4 low won't engage

RYAN17

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May 13, 2019
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MA
So the other day i went to put my tj in 4low and it just would not engage. 4 high worked fine but i would just rev the enigine in 4 low. I tried it at a complete stop and at rolling speed. (It was also tough to get out of 4 high after but it has always been that way)
Just seeing if anyone has the same problem and if there is an easy fix?
 
So the other day i went to put my tj in 4low and it just would not engage. 4 high worked fine but i would just rev the enigine in 4 low. I tried it at a complete stop and at rolling speed. (It was also tough to get out of 4 high after but it has always been that way)
Just seeing if anyone has the same problem and if there is an easy fix?
Just going to add that i will be doing an SYE within a few months because i have a transfer case drop right now (4in lift) and i would like to do it the right way. Could the tcase drop be the issue? And is there anything i should look for when i crack it open?
 
Have you installed a cable shifter like the Novak or the Savvy? If not, do that. Not the quickest fix but it's permanent and will work in almost any transfer case drop situation. If you ever add a body lift, MML, and/or tummy tuck it will prevent future problems.

https://savvyoffroad.com/product/sav-231s/
I suspect it's the TC drop messing with the stock shifter assembly geometry. That mechanism hates to be lifted or dropped
 
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Have you installed a cable shifter like the Novak or the Savvy? If not, do that. Not the quickest fix but it's permanent and will work in almost any transfer case drop situation. If you ever add a body lift, MML, and/or tummy tuck it will prevent future problems.

https://savvyoffroad.com/product/sav-231s/
I suspect it's the TC drop messing with the stock shifter assembly geometry. That mechanism hates to be lifted or dropped

X2
 
This issue is almost always limited throw of the linkage .

You can loosen the 13mm nut on the transfer case shifter linkage throw rod , throw it in 4lo by hand , hold the handle all the way up , and retighten the nut. Then you are locked in 4 lo as a baseline.

The cable set up solves practically every shifter related problem on these. It’s what I run.
 
The way I see it transfer case drops and body lifts seem to challenge each other to see what's most likely to stop 4 low from engaging. If you have both they will fight for credit.

Cable shifters easily smack them both around and take the win.
 
There is a video online where a guy shows you how to do what I described.

he's got a green Jeep on the rack behind him with a hardtop.

He explains it in a simple straightforward manner.

The reality is if the jeep has been lifted and you're having issues, the linkage is basically cocked and it's not likely to do anything but get worse... And there is the possibility of damage to the transfer case if you are trying to use 4 low.

if it's a manual you can rotate the actuator knob on the transfer case by hand toward the back axle and you will feel it firmly engage into 4 low

most people make the mistake of trying to get a linkage or cable set up where it throws far enough into 4low.

what you need to do is put the vehicle in 4 low and adjust the linkage or the cable to that setting so that you know that you begin with a positively engaged 4low , and most of the time the other positions take care of themselves.

This technique also works well with the cable set up, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of the install.

I am a contractor and I'll do a lot of things backward... For example I never run a downdraft vent line to the stove... I put the stove where it needs to be then I run the vent accordingly.
 
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