97 tahoe 4HI problems

[thedriza]

hey guys I have an issue that started out of the blue last night. I went out last night and when i backed up my rear wheels felt like the brakes were being depressed. I backed up and drove slow to listen and couldn't here anything. When I went to turn the corner the rear wheels locked up and made the tires skid and screech. I pulled back in the driveway and looked and the selector was in 4HI. Don't ask me how that happened because I haven't used 4 wheel drive since the winter time. I guess my hand must of hit the button by accident. When I selected back to 2HI it is fine . This wasn't going on last winter when I used it then. Any ideas? thanks

 

[Beeker702]

You sure it was the rear and not the front tires? Was it a tight turn or no?

 

[thedriza]

it was the rear man. it was no more than seeming like the rear brakes were locking up. when you started to go into the turn it got real tight and the wheel were skidding across the pavement. like i said like the brakes were on. it has never done that before. I parked it let it sit for an hour when back outside and looked and the 4hi button was lit. i pushed the button switched it to 2hi and problem went away. I know already this is a 4wd issue but a weird one. everything was fine the last time i put it in 4wd. I did that every once in a while too keep the transfer case moving good.

 

[Beeker702]

could be something in the transfercase. Only thing I could thing about trying is disconnect the rear drive shaft and see if it happens again

 

[lesterl]

IIRC dont the switches go bad? How about the encoder motor?

 

[thedriza]

I don't think it's the switch. when you push 4HI it blinks about 8 times then lights up. I can feel the truck in 4wd it just seems like the whole drivetrain at that point is real tight like the brakes are on. not free flowing like it should be I know when you are in 4wd there is gonna be more resistence then if it is in 2wd because obviously you are turning 4 wheels now. But like I said when you go into a turn the rear wheels start to lock up and are being drug around the corner. that is all I can say without posting a video. I appreciate any feedback so far I know this is a weird situation that is what I was thinking when it happened.

 

[Beeker702]

You need to find out two things, is your transfer case going and when you put it in 4wh does your rearend turn into a posi style rear end. Cause I know on some they went grow limited slip to posi style when in 4wd. I know my 93 1500 blazer did (same body style) so instead of just having only one wheel spin in the rear and one in the front they had it to where you would have all four would spin till a point. So I'm thinking your rear end I'd going. What a lot of people never about limited slip rear ends is at one point they were like a posi unit but over time the clutch pack would wear and that's where you would get the "one wheel peel" from. When I got my blazer and brought her from the dead the front and rear diffs were the third things I got into after the motor and trans. I knew the rearend needed rebuilt do I did but didn't put posi cause of gas but I read you can tighten the limited slip to where it can act as a posi until you come around those corners. The front was harder and I could of spend a crap load if money on an air locker style thing but I found a different way to have all four wheels to spin when in 4wd. Yea I live in fl and all we have have trails and mud but I also drove it to buffalo ny during the winters and never had a problem in the snow and all I had was a 10 ply mud and snow tire that did amazing in the snow, mud and on the trails all because I had all four wheels in use and not two

 

[Zipper369]

It does sound like a differential issue, but he said it feels like the brakes are on, so that makes me think the problem is elsewhere. I wish I had some suggestions, but I'm still learning as I go, sorry.