What year did chevy stop making the floor shift 4x4 and go to pushbutton?

[Hazieview]

I was wondering what your chevy quit making the floor shift 4x4 and went to the push button.

Thanks

[Dalaigh]

They still make floor shift trucks, never stopped. Push button is on the high end trucks, W/T's still have floor shifters.

[Benelli]

It's an option.

I'd much prefer a floor-shift vs. the pushbutton, it takes a long while on my 97 to engage or disengage.

[Hazieview]

Yeah I like the floor shift too. Went to the coast 5 guys had pushbuttons. 4 out of 5 didn't work. They weren't happy when a couple of them got stuck because there 4 wheel drive wouldn't kick in...

What about the suburbans. Are they the same way? 4x4 pushbotton optional?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Hazieview

Yeah I like the floor shift too. Went to the coast 5 guys had pushbuttons. 4 out of 5 didn't work. They weren't happy when a couple of them got stuck because there 4 wheel drive wouldn't kick in...

What about the suburbans. Are they the same way? 4x4 pushbotton optional?

Dalaigh is correct, you can still get a lever in a HD truck with WT decor and WT & LS decor on 1500 trucks. You can actually option a 1WT peg group HD truck nicely where it becomes a low level LS equivalent so you can still get cruise, sat radio, power windows, carpet, etc and a few other goodies but WITH a lever on the floor. These low level LS trucks are popular with upfitters so they can fancy them up to their liking instead of some soft palm flit boy GM engineer’s idea of comfort. Here is one example.

You have to see past the chicks to notice the lever on the floor
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GMC-S...fCarsQ5fTrucks


The old body style 1999 GMT400 Suburban was the last Suburban to have a manual shift transfercase even though electric shift became optional in 1996. 1999 was the last year for an available manual shift tcase in the Tahoe/Yukon as well. All GMT800 and 900 fullsize SUV’s have had electric shift as standard equipment now for 11 model years. I hate that crap. It is an option you pay for when the vehicle is new and keep paying the GM dealer for service parts for the rest of the vehicles life. Junk I tell ya.

[WIDESIDE72]

I know this is an old thread but wanted to point out that regardless of the method used to engage the t case, all 1500 and 2500 chevy trucks since 88 use an electronic device to engage the front axle. I had a 93 GMC k25004x4 that I bought with a blown engine. It had the floor shift t case. After I installed a rebuilt engine and clutch I went to test the 4wd and it wouldn't engage. I installed a positive lock. I replaced the electronic solenoid in the front axle with a cable operated pin to engage the axle. To shift to 4wd, you shift the t case into 4 hi or 4 lo, then pull the knob under the dash to engage the axle. All mechanical and practically fool proof. Another Cool thing is you had 2wd low if you wanted by engaging 4wd low but not engaging the front diff.

[WIDESIDE72]

http://4x4posi-lok.com/app_chevy-k.html

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I know this is an old thread but wanted to point out that regardless of the method used to engage the t case, all 1500 and 2500 chevy trucks since 88 use an electronic device to engage the front axle. I had a 93 GMC k25004x4 that I bought with a blown engine. It had the floor shift t case. After I installed a rebuilt engine and clutch I went to test the 4wd and it wouldn't engage. I installed a positive lock. I replaced the electronic solenoid in the front axle with a cable operated pin to engage the axle. To shift to 4wd, you shift the t case into 4 hi or 4 lo, then pull the knob under the dash to engage the axle. All mechanical and practically fool proof. Another Cool thing is you had 2wd low if you wanted by engaging 4wd low but not engaging the front diff.

Not mine, LOL

I took out the electric actuator, and cut a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe about 1 1/8" long that just sticks on the "nose" of the actuator. Put it back in and rotated the right tire (jacked up) until the axle locked together. I took out the 4wd fuse just in case the actuator came back from dead or something.

Now I have strictly manual shift 4wd in a 1989 K1500

[Mr. 250r]

In continuance with the last couple posts my dad started putting these in http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pos-1000.

Due to the fact that we couldn't run the cable because its just another piece that will rust as these tow trucks haul atvs on the beach in cali and ironically everything rusts to pieces except the bodies lol. Work great no problems have had them on all trucks since he bought them they run a couple miles on the street loaded and unloaded, then a couple miles on the beach loaded and unloaded.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Mr. 250r

In continuance with the last couple posts my dad started putting these in http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pos-1000.

Due to the fact that we couldn't run the cable because its just another piece that will rust as these tow trucks haul atvs on the beach in cali and ironically everything rusts to pieces except the bodies lol. Work great no problems have had them on all trucks since he bought them they run a couple miles on the street loaded and unloaded, then a couple miles on the beach loaded and unloaded.

Yeah I looked at those which is what gave me the idea.

But I figured why spend $80+ on that thing when I could cut off a short piece of plastic pipe with a hacksaw ???

[special-K]

I did nothing on my '92 and it always engaged. What I used was good old fashioned patience. It never engaged immediately, and worse when cold, but I knew that and worked it accordingly.

Anyone who requires automatic features on a 4wd has no business being in a situation where they "need" 4wd. Back in the day these people stayed home when it snowed and you never saw them off the pavement. And oh buddy, what a wonderful world that was!

[greywuuf]

and just because it has a floor shift does not make it free from electro vacuum tom foolery.my s10 has a floor shift T case, but a half assed electro controlled vacuum acuated servo that engages the front axle, what a POS idea that was...much prefer manual locking hubs.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by special-K

I did nothing on my '92 and it always engaged. What I used was good old fashioned patience. It never engaged immediately, and worse when cold, but I knew that and worked it accordingly.

Anyone who requires automatic features on a 4wd has no business being in a situation where they "need" 4wd. Back in the day these people stayed home when it snowed and you never saw them off the pavement. And oh buddy, what a wonderful world that was!

Yeah, there was a time when 4wds were pretty darn rare. The people that had them either were outdoor enthusiasts and/or needed to get somewhere during the worst snow storms, and usually helped anybody else that got stuck.

Now, everybody seems to need 4wd or AWD just to get to the grocery store when it rains. I attribute that somewhat to the fact that FWD cars in spite of all the hype are really not very good in less than optimal traction. I know that the car we have now is worthless on anything but dry pavement. At one point I quit buying 4wds (had to trade off our K10 pickup for a Suburban after we had kids) and we got around just fine in the mountains of western Colorado with just RWD.

But up here we get a lot more mud and ice than just deep cold snow, and I needed something to get firewood without having to carry it so far to my 2wd pickup, that couldn't back up the last hundred feet when empty. When I bought the 1989 K1500, I got it cheap because the 4wd didn't work. Some research and experimentation and a nickel's worth of plastic pipe later, I had four wheel drive!

I hardly ever unlock the hubs anymore on our solid axle Suburban, and the old Jeep that we bought this spring doesn't even have a front axle disconnect. I think the whole idea is highly over-rated and it doesn't really hurt anything to leave the front end locked in all the time as long as you are in 2wd on hard roads. (our jeep has the "full time" option which actually works pretty nice!)

[72chevyk10]

2wd low range is pretty handy to have. cant do that on a 2wd

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by 72chevyk10

2wd low range is pretty handy to have. cant do that on a 2wd

Well, I sorta can on my SM465 four speed manual