# 96 F250 stuck in 4WD High?



## rush (Oct 5, 2006)

hmm.. my 96 F250 is stuck in 4wd high, when i shift into 2WD the lever moves but it wont disengage from 4WD high. Any ideas off the cuff?


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

If you have the electrical shifter the shifter motor module may of died. If you have the manual lever it may of froze up. I had to take my lever off and free up the shifter a couple of years ago. 
You may have internal transfer case issues too. 
Did you try backing up in a straight line for about 10 / 15 feet then shifting? Sometimes the 4x4 system binds up when run on dry pavement. Try shifting as you backup too.
Maybe the switch that tells you it's in 4X4 died?


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## rush (Oct 5, 2006)

well.... worst case..

shop called me, they said transfer case is rucked up. they can hear stuff in there rolling around.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

Bummer. Hopefully it did not kill the case or the big dollar parts.
Mine was rebuilt right before I bought the truck.
The only problem with it is the case is eroding away!


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## rush (Oct 5, 2006)

Well..here is the update.. After replacing the linkage from the 4x4 shifter to transfercase i get 4x4 HI, 2wd HI, and neutral (so i decided not to replace the whole transfer case)

Its a 1996 F250 (350) automatic tranny, manual hubs and manual 4x4
Anyone have any idea why i can't stift into 4x4 low...


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## DBL (Aug 27, 2005)

well you really shouldnt need 4x4 low so dont worry about it dont know why it wont go in my brothers truck wont go into 4x4 high for some reason but we rarely use 4x4 anyway


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## rush (Oct 5, 2006)

yeah..i never use 4x4 low, so that im not worried about..Im just wondering what would keep it from going into 4x4 low and if its a problem that will eventually make the 4x4 high stop working.


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## qualitylandscap (Apr 7, 2006)

I have the a 1997 ford and I had trouble with getting into low and it turned out the boot got stiff and had to take off the rubber around the shifter and freplace the lower boot that is inside there and it work right after that also after you get it fixed and a least 4 times a year go threw and shift into all of the low and high 4x4 to prevent the boot from stiffing up again.


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## rush (Oct 5, 2006)

qualitylandscap said:


> I have the a 1997 ford and I had trouble with getting into low and it turned out the boot got stiff and had to take off the rubber around the shifter and freplace the lower boot that is inside there and it work right after that also after you get it fixed and a least 4 times a year go threw and shift into all of the low and high 4x4 to prevent the boot from stiffing up again.


After reading this, I went out and checked that boot..its all good, not the problem. The linkage is new, so im assuming the problem is within the transfer case. This kinda sucks! I never use 4x4 low, so im not concerned with that..i just dont want what ever is affecting my 4x4 low to affect my 4x4 Hi in the Middle of a snow storm..lol

Any other ideas or comments?


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## rubiconwestern (Nov 7, 2006)

i have the same problem with my 96 f250... i can't get it into 4lo... everything else works... any input


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## Dustball (Dec 5, 2008)

In those years, you'd have to push down and pull back on the shift lever at the same time to get it all the way back to 4lo.

Have you tried disconnecting the shift linkage from the transfer case and physically shifted it into 4-lo at the transfer case lever?

The t-case is very easy to work on if you have to open it up and inspect what's wrong.


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## dellwas (Oct 16, 2005)

Don't know if the F250 uses the same shifter mechanism (I'm talking the manual shifter) as the F350 or not, but the manual shifter is prone to seizure. Well known and documented on the Ford truck forums. Poor design. Often what happens is that people force them and they snap, usually where they mount onto the body of the truck. I didn't know it and snapped mine. For what it's worth, mine wouldn't go into low range.

Price is over $600 here in Canada, and around $450 stateside. Even wreckers want at least a couple of hundred for them. I lucked out with a wrecker and he thought I was talking about something else and quoted it for $75, but owned up to his error after I sent him a pic of what I needed. He gave it to me at the quoted price. Got the "new" used one, took it apart and "soaked" it with neverseize. In hindsight, I should drill it and put a grease nipple in it, which I might just do, with felt or plactic washers around the bolt head mechanisms.



rubiconwestern;763515 said:


> i have the same problem with my 96 f250... i can't get it into 4lo... everything else works... any input


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## tuna (Nov 2, 2002)

Mine is the same way won`t go in to neutral or low.I`m not gonna mess with it it goes in to hi just fine and thats good enough for me.


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## sparksrides (Dec 1, 2008)

as stated above you have to push down on the shaft and i think you have to pull to the left and then down into 4 lo. don't force it it will be stiff from not being used that often but like i said push down and follow the shift pattern on the nob because 4 lo is not strait back from 4 hi you have to go to the left or right as the nob shows and then into 4 lo


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## dellwas (Oct 16, 2005)

On my F350 it is straight down and all the way back, you don't have to move sideways. Mine is a '97, and maybe the F250 is different....



sparksrides;763993 said:


> as stated above you have to push down on the shaft and i think you have to pull to the left and then down into 4 lo. don't force it it will be stiff from not being used that often but like i said push down and follow the shift pattern on the nob because 4 lo is not strait back from 4 hi you have to go to the left or right as the nob shows and then into 4 lo


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