Low Range

[cowcatcher]

It is very cold here tonight. When I got home I figured I would just drive the KJ down the hill to the barn to feed the cattle rather than walk in 10 degrees with a 30 mph wind. Might be a good time to try low range since I hadn't done that before.

Does it help to be the Incredible Hulk? I tried the manual described slow roll under 5 mph in forward, in reverse. I tried it standing in neutral. I tried it shifting from full time and part time and 2 wheel. I tried it standing on my head (almost). Finally I gave up. Couldn't even get it into neutral.

I am not as young as I once was, not as strong. The years, bad women, bad drink, bad..........well you get the idea. I am not totally helpless though. So buddy can you tell me how to get this thing into low range, or even neutral! (Aeh)

 

[DougBenn]

From a dead stop, foot on the brake and transmission in neutral. If it doesn't go at first, roll just a little and stop, try it again. That is what works on moth of my 05s

The other thought is that the shifter may be packed with snow or ice from underneath causing it not to engege. If the above trick doesn't work, have the dealer check it out.

 

[LibertyCRD]

It works best when you are in neutral, rolling forward 1-2 mph, and you shift directly into 4-low.

Also remember there is a shift "gate" there, so you can't just pull straight back on the shifter. You have to pull the shifter to the right (toward the transmission shifter) and pull backwards at the same time to get it around to the 4-low position.

 

[-=JoN=-]

yeah it is a bit hard to get it in to low range....u just gotta kinda keep trying till it goes in

 

[Se7enLC]

It works best when you are in neutral, rolling forward 1-2 mph, and you shift directly into 4-low.

Also remember there is a shift "gate" there, so you can't just pull straight back on the shifter. You have to pull the shifter to the right (toward the transmission shifter) and pull backwards at the same time to get it around to the 4-low position.

yeah, definitely the gate. It'll go into 4HI, then off to the right a little and up into 4LO. I never have any problems getting it to go into 4LO, but I have the manual transmission, so there could be some differences.

 

[cowcatcher]

I guess I must have missed the point of pusshing to the right. I will try that. Thanks all.

 

[Corwyyn]

Also remember there is a shift "gate" there, so you can't just pull straight back on the shifter. You have to pull the shifter to the right (toward the transmission shifter) and pull backwards at the same time to get it around to the 4-low position.

Yes, this one little bit of informatiom was vital a couple of weeks ago. It had been a couple of months since I had gone into 4-lo and I guess I hadn't ever thought about it when I was doing it previously - it just seemed to go into lo with no problems. Anyway I had forgotten about the *gate* and thought there was something seriously wrong with the t-case. Then I happened to actually look at the shifter and clearly saw the indicated path - HI, N, over to the right, and LO. D'ooooohhhhh!!! #-o Guess this means I need to go wheeling more often so I can keep it firmly up in active memory...

 

[DougBenn]

Sorry, just took for granted everyone knew about the gate from N to L. I have had 4x4s for the last 20 years (before everything else was a push button or knob) and it's just second nature to me.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Sometimes if i cant get it to go in, Ill let the jeep roll alittle then pull it back to 4 low at the same time. This lets the gears line up and it goes in great everytime. Be sure you give it plenty of time to go back out of 4wd. You cant be stopped on dirt, shift into 2wd and think its back into 2wd, its not!! Its takes time to get back into 2wd, this can really screw some things up in the tcase if you put it back into 2wd then take a sharp turn on blacktop.

 

[cowcatcher]

Definately the gate. I had not recalled that from reading the manual and couldn't see the diagram on the shifter in the dark. My old PU just goes straigt in. Thanks folks.

 

[Canyonero02]

Some vehicles have gates and some dont. My Ford pickup has the gate similar to the KJ. My 01 Dodge Ram just went straight in line, no gate at all.