Thanks bud, Ive been throwing around the idea of a transfer swap for awhile I actually found a 1st gen blazer at a salavage yard in town with a manual & would let the transfer and all the linkage go for $300 but i dont have the cash right now plus i dont know if it'd be a direct bolt or not so im kinda ify on it right now but on the other hand im think about doinv what "2000bravada" did and swap out the front diff with a blazer/jimmy one.

As far as info on the front ends keeping in mind i dont know if this changed over the years but i know the front diffs are always engaged aka no vacuam accuator (i think so guys swap blazer diffs for bravada diffs as an upgrade for blazers) your truck splits the power 65%rear 35%front unless the rear slips then it switchs 35%rear 65%front. Now this i only know from talking and reading what little detailed info i could find but supposeably the awd/power transfer (your truck) is kicked in when the abs sense wheel slipage. But thats all i really know from what iv come to figure out is a lot of people know how our trucks are suppose to work but most only have an idea or theory.. lol.

Over everything iv read i honestly believe there is no way to manually engaging the transfers on a hardwire level with out screwing your truck up big time. The only way to do it would be by reprograming the tccm which is WAY over my head or do like "2000brav" did and swap the front diff.

 

I have read this also, but I am not sure what to believe either. During a conversation with the chevy dealer's parts guy, he stated that it was 65 to the rear 35 to the front (which matched some of the data I read so I tend to believe him) and locked into full four when spin was detected.

My dad got this huge shed dropped off at their house. It was on skids and had to be drug up to the top of the lot. I told him numerous times the Bravada wasn't going to cut it but you know how dad's can be. So we chained it up to the Bravada and he gave it a shot. Of coarse the shed didn't move an inch. But the bravada defenently had even power to all four tires. At first all four would start to spin slowly and evenly trying to get grip, which eventually ended up being a full four wheel spin flinging crap all over. It was hilarious actually. He tried and tried and every time all four wheels would start to spin evenly. Then he got mad and just started to punch it and it just turned out to be a dirt flinging specticle which I was laughing so hard I had to go inside for a while. He dug some serious holes in the ground and removed a lot of top soil. But I was impressed and up until recently thought it was a full time four wheel drive. We ended up renting a Cat and dragging it.

So this, playing in the snow a few times, and some hill climping at a gravel pit has me thinking that it is more of a full time four, than some sort of auto four system. If it is an auto four than it is absolutly instantaneous, quicker than the eye can see. An other reason I tend to lean more torward the full time four is the absoulutly crappy fuel milage, but you are right the hubs are solid (always engaged) and driveline always is going. It also feels like one while turning sharply. I see a four wheel drive activator available for 98 and on but not one for 97 or 96. I do how ever see a vacuum "switch" on the parts list for my transfer case. Maybe mine is broke and just locked in, I doubt it though. I have a manual comming and will certainly give it a good look over.

Do you have problems with yours kicking into four? Or do you want to do the swap just for piece of mind? It snowed about 20 inches here overnight this year. Then the snowplows left an unbelievable burm at where I work. We spent most of the morning pushing cars around. One of my coworkers has a 99 Bravada completly stock, and that thing came around the corner, plowed through that burm and into our lot like nobodys busness. She hopped out with a huge grin like it was just an other day. Well girlfriend is screeming at me to get off the computer so I got to run. Keep the build going, your giving bravada owners hope.

 

I've always been impressed with what mine would tow the only issue use to be I'd ride on the rear bump stops if I pulled anything bigger then a huffy, But since I put in the "Add-a-Leafs" she rides level now the only issue is mpgs haha.

Just like most people on the site that have a AWD issue mine's a PITA to track I feel like I'm chasing a ghost lol. so If I can for right now I think I'm going to look in to doing what (Bravada2000) did & swap the front did & just trick the transfer to engage & pull the fuse to keep it there then do a DIY pos-cable lock on the front diff. But I'd really love to do a full manual transfer swap to have that low gear & to eliminate the computer problems..


Thanks bud I hunted around for ever when I first joined the site for someone else with a bravada build but couldn't find much as far as trail rigs just lowered or huge audio builds. So I decided to take the first step off towards trying it & posting my thoughts & experances on here & help others to start a new trend. I don't see any reason you can have the comforts of a bravada but the capabilities of a blazer. Everyone buys a blazer and tries to make it more comfortable why not try it the other way around and see what happens. lol.

btw I wish you had some vids of that "Pull" lol that'd be great to see!!

 

Dear god it was hilarious. It was like a chiuaua tied to a refrigerator trying to pull it across a linoleum floor. If I had any idea what he had planned I would have bought a video camera if I had to.

 

Pre 1997 bravada's had the 65% 35% split 1998 and newer have a different setup. The new setup gives 100% power to the rear until it senses that the rear wheels are spinning faster than the front then the power is distributed 50% rear and 50% front

 

Looks good!

 

Hey what rough country kit did you use on your bravada? Looking to lift mine and cant find anything.

 

Just trying to think about the 65% 35% thing... I cant quite rap my head around how there can be a split in power like that, if the transfer case is engaged how could the power be anything but 50/50?? Ive never done any research on that subject so i have no idea.

Just curious

 

Tcase has clutches in it, IIRC. At least those ones do. Therefore, the rear one is locked up completely and the front is slipping, allowing more power to go to the rear.

 

I just ordered the 2.5sus lift. I also have a PA 2in BL the thing to remember is that only major things that are different between a bravada & a blazer are 1.)T-case 2.)front body clip & 3.) interior. Every thing else that fits a blazer the same year as your bravada should fit your truck. BUT always do the extra research to be 100% sure before you order.