88 K2500 front axle trouble
 

Hello folks,
My name is Dave, and I recently picked up an 88 K2500. I own a 82 K20 so the IFS is a learning experience. I bought the 88 and was under the impression that the 4WD system was all in working order, untill I tried to move it off some wet grass..... I've read up on this forum about the front actuator, so I bought one and replaced it. Both the old one(which is fairly new anyway) and the brand new one work on the bench with a 12v power supply, and when hooked up to the harness on the truck. But I still have no front wheel engagement. The front shaft is spinning, but not the wheels. A friend of mine has a 95 and he said the front shaft has a very fine(fragile..?)spline on the differential end and was probably stripped, as this had happened to his truck. Any comments or ideas about this theory?
What else is "breakable" in the front diff ?
I like the style of the 88 up trucks, and it rides better than the 82 buckboard, and there's more sheetmetal left too... so I'd like to keep it around if it's fixable.

Thanks in advance
Dave Correll

hmmm, if your K20 is so far gone, let it donate its front axle.

Front half shafts (front axles) are broken maybe?

front axle
 

:crazy: :gmc: Sounds like front axle to me I have a problem with my actuator I think would you be interrested in selling your old one.Thanks Chris bluestreak52

Thanks for the reponses, and changing over to the K20 axle DEFINATLEY crossed my mind ! Turns out to be a bad ground wire. I had a good 12 volts to the actuator, but when I installed it and pluged the wires in I had no ground. Traced the wires up throught the harness and found they both had been spliced -poorly-, so I ran a new ground and a 12 volt lead to a switch in the cab. Pull the shifter, hit the switch, and lights- camera- action. Whew, beats replacing the front end.
I think I'm going to hang on to my old one as a spare since I'm going to plow with this truck, and I don't want to be stuck. Here's a link to the place I bought my new one. $59.95 plus $8 shipping, which I thought was a steal. WWW.1aautomotive.com

Thanks again,
Dave

88 K2500
82 K20
99 2500 Express