front axle disconnect

[Buzzinhalfdozen]

Is anyone using a front axle disconnect that gets rid of the vacuum actuator like the kit from 4x4 posi-lock? Just looking for some feedback before I buy. Thanks

[bjytech]

I made a home made posi-lock kit that I put on my old truck, all you need is a long twist lock cable, a compression fitting to go over the cable where it goes into the fork housing and a spring to return the fork to the unlocked position. I think I have pictures somewhere of how I did mine, I'll have to see if I can find them when I get home.Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[Mopar1973Man]

Haven't yet. At least on the 96 Dodge...My 02 is solid axle which is another option to to forcibly lock the axle and leave it locked. There is no real big loss in MPG's with locked really.

[Rogan]

I've got the Posi-Lock on my '97 3500.. It has pros and cons..My "Pro" is 2LO functionalityMy "Con" is if you're stuck BEFORE you engage it, forget it. I couldn't get mine to engage when I got stuck in snow/ice slush this past winter.. I 'unstuck' the truck by just spinning through the slush until it hit paydirt... LOL once the truck started forward momentum, then I could engage the PosiLock..You know, once I was no longer stuck...

[Buzzinhalfdozen]

So if it doesn't really engage any better than the vacuum disconnect maybe I'll look into just engaging it solid like moparman did. I'm getting pretty sick of having to rock the truck back and forth trying to get it engaged after I get stuck. Thanks guys

[Rogan]

It's no different than the OE vacuum operation of actual engagement.

[2500ctd]

Haven't yet. At least on the 96 Dodge... My 02 is solid axle which is another option to to forcibly lock the axle and leave it locked. There is no real big loss in MPG's with locked really.

Yours is a solid axle? What happens in 2 wheel drive? Front drive shaft still turn just not receiving power.

[mr.mindless]

What happens in 2 wheel drive? Front drive shaft still turn just not receiving power.

Exactly.

CAD only saves on the front driveshaft not spinning. All the guts of the axle still do - that's why adding locking hubs makes for such a big gain even over CAD being disconnected.

I think the lesson to learn is to engage the 4x4 before you get stuck!

Aside: sawing the wheel left & right - as in lock to lock sort of distance if needed - may turn things in the front far enough to allow spline engagement in the CAD.

[bjytech]

My "Con" is if you're stuck BEFORE you engage it, forget it. I couldn't get mine to engage when I got stuck in snow/ice slush this past winter.. I 'unstuck' the truck by just spinning through the slush until it hit paydirt... LOL once the truck started forward momentum, then I could engage the PosiLock.. You know, once I was no longer stuck...

I had that problem at first with mine but then I figured out that if I put the transfer case in 4wd then let out on the clutch as I was pulling on the cable for the CAD I could lock it in any time I wanted.

[2500ctd]

Exactly.

CAD only saves on the front driveshaft not spinning. All the guts of the axle still do - that's why adding locking hubs makes for such a big gain even over CAD being disconnected.

I think the lesson to learn is to engage the 4x4 before you get stuck!

Aside: sawing the wheel left & right - as in lock to lock sort of distance if needed - may turn things in the front far enough to allow spline engagement in the CAD.

Ok that makes sense. I have CAD on my 89 Ramcharger and did the wheel sawing to help it engage. My diesel is, unfortunately, 2wd.