Theoretical question

[soulsea]

It would help save on fuel by reverting the Denali to 4x2 instead of full time 4x4 ...

But AWD is not the same as full time 4x4 ... AWD vehicles have a trans-axle differential.

Again, within the limited scope of my mechanical understandings, what you are proposing is tantamount to re-engeneering the entire vehicle and all but impossible within a reasonable budget. Also because the TAD is wired into the main computer and any +2% variation between front and rear will light up your dash and put the engine in conservation mode to save the truck.

Plus, the MPG difference between the 2WD Escalade and the AWD version is all but negligible ... so it's all really far nothing.

 

[JonTiffany1]

easy solution is not drive a ******* AWD SUV.. buy a selectable dif truck and swap in a 6.2 if the motor is what you truly want.. other wise it is a waist of money.. AWD is going to be worse on gas no matter what.. half the reason GM put the 6.2 in the Nali is to make up for the drive train loss from the AWD system..

finally you are driving a ship anchor SUV.. these things are not smart cars getting 55mpg.. tough thats reality.. you want SUV you DO not get MPG. thats fact of life.. SORRY to be the bearer of bad news..

ive owned one before, guy. i understand that these things will not get 55 mpg, but closer to about a quarter of that. but how can you stand there and tell me that i would save money buying a base model yukon, make the mods, swap the engine, and save money, versus getting a Denali, with everything already included, and getting a $30 manual hub kit?

---------- Post added at 09:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------

I never liked the awd all the time idea.

I like 4x2. I love 4x4. I hate full-time 4x4 (AWD). I know the manual hubs should work but now I'm hearing this business about the trans-axle differential making this incompatible.

I just wish someone would look at the original post and tell me if it can be done, thats all. not ask me why would i want to do it.

---------- Post added at 09:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

My Denali is 2WD...

And I would just get one with a 2wd drivetrain, but in upstate NY we do get snow, so the 4x4 would be more than useful. I dont think the AWD is entirely useful in the spring/summer/fall months, which is why i thought i would investigate in the manual locking hubs.

 

[soulsea]

I just wish someone would look at the original post and tell me if it can be done, thats all. not ask me why would i want to do it.

Sheesh, it can't be done via your simple 'manual locking hubs' suggestion.

It can be done if you want to spend stupid amounts of money to save one or two mpg ... and the only possible result would be permanent 2WD.

A trans-axle differential is the main component that allows an AWD vehicle to have 4WD on dry pavement ... if you did this on a 4WD vehicle you would kill it. Completely different and incompatible technology from the ground up that'll take more than a $30 part to convert. If it were easy then the 4WD trucks would simply add an AWD setting on the dash drive selector knob and have all 3 modes available (2WD/4WD/AWD).

So no, so far as I am aware of, there's no vehicle on the road able to go from 2WD to AWD and back.

 

[domin8]

Sheesh, it can't be done via your simple 'manual locking hubs' suggestion.

It can be done if you want to spend stupid amounts of money to save one or two mpg ... and the only possible result would be permanent 2WD.

A trans-axle differential is the main component that allows an AWD vehicle to have 4WD on dry pavement ... if you did this on a 4WD vehicle you would kill it. Completely different and incompatible technology from the ground up that'll take more than a $30 part to convert. If it were easy then the 4WD trucks would simply add an AWD setting on the dash drive selector knob and have all 3 modes available (2WD/4WD/AWD).

So no, so far as I am aware of, there's no vehicle on the road able to go from 2WD to AWD and back.

...except ones built to do it automatically, i.e. just about anything Subaru or small SUVs like the Equinox. However, if I recall correctly, those are all fwd/awd variants.

As somebody said already, yes, with stupid amounts of money comes the possibility. However, people who have that type of money are also smart enough to not do it.

Since you've already shot down the suggestion I know I'm wasting my breath, but I'm going to say it anyways. Getting a regular 4wd Yukon and swapping in a 6.2 (or getting one with a 6.0) would be cheaper when your consider that you could probably source an engine in decent shape from a totaled truck sitting in a junk yard.

 

[sumo]

remember that guy who took his Nali into the sand dunes and got it stuck up to the frame?

 

[JonTiffany1]

I apologize in retrospect for riling everyone up...excuse my poor knowledge of the subject. In the almost 3 years since posting this I have learned so much about how s**t like this works, that now that I'm reading it, I'm sitting here like "WTF!?" I now own a 4x4 Yukon (thanks, Domin8) and have been enjoying the hell out of it. I have been doing a few mods here and there, but mostly just reverting back to stock, essentially, everything. I realized last night that what I wanted to do almost 3 years ago would only have worked with a stupid amount of money and even more time for the next guy. We all have been there im sure. Have a good day!

Jon

 

[jdpber]

Glad to hear that you have seen the light.

 

[JonTiffany1]

Glad to hear that you have seen the light.

I have lol. And now that I got my s**t custom bumper off, the cops will be seeing the light too...my license plate lights that is. I'll post a picture soon...

Jon

 

[jdpber]

Do explain

 

[JonTiffany1]

Do explain

---------- Post added at 10:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:29 AM ----------

The old one rotted off, the new one wouldnt go on without more hardware, so this was the solution at 11PM last night lol