i have a 2011 sahara and i expieranced nasty grinding when trying to switch to 4lo.
i was pulling out a 2010 gmc sierra from a ditch and thought id try out 4lo.
i put the tranny on neutral and tried switching it to 4lo and experienced really ruff grinding which i new wasnt good., i didnt want to try it again so i just put it in 4H and pulled out the sierra like nothing. after that i went to the store and started hearing a rattling noise when the car is stopped and when its on the move.

should i be worried?
what damage should i be considering if any and is it a major problem.?

sorry for the long post.

 

You need to be rolling at 2 or 3 mph to properly switch into 4lo otherwise youll hear the gears grinding if your trying to switch in while stationary. Not sure about the continued rattling....

 

what can this grinding lead to?
to much grinding = ? broken cable?
or replacing my transfer case.

 

Don't sweat it... It will take more than a second of grinding to ruin you transfer case... Read the owners manual about shifting from high to low. Good luck. Jeeps are a bit tougher that a one time grind blown transfer case . Don't lose any sleep over it.

 

i suppose if you grind them enough you would get a lot of metal shavings in your transfer case and could cause damage, I'm not much of an expert on this stuff

 

alrighty thanks guys. im a newbie so i was just making sure. i was trying to do it again and experienced the same horrible grinding, i forgot to mention when i put the tranny on neutral i put the other stick on N also thinking it was on 4L. i pushed the pedal and of course the engine just rev'd up. while the engine was reving i realized it wasnt on 4L so i pulled it down while it was reving. that when i heard the grinding.

i need try it slighty rolling (the proper way) see if i get it down correctly

even with the multiple (around 5 times) i experienced grinding i still shouldnt be worried right?

 

I wouldn't be all that worried about a little grinding, but that makes it sound like you had more than a 'little'? if it is still making noise, go get it checked...

 

It's tricky to get the hang of. As already mentioned, read the manual it will help. When trying to shift while rolling (2-3km/hr), don't be timid about it! You need to moved the shifter with some speed otherwise the the gears are just going to clash. Don't ever try to shift with the engine revving - only shift at idle, in neutral. I have an auto and I've actually found it easier to shift without rolling. Here's what i do.

1. Bring vehicle to a stop.
2. Put trans in neutral
3. Try shifting to 4lo
4. If it wont shift, put trans in drive, creep forward a few inches, go back to step1.

This always works great for me, and no grinding or clunking

 

9 out of 10 times mine goes in smooth at a stand still, it just has to be lined up. Worst case scenario is it won't go in easily and you have to move a bit.

Your issue had to come from revving it. Just let it all settle down next time. These cases are tough.

 

hey! I had the same story in my 2010 Sahara. The manual says to put it into 4lo at around 2-5. But I have to stop completely, put it in nuetral, let it roll about an inch and then it goes into 4lo with ease! my first few times i grinded it a bit too, and after the second time grinding it, I found the somehow a section of my muffler mounting came loose, not sure if it was related but happened right at the same time? But it did have abad rattling sound stationary or moving.

Goodluck