Possible 4wd issue

[purestoke]

I purchased a 1996 XLT 4dr a couple months ago. The previous owner said he put it into 4wd low about once a month just so nothing got stuck. I have been switching to 4wd about once a week. I know its common for there to be noise when it switches but is it also common for there to be no noise?

The light still comes on it actually seems to engage faster and it feels like the 4wd is on but that could just be my mind.

I haven't got the wheels off the ground to check yet due to weather. But I just want to ask first I'm hoping its just because its being used more often its switching easier

 

[RangRayy]

i have a 99 that i bought off of my father which was his company car. he rarely used 4x4. only once while traveling i believe got pushed off the road in an ice storm. used it a few times on the farm but nothing strenuous for a 4x4. when i engage 4High i rarely hear a noise when it engages. now 4Low is a different story. there def is a noticeable click when it engages. i generally put it in 4High and drive down my gravel road then stop and put it in 4Low about twice a month just to keep things lubricated and make sure everything still works. now sometime when i engage 4Low i dont hear the click in the front end but when i drive you can def tell its in 4Low. so i dont think i would worry about the noise issue. maybe for 4Low but its up in the air.
i dont know if that helped or not.

 

[Mr.TT]

I get no noise putting it into 4hi but get a clunk when putting it into 4lo. The car drives differently in 4hi, though. If you are on pavement and SLOWLY drive around a turn in 4hi, you can feel the driveline bind a bit in 4hi. You shouldn't really drive on pavement in 4wd, but if you are just trying to see if it engages, this will give you the feedback you need. You can immediately tell if you're in 4lo because the gearing is so different.

 

[purestoke]

I got into an underground today and got under the truck and can hear a click from 2wd to 4low. So its still engaging and just getting more lubricated