Have to hold 4hi to stay engaged

[Davedough]

I scanned all the threads in this section and tried searching but didn't find anything similar.

I recently took ownership of a 1993 XJ Sport 4.0L 4x4. Its stock height right now but I'm having an issue with engaging 4hi.

I can go into 4lo just fine, but whenever I engage 4hi, it will go in, and I can roll forward and feel the front drive axle engage, but if I let go of the selection lever on the floor, it'll come back to 2wd.

What should I start looking at?

[Mudderoy]

I scanned all the threads in this section and tried searching but didn't find anything similar.

I recently took ownership of a 1993 XJ Sport 4.0L 4x4. Its stock height right now but I'm having an issue with engaging 4hi.

I can go into 4lo just fine, but whenever I engage 4hi, it will go in, and I can roll forward and feel the front drive axle engage, but if I let go of the selection lever on the floor, it'll come back to 2wd.

What should I start looking at?

Any popping noise or everything works as normal?

[Davedough]

There's the standard low "clunk" of it going into 4wd while rolling at about 2mph, but from other 4x4s I've owned, it doesn't sound like anything abnormal.

[cantab27]

wait for rene to come on line ...pretty sure he had same sort of problem,,,oh and welcome to xjtalk

[hookedonxjs]

Have you checked your linkage? Laying under it see if the lever can move more to engage.

[bigjim350]

sounds like ya need to adjust the tcase linkage. Not sure if there is a write up for it here or not, but should be able to goggle it. And no need to worry about searching for the answer on this site first. Ask any question ya got. Don't care if it has been answered a 100 times before, someone will be glad to answer it again :)

[4x4Dalton]

Try puttin it in neutral and then shifting into 4hi. Once engaged try goin into reverse for a few feet. May just need to engage like that. MY mom has a Ford(explains it I guess :D) Explorer that she has to do that to. Rest will engage just fine just not 4hi.

[4.3LXJ]

I'm with the linkage problem. They can need adjusting from time to time. Try crawling underneath and loosening the set screw/bolt on the rod and engaging the tcase manually into 4 hi. Make sure the shifter is in the 4 hi position and then tighten it. Then take it for a test drive and see if it all works. Also check for worn bushings on the ends of the idler. Do you have a tcase drop installed? If so, you will probably need to make this adjustment from that alone.

[Davedough]

Thanks everyone. I'll be crawling under it tonight to check it out. I had thought of the linkage as well, but since it's new to me, I hadn't had any opportunity to actually start digging into it and sniffing out the little quirks.

There isn't a T-case drop to the best of my knowledge. It's stock height so I wouldn't imagine the previous owner would have a need to install one.

I'll try the suggestions and report back when I get off work tonight.