can you switch a 5 wire front diff with a 2 wire?
 

Hey everybody. I'm new to the forum, although I've read a lot of other good posts/threads, and thought I'd toss a question out there.

Sorry for the mis-info in the title of the thread. I realized it's not 5 and 2 (just appears that way with the insulation), but 4 coming out of the actuator in the newer, and 2 on the actuator, 2 from the sensor in the old.

Anyway, I have a 97 K1500 Suburban with a front differential that has the 2 wires coming off of the actuator, and 2 other wires coming out from what looks like a sensor of some kind next to the actuator. My original differential is actually leaking like crazy (135k, much of it in 4x4) form every potential leak point, so I'd been thinking of rebuilding, or replacing it, then last weekend I cam across a front differential from a 99 Sierra pickup for dirt cheap. It was in beautiful shape, and low miles, and I couldn't pass up the price, so I bought it, but when I got it home I found that everything else is identical (both GU6, gear-ratio is the same), but that my original has the 2 wire sources, where the 99 has all 4 from the actuator.

Does anybody now if there's a way to make the 99 differential work in my truck? Can I just splice, and if so, anybody know which wires goes with what? Anybody done this before?

Thanks in advance for the help.

was the diff you bought from a manual transfercase or push button that might make a difference,maybe no position indication needed with the pickup diff


Sean
97 4x4 burb

That's a good question. I assumed his was an auto like mine, but I never saw the truck (it had been rear-ended/totalled, and he had pulled a bunch of parts out of it before sending to the junkyard). I give him a call and post an update if/when I find that out.

Even so, the 99 has 4 wires coming off the actuator itself, while my 97 has 2 from the actuator, 2 from the sensor. Both have a total of 4 wires, which leaves me wondering if the newer (electric) style actuator had that sensor built into it or something?

Has anyone figured this out, to be able to make a push button actuator work on a 2 prong manual one