Just picked up a 1988 Chevy Cheyenne. Only 89K miles. 305 V8 motor. Brand new tires and multiple engine components. Since we moved, we have been needing a beater for HD runs and bringing the bigger stuff home. I am amazed that the interior is near mint and everything works.

 

Came with the camper top. It's pretty cool, has screen windows. Best part is there is a picture of a badass viking on the back window. I can barely read the words Viking Electric. Must have been somebody's work truck.

 

Just a quick question regarding 4x4 vehicles...the seller said I should roll back 10 feet after moving it into 4HI to let it engage easier. I have never heard this. I tested by putting it in Neutral, putting it into 4Hi and then drive and it engaged fine. Do I really need to do this?

 

Yes, on the older 4X4's you need to roll backwards to unlock the front hubs after engaging 2WD.

Yes, on the older 4X4's you need to roll backwards to unlock the front hubs after engaging 2WD.

 

So I roll back after 4WD to go back to 2WD?

To unlock the front hubs from being in 4wd, yes.

Just to be clear, here is what you need to do to disengage the front hubs:

 

- Move the 4WD gear selector from 4H or 4L to 2

- Drive backwards about 1/2 a truck length.

Congratulations, nice looking truck, hope she treats you well.

I've had a lot of beaters and though I was always told to "roll back" I've never had a truck that actually needed it. Moral of the story, It won't hurt but probably isn't needed.

 

If you want to make your truck that much more reliable down the road I suggest looking into manual hubs. I had a 90 chevy with the auto and they crapped out on me. I've never had manuals fail.

Nice! You might want to check the height so you don't get in trouble with a garage door or parking deck!

Not on that truck, you don't have to do the roll back dance, but engaging the 4wd while the truck is moving forward will make it a little easier on the front axle components. The 4wd on the 88-00 GM full size trucks is a bit of a rube goldberg design. When you put the truck in 4wd (hi or lo), the transfer case is engaged. At the same time, an electric current flows to the TLA (Thermal Linear Actuator) down on the passenger side of the front axle. This engages the passenger side axle and puts the truck in 4wd (or more likely, 3wd since the front diff is open). When you take the truck out of 4wd, the TLA de-energizes and the hubs are effectively unlocked. This can be done at any speed, though you probably shouldn't be driving in 4wd at 50 mph...

 

Now the bad news. The TLA is the dumbest feat of engineering since the Swartz safety on a 1911. It works by converting electricity into heat, which expands/extends the actuator arm to lock the axle to the diff. On my '88, the wires were cut clean, rendering my truck a 2wd. In the off chance that yours is working (you can tell, generally, by the 4x4 light next to the transfer case shifter; if it lights in 4wd, you're probably OK for now) and you park it in the snow, leaving it in 4wd, the snow will cool off the TLA, putting the truck back into 2wd, even though you think it's still in 4wd. Since the TLA takes a few minutes to heat up if it's cold, you could wind up getting yourself stuck.

 

There is a solution. It's called Posi-lok. I got mine through Summit Racing. Runs around $200 (the same as a new TLA, incidentally), and takes an hour or so to install. Basically it's a heavy duty cable that replaces the TLA with a knob on the dash that you pull to engage the front axle. As a bonus, if you leave the front axle unlocked, you can put the truck into 4wd lo, making it 2wd lo, and that makes up for the anemic torque in the 305 if you want to pull a boat out of a lake or something.

Or just buy manual hubs lol, getting out to lock them isnt a huge deal as long as you're not 3 feet under mud

Or just buy manual hubs lol, getting out to lock them isnt a huge deal as long as you're not 3 feet under mud

 

You can't just put manual hubs on these trucks. The hubs are already locked to the axles. The driver's side is directly connected to the diff, and the passenger's side is disconnected with this kludgy collar. If the TLA fails, you have an open diff connected to one drive wheel, and a free-spinning axle shaft. Since the power finds the path of least resistance, you get an axle stub getting a lot of torque that goes nowhere.

 

Not GM's brightest idea. They've since updated the design to use a standard electric actuator, which seems to have a lower MTBF.

I had a 1994 Chevy pick up for 14 years (bought new), never had a problem with the 4wd - I even plowed snow with it.

I had a 1994 Chevy pick up for 14 years (bought new), never had a problem with the 4wd - I even plowed snow with it.

 

When it works, it's fine. When it fails, there's a better way to fix it for the same $$. I was just passing that along...

Not a bad old truck for a beater. Put a 4" lift on it and fit some BFG 33's on it.

 

Every truck I own has 33's on it. Something is wrong with me.