I have a question or better yet a concern. Today I went into the snowy mts of NM and proactively engaged the shift on the fly 4x4 drive prior to the snowy incline roads for assured traction..............midway up I started to spin (rear tires only) and slide while maintaing a slownand steady speed. I am not sure if my 4x4 wheel engaged at all. It didn't feel like it at all.
I have my truck serviced every year after my deer hunts and winter usage and it always runs like a champ year in and year out but is there something that I am over looking in the 4x4 Dept? Any thoughts?

Concerned

 

we need a little more info. on your truck. sometimes the auto locking hubs don't engage and usually it's in 4 high and not 4 low and the indicator light should come on. if it didn't then the truck most likely didn't shift into 4x4 mode. you might want to have it checked out the next time you have it serviced. and before I forget welcome to the sight

 

Grindman, thank you. My truck is a 2003 Heritage 4x4 automatic with 107K miles. Auto Locking Hubs with ESOF 4x4. At first the 4x4 drive indicator lights did come on. Once I realized that I was spinning in the rear I stopped, place the truck in park and switch the ESOF to 2Hi then back to 4Hi for verification. Continuing to drive forward it still didn't feel like the 4x4 wheel drive engaged. The front axle never felt like it was assisting the rear axle. The indicator lights did come on when switched into 4x4 but when I switched back into 2Hi the lights remained on, so I had to turn off the truck to reset the lights. I may need to see a 4X4 drive specialist.
Thank you for the welcoming.

 

one thing you always remember about a truck is that all trucks are lighter in the rear and the rear wheels will usually spin despite the front doing almost all of the work. another thing to keep in mind is that the differentials ain't lockers so it's not always a true four wheel drive. one question I have did still manage to climb the hill?

 

Good copy. Thank you very much. No, I stopped trying in order to eliminate the possibility of sliding of the sloppy side of the road. So I ended up backing the truck out approx. 150yds (narrow road).