STUPID Question; Engaging Front Wheel Drive

[Dasgog]

Hey Friends

so I have no engaged it in over 3 years. I was curious about best practice ; should I be in neutral, going slow, at a stop, on dirt. Etc

 

[Barrman]

I just spent a few minutes looking through a -10 TM. I couldn’t find THE word. However, my experience has been engaging the front axle switch while moving works just fine.

I have never tried on pavement. Since I also have a sprag automatic engagement truck and have had the steering wheel ripped out of my hand when it hits. I would suggest you engage when at a low speed and the wheels are pointed forward. Once engaged be ready for the steering wheel to move against the direction of steering as the U-joints of the front axle shafts in the steering knuckles bind up a little. Keep your fingers and thumbs outside of the steering wheel.

 

[HDN]

The manual for my truck says to engage front wheel drive before putting truck into gear. I imagine that may be the same for the M35A2 since they both use the same transfer case.

It doesn't specifically say that in the manual, but it's implied when mentioned in the section about operating in unusual conditions (deep mud).

 

[canadacountry]

I know it might not be much help but I would very imagine that its the crashbox (aka non-synchronize) kind of transfer case so you do have to engage it while at a stop with not too much stress on the then-to-mesh gears at the time, or at least thats how many early suvs had to be operated at the time .. it took quite some time before "shift on the fly" (or any other ways they worded it) transfer cases finally came around and mm I can't recall exactly when this would had been on citizen suvs themselves but I would think that the 1980's is probably a good guess.

 

[cattlerepairman]

With the air shift transfer case, I suggest to engage while the wheels are not turning. Disengaging while moving is safe.
It is like many things -if it is not your truck, if it is fixed by the motor pool at someone else's expense, the truck "can do" a lot of things. When it is your truck that you fix with your own money, safe is good!