Very Very detailed write up there !!! Thanks for sharing

 

You're welcome, but I didn't write it - only collected it and used it when diagnosing mine.

 

Encoder changed ... It was split apart on the top and bottom and cracked around the bottom bolt.. So anyone having similar issues with 4wd take a flashlight and look closely at the encoder motor. I never saw that it was split apart or cracked until I took it off . But on the positive side 4wd is up and running !! Woohoo ! Now that damn rattle is still there ..now in 4hi or 2 hi. Is there anything inside the passenger fender that could come loose ?

 

Congrats, thanks for letting us know.

 

Thanks for all the info and opinions from everyone .. Great forum and I will still be looking around daily !

 

How about a shock that came loose ?....or the notorious hood hinge bolt that comes loose and sounds like something clunking around the dash speaker area?

 

I've done fixed the hood .. It's not really a clunking ..the noise is hard to describe other than a rattle ..no difference over bumps,when turning or braking . It does it mostly between 35 and 45 and if I keep it there it stays..speed up or slow down ..gone. Everything in the front end is new and I took it for a ride after replacing each part .. no difference.. so it's really aggravating the heck out of me . At first I thought it was something that the wind coming through the engine compartment was making something rattle but that would get worse with speed I would think. Then I thought cat ..But It makes no noise sitting and revving the engine or when I tap the exhaust ..I'm sure I will find it eventually and think Duh.. lol but until then radio up and noise is gone ! Ha ha

 

This forum and hands on with this beast have really taught me a lot about these trucks.. I've always been a 80's Monte Carlo person ( I could tear one them apart and put it back together with my eyes closed lol ) but I wanted a change of pace .. 8 of them was enough . Well for a while anyway.

 

This is why the 4x4 did not work.