The CDL will get you further than good tires. 33" MTs are worth a crap when only one of them is spinning! Anything more than a moderate trail becomes very difficult without the CDL locked. And, ill be damned if I'm laying on the ground under my truck with a wrench to lock/unlock the CDL. Mine was not functioning and it was the plastic bushing on the shaft that broke. I pulled it out, replaced the bushing (real PITA to get it on the shaft) and greased everything back up and had it together in an afternoon. Works flawlessly.

 

^^^^What CUpgt said!

 

The link that Green Machine posted is what I already have printed off and ready for when I decide to go at this. So far the brut-force method has made little difference so onto the next method, center console out etc.

 

I dunno how much the CDL will help in that situation! LOL. Are you resting on your passanger side? If not thats one hell of a pucker factor lean right there.

 

Its not that hard to reach, I can reach it with my hand, I kept the u-shaped link. I don't feel like taking the center con out.

 

Can you still shift your TC from Hi to Lo with the lever? I can't count how many times I've locked/unlocked my CDL mid trail, or went back and forth from Hi to Lo.
I'd rather take my center console out once than lay in the mud/dirt/snow repeatedly.

 

What Brett said

 

I was able to work mine so it did high low but was always hard, ended up removing console and CDl shifter, had to beat the shifter apart with a hammer and brass drift , the left /right movement was rusted/seized solid, ran parts on fine wire wheel grease and reassembled now shifts with super ease in all directions

 

Yes, I can still shift and its not hard to move it. One day I'll get to it, she has other issues to work on.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by fishEH
Can you still shift your TC from Hi to Lo with the lever? I can't count how many times I've locked/unlocked my CDL mid trail, or went back and forth from Hi to Lo.
I'd rather take my center console out once than lay in the mud/dirt/snow repeatedly.

Amen... Having a working CDL is a must... The only reason I let my wife's '97 go so long was we have two other 4x4's and a 6x6 if we really need to get somewhere. The '97 won't even make it to our barn without making a rutty mess from spinning. The '96 with the diff locked will usually only leave tread marks.....