hello all i'm new to blazer's. i just got a 98 4 door LS supposed to have 4x4 lol.ive been trying to get the front wheel's to engage and this site has been very help full. heres what ive come up with an see what the pros think. in 2hi while driving theres a humming rubbing noise. i thought was a passenger wheel bearing the bearing seams fine . i removed the battery and found the spring clip thing off the vacuum actuator that hold the cable in (rigged one up) the noise goes away in 4hi. but under heavy acceleration 4x4 it sounds like the gear splines are slipping. i have no idea how long it was broke. what are the odds that it has sat halfway in 4x4 and wore out the spline also the vacuum actuator is holding vacuum in 2hi . if i left anything out sorry im not realy good at this.

 

Sounds like you have a combination of problems. Your actuator cable is likely frozen and was holding the shift collar partially engaged inside the front axle. This likely resulted in some damage to both the axle shaft splines and the collar splines.

The fact that you have vacuum to the actuator when in 2HI means that you either have a vacuum hose routing problem or a problem with the vacuum switch (3-button switch in dash - located on the transfer case) or vacuum solenoid (4-button switch in dash) - located on the firewall).

 

i should have added that. it is a 3 button vacuum lines are still in the places they was when i got it. the cable is free i was moving it today with a pair of pliers. but it was disconnected and just hanging there.the locking spring that holds it in was missing .and the switch on the diff was unpluged .already cleaned that up and pluged it back in. sense its holding pressure im starting to think its the switch on the transfer case. and the splines im just hoping that i can pull that out and clean up the edges some with a file. dont realy have alot of money to dump in it at once.

 

You will have to pull the passenger side extension tube off of the diff to get at the collar and extension shaft. Here's what it looks like all taken apart:

 

sounds like a project for next weekend.i still have to drill out the passenger upper ball joint that should give me room to pull all that out.if its not to cold ill take pics. thank you for your help.

 

No problem! Better pics are always nice to have!!

 

ok i took it apart today changed the upper ball joint . pulled the passenger side ext shaft. these are the best pics my junk camera. took a file and cleaned up the edges they was pulled over almost halfway.going for a test drive now since im warmed up its only like 28deg here. took me almost 5 hours not bad for my first time.

woo hoo my front wheels work now. and that roar roar in 2 wheel drive is gone now all i have to figure out why when in 2wd the front axel stays locked.