newb questions about 95 Yukon

[stykthyn]

I just drove a 95 yukon yesterday and I have a few questions. This is the first GM full size truck I have ever driven.

When the vehicle was going into and out of 4low it would grind. This was while it was in neutral and parked on a flat surface, and I literally had to force the lever into and out of position. 4-hi was smooth as silk.

Second the brakes felt very mushy. Could this just mean that it needs the lines bled? It stopped fine, but I felt I had to stand on them in order to do so.

I am currently driving an 05 ram and maybe its the dual piston calipers, but it stops fairly quicly for a 6k lb vehicle.

The tahoe is a potential purchase and I am just looking for info before I start haggling or even decide to buy.

 

[josetizapan]

Welcome to the forum.

The grind could mean that the tranfercase motor is shot and that not a cheap fix.

Not sure what to tell you bout the breaks.

 

[stykthyn]

so it should be just as smooth into low gear as hi gear?

 

[josetizapan]

It should feel the same on all gears but now that i read you're post again it might be different for the lever type then the push button type, but anything that grinds that has to do with the transfercase or the tranny is not good at all.

 

[stykthyn]

it just really felt like it wasnt syncing very well. really had to force it. I am not liking that.

 

[josetizapan]

If you plan to buy it i will suggest to get it checked by a tranny shop and they will be able to tell you if thats normal but i dont think it is.

 

[stykthyn]

its just the first I have looked at. I have several others that I am viewing over the few weeks.

 

[drod1977]

i also have a 95 tahoe, anyway im far from a mechanic but any grinding into 4wd is no good.

 

[ChrisInWI]

If your wife grinds on you when you put it in 4wd, that's not a bad thing

 

[TheBeast99]

well with my 99 back in December, the one time i put it in 4Lo it grinded too. freaked me out so i quickly put it back in 2wd.
4wd auto and 4Hi work nice and smoothly, so oh well. i'm fine with that.
4Lo you can only go like, what, a max of 25-30mph? so i don't care if i can or can't use it

 

[black95]

i have a 95. have to push really firm into 4lo. real easy into 4hi. going into 2hi it kind of makes a grinding noise. also like this in my 93 which was fine. also do not leave 4x4 in neutral(orange section) and place gear shift in park , it will make a shearing noise.

 

[TheBeast99]

Second the brakes felt very mushy. Could this just mean that it needs the lines bled? It stopped fine, but I felt I had to stand on them in order to do so.

Ya the brakes do take some getting used to in these trucks. i thought mine were mushy at first too, but then i just got used to it. the pedal has a longer travel than what i was used to in my old car, so that's why i thought something was wrong.
that can totally be changed to your liking though - it's all adjustable.

 

[bowtiefreak]

I am pretty sure that a slight roll forward when engaging the 4lo is what the manual says to do...under 5mph. That may help. As for the brakes...welcome to the club. The lines, pads, rotors can all be upgraded ro help that. Bleed the lines and get fresh fluid in there. A master cylinder with a larger bore can help too.

 

[95TwinTT]

Ok, this is right from the pages of the 95 Tahoe owners manual regarding the shifting into 4-wheel low.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L) or NEUTRAL (N)

• slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1-3 mph (2-5 km/h) and shift an
• automatic transmission into neutral, or with a manual transmission
• press the clutch pedal.

• Shift the transfer case shift lever in ONE CONTINOUS MOTION.

Don’t pause in NEUTRAL (N) as you shift the transfer case into 4-WHEEL LOW (4L), or your gears could clash.

 

[stykthyn]

well then, that changes everything!!! I wonder why the owner didnt know about that. He was in the passenger seat with me.

 

[arveetek]

Yeah, if you shift with the transmission in neutral, and don't go quickly enough from hi to low, the gears will start turning inside the transfer case, causing it to grind. If this happens, just turn the engine off, continue shifting into low, and then restart the engine.

What I normally do is put the tranny into neutral, come to a complete stop with my foot firmly on the brake, and then shift into park. Then I shift from high to low. Don't remove your foot from the brake while doing this. This prevents anything from moving inside the tranny or transfer case, and makes it really easy to shift.

Casey

 

[PH99TAHOE]

I just drove a 95 yukon yesterday and I have a few questions. This is the first GM full size truck I have ever driven.

When the vehicle was going into and out of 4low it would grind. This was while it was in neutral and parked on a flat surface, and I literally had to force the lever into and out of position. 4-hi was smooth as silk.

Second the brakes felt very mushy. Could this just mean that it needs the lines bled? It stopped fine, but I felt I had to stand on them in order to do so.

I am currently driving an 05 ram and maybe its the dual piston calipers, but it stops fairly quicly for a 6k lb vehicle.

The tahoe is a potential purchase and I am just looking for info before I start haggling or even decide to buy.

For the brakes I'd suggest upgrading to a high quality aftermarket rotor blanks for the front (like brembo), and new drums in the rear. The aftermarket blanks will not warp as easily as the factory rotors. Then change out the front pads and rear shoes with ones that suit your driving style. Then flush, refill and bleed the brake fluid. This will give you a nice firm pedal with minimal effort needed to stop. I did this on my 99 and it made a world of difference.

 

[stykthyn]

Thanks guys, all this has really helped. going to look at this one this weekend

Just a couple more quick questions. What did the Z71 package entail for the 92-95 years? I looked at one that had Z71 stickers but when I ran the VIN it was not a Z71 truck. I dont want to get suckered into paying extra for a couple of 5 dollar stickers.

The other question I have is would I be better off looking for a 96+ truck to get a vortec?

 

[blackcoffee]

Yes if you can pay for the extra. PLEASE look into buying a 96+ truck. You might regret the non Vortec engine. I know a lot of guys on here don't mind it but, I think its a dog. And that's why I bought a Vortec 5.7L. That 2 door is sweet Z-71 or not. If you can, find a 2 door.

 

[stykthyn]

I am only looking at 2 doors. I dont mind the TBI motor. I have a worked mustang for when I feel the need to go fast(sadly it gets better mileage than these trucks do). This will be a foul weather/fishing/hunting truck and most likely a grocery getter on the weekends.