Drivetrain Slip

**nickj** · 08-10-2012, 10:48 PM

I am new to the forum. I purchased a 2005 crew cab Z71 with 60k on it about 2 months ago.
Doing some yardwork I was attempting to pullout a tall hedge/tree stump.
With the truck in 4 hi and towstrap looped around stump I could not budge it.
The truck was in reverse with the towstrap looped to the tow hook. Giving it more throttle, all the way to the floor seemed to do little more than just letting it idle in reverse.
The engine would rev some, but not enough to even spin the tires on the lawn. SOmething is wrong here. I got more out of my 4cl tacoma.

Also my 4wd low is not working. The indicator lights up when key is turned. But pushing button does nothing. No blinking or anything.
I am guessing contacts in switch are corroded.

Any thoughts?

**454/4X4** · 08-11-2012, 08:05 AM

DOes it have traction control, or Acceleration SLip reduction, anything like that?

**NEUMANNZZ** · 08-11-2012, 08:20 AM

do you still have reverse gear?

**454cid** · 08-11-2012, 08:40 AM

You shouldn't be pulling with the tow hooks like that.

**Quyonmob** · 08-11-2012, 08:57 AM

Shifting to 4lo the right way or just pushing the button?

Pull forward next time.

**454cid** · 08-11-2012, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Quyonmob

Shifting to 4lo the right way or just pushing the button?

What's the right way on a push button system? ......I've never had one.

Pull forward next time.

To provide an attachment point, it helps to have a receiver. I always put my hitch in, and wrap a chain around the ball. I've also borrowed a log chain that has a hook that is big enough to attach to the ball directly.

**burt** · 08-11-2012, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by 454cid

To provide an attachment point, it helps to have a receiver. I always put my hitch in, and wrap a chain around the ball. I've also borrowed a log chain that has a hook that is big enough to attach to the ball directly.

i've never been a fan of hooking a chain or tow strap to a ball. heard to many horror stories about the ball snapping and flying through sheet metal or hitting someone.

i always use a clevis, i don't have to worry about it breaking plus the chain can't slip off

**~Super~Midget~** · 08-11-2012, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by 454cid

What's the right way on a push button system? ......I've never had one.

To provide an attachment point, it helps to have a receiver. I always put my hitch in, and wrap a chain around the ball. I've also borrowed a log chain that has a hook that is big enough to attach to the ball directly.

Stop and shift to N then switch to 4low just like a manual shift case...

The only difference you have is a electric motor instead of a floor shifter... The steps are still the same
Sent from your mom's house

**454cid** · 08-11-2012, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by ~Super~Midget~

Stop and shift to N then switch to 4low just like a manual shift case...

The only difference you have is a electric motor instead of a floor shifter... The steps are still the same

Knowing that, it seems like the push button 4wd is even more worthless that I originally thought........ to me anyway. I already didn't like the idea of having another electrical gizmo that might break. I guess it gets the shifter off the floor, but that's not something that bothers me.

**454cid** · 08-11-2012, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by burt

i've never been a fan of hooking a chain or tow strap to a ball. heard to many horror stories about the ball snapping and flying through sheet metal or hitting someone.

i always use a clevis, i don't have to worry about it breaking plus the chain can't slip off

I've never had the chain slip off the ball, that I can recall. Usually that's the other end that does that...... fought with that a bit earlier today while dragging trees/brush.

I did bend a ball a few weeks ago, but that was a special case. My boss wanted a mulberry tree/bush gone, and was going to have another guy dig it out. I knew that would take him forever and a day, so I told him I'd pull it out. I went home and got my chain, but forgot my hitch, so I used the boss's. I didn't notice that the ball had a smaller shank than the hole, then it had a bunch of washers stacked on it, then a nut. Normally, I'd feel bad about wrecking something of somebody else's, but that was just stupid to put something together like that, and leave it together.

A clevis should probably be something I purchase at some point. Right now, I'm mostly pulling small trees that have been cut, so the shock shouldn't be enough to do any damage to a ball.

**Quyonmob** · 08-12-2012, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by 454cid

Knowing that, it seems like the push button 4wd is even more worthless that I originally thought........ to me anyway. I already didn't like the idea of having another electrical gizmo that might break. I guess it gets the shifter off the floor, but that's not something that bothers me.

It can't split ranges any better than manually.

**nickj** · 08-12-2012, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by NEUMANNZZ

do you still have reverse gear?

Yes reverse still seems to work fine. This was not a large tree or anything. A tall hedge.
No traction control or anything. And yes tried neutral park, etc everything in the book. 4low light doesnt even blink when pushed. Like the contacts are bad.

What else could slip? On grass I would have thought it would have spun the tires way before any type of damage could be caused. Unless reverse is pretty weak.

**NEUMANNZZ** · 08-13-2012, 11:13 AM

reverse is pretty weak and easily burnt up.

**grayblazer** · 08-13-2012, 11:40 AM

On the 4L60 trans I believe reverse is a 2.29 ratio while 1st gear is 3.06, so you will have less available torque (gearing) when using reverse. You might also be getting into the torque management parameters which would exaggerate the issue of not being able to spin the tires. When pulling in reverse you are putting a lot more stress on the front end components, which are generally not as strong as the rear axle, and is probably the reason for having less gear available (less torque going through the front axle), and the ECM may be applying more torque management to further reduce the power while in reverse for this reason (just a possible speculation). Not being able to spin the tires doesn't strike me as being a definite problem...not saying there is not a problem but it's not a huge red flag.