Manual 4x4 to pushbutton 4x4 swap.

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AK49BWL

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I think I'm just going to find a clean 97-98 with the pushbutton 4x4 or just say the hell with it and finally jump into a lbz duramax yes with pushbutton 4x4 and sell my current 98 Z71. F### manual shift 4x4 it's 2019

different strokes for different folks I guess.. Yeah it's 2019, and I still love the hell out of my 5-speed manual pickup with manual 4x4 and posi-lok manual front axle engagement :D My thought? F### electronic crap!
 

CRF450R

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different strokes for different folks I guess.. Yeah it's 2019, and I still love the hell out of my 5-speed manual pickup with manual 4x4 and posi-lok manual front axle engagement :D My thought? F### electronic crap!
well I've seen so many manual shift 4x4s stuck in 2wd do to ice build up and people keep reefin on the 4x4 lever and just end up breaking and bending linkages ( it get -50C here in Saskatchewan in mid winter) when I ran steamer in the oil patch I crawled under tons of manual shift 4x4 trucks and had to thaw out the lingkage for the battery operators heck even the gear selector linkages would freeze up and get stuck in park. Needless to say them operator's are now all running pushbutton 4x4s and lots are even running rams with turn dial transmission gear selector and they all say the same thing screw that manual crap. These pushbutton 4x4s are farm / ranch / Saskatchewan / Alberta oil patch tough. Heck we even have a pushbutton front wheel assist John Deere 7930 with almost 10 000 hours on it and never once had a problem with the pushbutton 4x4 on it works every time. I also think it cleans up the interior alot not having that gay shifter sticking out of the floor and I new couple people that have owned manual shift 4x4 88-98s and they have had mice inside the cabs and they all figured they were coming up the 4x4 shifter one truck even got scrapped out by insurance cause of the mice my 98 Z71 pushbutton 4x4 is mice free so was my 2wd 94 Silverado. You'll never convince me too ever own another floor shift 4x4 ever again. Hint thats why I wanted too know how to make a 94 4x4 manual shift into pushbutton. But looks like it's just easier too by a 97-98 that already has it. I just can't believe they can make a standalone harness for a duramax and 99+ pushbutton transfer cases but they can't make a 96-98 standalone harnesses for the transfercase. And yes each to there own these pushbutton 4x4s deserve more respect in my opinion ive owned both and could never go back to manual but thats my opinion. Just like I hate th350s th400s carburetors and I also hate solid front axles I'm all about fuel injection IFS front suspension pushbutton 4x4 so on so forth. I was born in the 90s electronics don't scare me. But really thought there would be more insight on this swap on this from seems to be more haters then anything. If we're to buy the truck It would be mine so I'd be able to do with it as I see fit.
 

CRF450R

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I’ve got a suburban with push button t case I can strip the wiring out of for you. It is loaded to go to the scrap yard soon
I would but did some research and from what I understand only 4hi will work and I wouldn't be able to use 4lo or put it in neutral cause it doesn't have a serial to tell it to go into low or neutral. I think I'm just going to pass on the truck at this point I might just even say the hell with finishing my 98 Z71 send it to the scrap yard all together and just get something newer like a LLY or LBZ duramax something that actually gets MPG not gallons to the mile like my 5.7 vortec.
 

AK49BWL

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I lived in Fairbanks, AK for a winter, where I saw -50 a couple times.. My manual 93 never froze up on me. Jussayin... Burned out the electronic front actuator twice, but never had a problem with the TCase.
 

b454rat

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Never heard of levers freezing up, but have heard the motors in push buttons burning out n sticking. You can go preventive maintenance on levers n linkage, not on electrical sealed motors.
 

98chevy2500SS

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You never mentioned one of yours getting stuck/froze in your rant.







This happy meal is short a few fries.
I've also never heard of anyone getting mice in their truck because of the manual 4x4 shifter...
 

GT80

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My pushbutton 4WD is great when it works. Right now it doesn't, and I can't find the problem. Wish so bad now that I just had the lever on the floor. Gonna look into the swap. Tired of f***ing with it. What good is having a 4wd truck if the 4wd isn't reliable when you need it? Just hauling around a few hundred lbs of dead weight.
 
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98chevy2500SS

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Your switch is probably just going bad. Is it still the original one? They do make replacement 4x4 switches, seen them on Amazon for $30 or so.
 
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