere. Too bad they took the little lever of the floor and stuck a switch on the dash.

 

[ATOWN4R]

30" of snow over the weekend, only then needed 4L a few times...the grinding was probably just cuz it was unused and cold...routine switching every month should help woth that...

 

[V8Limited4wd]

I didn't have a shovel so I had to clear about 1.5ft of snow in front of me as best I could. Had to drive over a mound of snow which is why I put it in 4LO. The grinding noise only happened when the 4LO was blinking and I put it into Drive. There was no grinding noise once 4LO was set and I started moving.

 

[Ausumm]

My 4R is the first 4WD I've owned in my life...
and I was all set to give it a test Sunday after getting 30+ inches here in PA.
Problem is, my neighbor got stuck on ice while plowing, and left a 5 foot wall of packed snow right at the entrance of my alley.
Fortunately, it was gone by the time I had to leave Monday am...
but I did use 4LO a bit to get out.
Also had a little grinding noise.

Glad to see it's not just me!

 

[V8Limited4wd]

Ok I think you guys may be confusing the harsh metal on metal grinding noise I heard with the clicking noise you hear when the wheels start to slip and ATRAC aka electric diff comes in to cut power and apply brakes to the slipping wheel.

 

[Drunner97]

Was your DAC button pushed? That tends to make a ton of noise.

 

[V8Limited4wd]

Was your DAC button pushed? That tends to make a ton of noise.

Nope, made sure which lights were on. The noise was made from the gears switching the 4HI to 4LO. The 4LO was not set when I put it into drive causing the metal to metal noise.

 

[SSt4r]

Ok I think you guys may be confusing the harsh metal on metal grinding noise I heard with the clicking noise you hear when the wheels start to slip and ATRAC aka electric diff comes in to cut power and apply brakes to the slipping wheel.

Maybe, maybe not. Mine grinds going into 4Lo when cold; stationary in neutral. Nothing to do with ATRAC. Once engaged it's fine.

Often now if I want to switch to 4Lo when clod, I do it BEFORE I start the engine. Always engages smoothly & quietly this way.

 

[Hyaline]

Nope, made sure which lights were on. The noise was made from the gears switching the 4HI to 4LO. The 4LO was not set when I put it into drive causing the metal to metal noise.

I've had that noise happen when I switched to 4LO and shifted into D. I think the actuator just didnt fully switch into 4LO. After driving a bit with 4HI I got it to switch by shifting into neutral then selecting 4LO and staying in neutral until the lights stopped blinking. Shifting into Drive or Reverse caused my grinding noise if 4LO wasnt properly engaged but selected.

 

[nevada]

it wasn't completely shifted. when you put it in gear, the input shaft spins. this was the grinding you heard.

next time, wait until it fully shifts before putting it back in gear.


as far as damage, from just one time, probably nothing to worry about. but if you continue to do it that way often, you will eventually ruin the tcase.