Are electronic TCases really that bad?

[Polymath]

So as I plan out my day dreams, I would honestly love to remove the manual 4wd shifter and install a full center console in the K5. That would obviously require an electronic tcase. My main question is, are they really that unreliable? I've had plenty of vehicles that used them and never had any major issues beyond an actuator going bad in a '97 k1500. I'm not doing any serious rock crawling so overall strength or beefiness of the units probably doesn't matter to me. I also use 4wd relatively frequently due to ice and snow all winter. So i'd say it's less likely I would ever discover a problem when i'm already in the backwoods. I tend to engage 4wd when I hit the forest service rods and leave it on until i'm back to the highway headed home.

Second question is, are any of the electronic ones passenger side drop to match the old axles? Or did electronics all move to driver drop?

I've also considered buying a second shift box and hacking it up with some servos to see if I can remote activate the lever. But my gut tells me that would be a royal pain to get the 4-directional movements timed appropriately. But if it worked, I could essentially hide the box under the console and rig up a door to activate it manually if ever necessary.

 

[sweetk30]

What t-case model do you have now ?

And if you swapped to a drivers drop t-case and building this rig just use a ford axle from 70's ford truck .

Could possible do cable shifter setup and mount in dash with a set of push / pull handles over levers but that would be custom as i have not seen it yet .

 

[centexk5]

Honestly never had an issue with any of the ones I’ve had in my life other than they take a couple of seconds to engage or disengage.

 

[ZooMad75]

The biggest problem would be the fact that gm never used an electric shift t-case in a square.

The most simple solution is changing to a driver drop front diff to run an electric tcase froma 88-99 K-truck.

Thats simple, but you’d have to deal with making that axle fit the Chevy. Spring perches, convert from 5 lug to 6 lug, steering, etc.

That’s just the mechanical side. You’d still have to figure out the electronics in getting a TCCM to work in the earlier truck.

 

[Polymath]

Current case is a 208 but if this daydream ever approached reality there is also a BBC which I have some pieces of and would have to buy a 4L80 to match.
I also already have a 14bff and d44 to go in there whenever I manage it.

I take it there never was an electronic passenger drop case? I'm 90% sure i'll never pull this off but if that tcase never existed then i'll put this daydream to rest. No way am I going to modify the whole bottom half of the blazer just for a center console to work. Might as well transplant the k5 body onto a newer chassis at that point.

 

[ZooMad75]

Current case is a 208 but if this daydream ever approached reality there is also a BBC which I have some pieces of and would have to buy a 4L80 to match.
I also already have a 14bff and d44 to go in there whenever I manage it.

I take it there never was an electronic passenger drop case? I'm 90% sure i'll never pull this off but if that tcase never existed then i'll put this daydream to rest. No way am I going to modify the whole bottom half of the blazer just for a center console to work. Might as well transplant the k5 body onto a newer chassis at that point.

Nope.


Plan b. Get a cable shifter for the 208. Mount it anywhere you want. Build your console with the cable shifter integrated to it.

 

[Blue85]

An electronic T-case is really just deleting the linkage and placing an actuator on the shift shaft. Getting a factory one to work could be hard. You need the pushbuttons, actuator and sensor to work with the 4WD controller. It's possible all of those could be transplanted from some vehicle and work together, but usually it works on some vehicle communication bus.

There are some aftermarket controllers out there, but they will typically need a vehicle speed and maybe a gear selection indicator. You could possibly create a CAN controller out of an arduino or Pi.
https://www.swaptimeusa.com/store/p25/MP3023__electronic_transfer_case_system.html

Also, many of the electronic cases have an electric clutch for the front output. I think in general you could just wire that to 12V so it's always on, making some form of "auto 4x4" would be a lot more complicated.

 

[Polymath]

That cable shifter option looks neat. Seems If I find a new place to mount that and patch over the current hole in the floorboard I would be done with this whole idea. I did not know I could have manual tcase shift as well as a full center console.

 

[eodcoduto]

A PTO cable and knob would be an easy option, and you could hide it beside the seat like an older Jeep Cherokee.

 

[max 02]

Adding, never ever had a problem with an electric tcase shifting or the front axle engage.
In a gm.

 

[imiceman44]

Well I will put my 2 cents in here.
I only owned 4 gm trucks with the electric shift tcase, and unfortunately everyone was a problem.
One just up and quit engaging, something wrong with the actuator.
The second one is always engaged in 4wd and by removing the fuse I get 2wd but no low range option.
The third one was erratic, cold or hot could cause it to work or not.
I got the cable actuator for the axle disconnect but sold the truck before I installed it.
The 4th truck wouldn't go into low range.
On my suburban I am replacing the tcase with a manual shift and the cable shift for the axle disconnect.
I am done with electric shift.
All those trucks are 97, 98, and 99

 

[max 02]

Well I will put my 2 cents in here.
I only owned 4 gm trucks with the electric shift tcase, and unfortunately everyone was a problem.
One just up and quit engaging, something wrong with the actuator.
The second one is always engaged in 4wd and by removing the fuse I get 2wd but no low range option.
The third one was erratic, cold or hot could cause it to work or not.
I got the cable actuator for the axle disconnect but sold the truck before I installed it.
The 4th truck wouldn't go into low range.
On my suburban I am replacing the tcase with a manual shift and the cable shift for the axle disconnect.
I am done with electric shift.
All those trucks are 97, 98, and 99

Can’t blame you. I was always sceptical. But never had a problem.
I’ve had a 98, and a few 01 and newer with over 500 thousand Klms.
Just my experience.

 

[Blue85]

Well I will put my 2 cents in here.
I only owned 4 gm trucks with the electric shift tcase, and unfortunately everyone was a problem.
One just up and quit engaging, something wrong with the actuator.
The second one is always engaged in 4wd and by removing the fuse I get 2wd but no low range option.
The third one was erratic, cold or hot could cause it to work or not.
I got the cable actuator for the axle disconnect but sold the truck before I installed it.
The 4th truck wouldn't go into low range.
On my suburban I am replacing the tcase with a manual shift and the cable shift for the axle disconnect.
I am done with electric shift.
All those trucks are 97, 98, and 99

I was getting ready to say you must be talking about GMT400's before getting to the end. The early 90's thermal actuators were even less reliable.

I had the sensor go bad on my '05 (maybe 240k on it then?), so it would shift into neutral occasionally on the hwy. The potentiometer tracks where it sits in 2HI were worn/dirty enough that it would sense the position wrong sometimes. If I shifted into LO, then back to 2HI it would be fine again for an hour (but this makes you very obnoxious on the highway!). Drove just fine in 4 auto, so that was my solution for the day. It's really not hard to pull the actuator off, shift the case with channel locks and live with the 4x4 warning light for while, either, since the actuator is entirely external. Rather than replace the entire actuator, I bought a Dorman position sensor for it and it's been fine now for 7 years.

 

[Polymath]

Well. I think this idea is now 5% closer to reality. And I don't have to screw with the myriad electronic hurdles. That's something.

Thanks everyone!