How to Shift a 4-Wheel Drive Truck From High Into Low

Most 4-wheel drive trucks can shift in and out of two and four-wheel drive by means of a transfer case shift lever inside the cab of the truck. Usually this lever is located in the center console near the main transmission shifter. While some vehicles have shift-on-the-fly technology--always check your owner's manual to be sure whether yours has this--it's always a good idea to stop and shift your transmission into neutral before putting your truck in high or low four-wheel drive. Keep your foot on the brake as you shift, and don't release it until your vehicle is safely in gear again.

Instructions

1. 

   Shift your transmission into neutral. While the example in the photo is an automatic transmission, you should do the same thing in a stick shift or manual transmission.

2. 

   Move your transfer case gear lever from 2H or two-wheel drive, high gear, into 4H--four wheel drive, high gear--if it isn't there already. Notice how the photo example, which is from a 2001 Chevy Tracker, has a line on the transfer case gear shift that illustrates how to move the lever from gear to gear. In the photo the truck is already in 4H; if you were to move the lever straight down, it would switch back into 2H.

3. 

   Note that the line on the shift lever that illustrates how to shift jags to the left between 4H and 4L, which is four-wheel drive, low gear. So in order to get the shift lever from 4H to 4L, you must first pull it to the left, as shown in the photo.

4. 

   Push the gear lever straight forward. It will slide into neutral--that's what the N in the shift diagram signifies. Keep pushing and then it will slide forward into 4L as shown in the photo.

5. Shift the main transmission back into Drive, if it's an automatic, or into first or second gear if it's a manual transmission.

Tips & Warnings

• Never leave the transfer case shift lever in neutral, as this may cause your truck to roll forward or back even if the main transmission is in gear. Moving the transfer case shift lever to right or left in order to access the 4L setting is very common, but on some vehicles you may need to press down on the shift lever instead of, or in addition to, pushing it to the side in order to access 4L.