Tahoe & Suburban The power, space, and brutal towing ability make the Tahoe and its longer sibling, the Suburban, arguably the best full size SUV's on the market today.

2013 Chevrolet Suburban
Platform: GMT 400, 800, 900

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

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old April 26th, 2011, 4:16 PM
  #1  
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
 
barnesam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default 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.

Last edited by barnesam; April 26th, 2011 at 6:47 PM.
Old April 26th, 2011, 7:25 PM
  #2  
CF Senior Member
 
shamrock246's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Middletown DE
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

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
Old April 27th, 2011, 8:49 AM
  #3  
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
 
barnesam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

Originally Posted by shamrock246
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?
The following users liked this post:
Tdawg14 (December 31st, 2022)
Old December 31st, 2022, 2:34 PM
  #4  
CF Beginner
 
Tdawg14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 1
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Has anyone figured this out, to be able to make a push button actuator work on a 2 prong manual one
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
cjd9153
1988 - 1998 (GMT400)
2
May 6th, 2022 8:27 PM
studebakerjoe
1988 - 1998 (GMT400)
1
August 21st, 2019 3:24 PM
donnieb
TrailBlazer
2
March 14th, 2019 3:21 PM
rideinmy66
Silverado & Fullsize Pick-ups
1
September 27th, 2012 4:27 AM
rottman
Silverado & Fullsize Pick-ups
0
January 5th, 2008 12:14 PM



Quick Reply: can you switch a 5 wire front diff with a 2 wire?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:37 PM.