[ballender817]

I have a 1995 300 FW 4 x 4. I installed a Warn 424 a few years ago so I could switch from two wheel to four-wheel-drive. After about six months it stopped working I could not get it into four-wheel-drive it would just stay in 2 wheel drive. I called the manufacturer and they said that was very unusual if they would ever fail it would usually just default and stay in 4X4. Anyway I purchased another one and installed it and this one is doing the exact same thing! Nothing I do seems to work now my 4x4 is stuck in 2 wheel drive again. Has anyone had this problem what can I do I now have two of these things that don’t work!

 

[_Wilson_]

Did you ever take that switch apart ?

Edit: I'd ask fish, he runs a couple of those, and has even rebuilt one, i know of....

 

[fishfiles]

The only problem I encounter where I lost 4wd , was when the anti-rotation strap's u-bolt got hit under the frame by a root or stump and pulled the strap back towards the transfer case , this made the front drive shaft disconnect from the input spline of the front diff , it would make a grinding sound when the shaft was barely making contact in 4wd , in 2wd drive there was no noise and 4wd didn't engage --------

No hard bends in the cable routing ?????

 

[ballender817]

The cable has no kinks or sharp bends. I don’t believe I have the strap you mentioned. The way mine is installed it cannot rotate anyway because it will hit the frame. Both of my units seemed to work great and when they stopped working it was sudden it wasn’t like they were acting up or anything.

 

[fishfiles]

I would bet you have a problem with the cable or adjustment , it needs to come out to work on the cable , there is a rebuild kit that comes with new bearings , seals and cable , they don't sell the cable separate , the kit is $100-120 , you can get it on e-bay same kit fits every model 4x2

 

[_Wilson_]

Fish i was thinking his may have slid out of place like you mentioned early on.

that strap serves two purposes , anti wrap and..... Helps keep the unit from sliding out of place, did you install the oem shaft spring ? I would grab it and see if it will slide (i can't recall off hand) forword or backward, and that spring SHOULD push it back in place, at least mine does.....>>>> Pics would be helpfull<<<< another thing..... If it has no strap, it could be putting extra side pressure under a hard pull, i know mine is, because my front pinion seal is NOW weeping, before i installed the unit, she was spotless....if it was me, i mod up a strap, at least the rubber would have some ? Give, that frame bar won't. Just my 2 bits

 

[fishfiles]

No strap has to have some effect on it , it might have stripped the splines from being ran while it was not full slide in

 

[ballender817]

Yes I installed the factory spring. I doubt my front diff is stripped because it happened once and then I bought a new one and the four-wheel-drive works fine. All the sudden this one stopped working as well.

 

[_Wilson_]

If you was close to me, I'd gladly give you a hand with this issue, i can't brag enough on the 424 unit

 

[fishfiles]

I know a lot of people who have the 4x2 and they are pretty much bullet proof , the only problem I seen or hear about is the cable or the strap , for someone to have the same problem twice then I would say it has to be something you done wrong or didn't do , since you don't have a strap , would think that has something to do with the problem -----

 

[ballender817]

I just checked and the spring keeps the shaft firmly inside the front diff. Are you saying when under power it wants to slide out of the front differential? I also just looked at my old switch out that stopped working and the splines in both ends are like new. Somethings not working inside the unit

 

[ballender817]

Are you guys using these in a TRX 300 FW? I don’t remember the strap even having a place to attach to this thing. It was not on it when received both times

 

[ballender817]

And to clarify mine is a wide open not a Warn if that makes a difference

 

[_Wilson_]

Both are the same, i believe i heard here, warn gave or sold the rights to wide open ? At least i believe that's right, but they are identical .

 

[_Wilson_]

I'm thinking like fish cable OR switch, did you do any adjustment to the switch ? Because, that switch can be fine tuned for spline/gear mesh. And ...... Complete disengagement, i'm baffled on two doing this, that's hinky to me......

 

[ballender817]

Yes they Supposedly are an identical unit I just said Warn In my title because everyone knows what it is

 

[_Wilson_]

Are you guys using these in a TRX 300 FW? I don’t remember the strap even having a place to attach to this thing. It was not on it when received both times

yep 1999 300 on this end, and, the strap goes On this bottom frame bar.

 

[ballender817]

OK definitely a pattern here without the strap on both of mine. Anyone know what is screwed up? Are these things garbage now or do you think I can fix them?

 

[ballender817]

And honestly I don’t remember the strap or a U-bolt coming with either of my units.

 

[_Wilson_]

No, there bullet proof as fish stated, I've had no issue with mine at all, well......that weeping seal bothers me, but all in all there (i think) the perfect mod for a 300 fwd. I'd hold up a bit, because this issue CAN be fixed, and you could sell the other one, I bet some o e in the forums would purchase it from you, I'd at least give the forums members a shot 1st