Yes play is normal, the driveshaft turning without the truck moving is just slack in the gears inside the transfer case.

The only way the gears inside your t-case could be bad is if it was driven with really low on gear lube.

 

so what else would be going wrong that this is not working... does something commonly go wrong inside the transfer case that would cause it to not engage?

 

I do not know what else could be wrong.
When I bought my truck the linkage was seized, I freed it and then started to use it once a week, at first it would not engage and the light on the dash would not come on.
After half a dozen times of using it it started to work.
I would engage it and then drive around for the day, eventually it started to work.

 

ill try driving around with it on... i'll update after it turns on/after a couple days of not working

 

Take the truck to a muddy field or gravel based car park / bulding site or whatever, give it some stick offroad and it will appear im sure. You need it to start to spin the wheels / loose traction front or rear so it all locks up nicely.I would also just check thatthe dashlight actually works by bridging the difflock switch cables together, the switch is about 3 inches further back in the case

 

i'll check the sensor (already replaced all lights), but I don't care if that works or not... I should be able to feel the difference

gonna go get muddy/snowy (first snow in massachusetts )

 

I LOVE YOU... I went to some small trails and got the disco sideways then gunned it, heard a clunk.

did it again and they engaged, the lock now engages and disengages as normal

You have no idea how appreciative I am, I would have never thought of that (even though it seems obvious)

and it is a good thing they engaged because to leave the place I was in I had to go up a hill that I would've spent 10 minutes trying to do (because of the snow)

took 2 tries without diff locks, remembered I now had them, and it was nothing... SUCH A GREAT FEELING

I have more of a sportscar knowledge than a 4x4 so sometimes it seems like I have no clue


Now all i have left to do is remove the neutral saftey switch as mine has failed (thing is so CORRODED that it sticks to the top of the transfer box and I have little access to it so this will be fun)

then a new lever and I can reassemble my center console and go play in the snow

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