203 Part Time Kit question

[swissarmychainsaw]

I recently picked up a Suburban '76 K10 and it has a 203 in it with a mile marker part time kit.
(I also own a '73 truck with a 205 in it)

What I noticed is that with the 203, I can put it in 4x4 and still drive it on the street.
With the 205, you can really hear and feel the front tires scrubing when you turn them on the pavement.

Is that normal? Does the 203 with part time kit not make the front tires scrub during a turn?

Thanks!

[95 S_Trucker]

The 203 has a viscous coupler to prevent tire scrubbing when in 4wd. It should scrub when you put in in "4wd Loc"

[franken]

You should have locking hubs on the 205 and they should be unlocked on pavement or a hard surface if in 4 whatever.
Its a gear coupling and will bind. The 4 tires turn at different rates, and bad things will happen. The wheels turn on a different radius do the outers have to travel a different distance to get to the same point. A gear system will bind or break. Draw 2 circles on paper, one larger than the other. Which took longer? A 4x4 has to do both at the same time.

The 203 was famous for eating front driveshafts and eliminating gas mileage.

One reason we love locking hubs, the 205, and 4x4 in general...

[swissarmychainsaw]

I was not very clear I realized:
I'm expecting the tires to scrub when the 203 4x4 is engaged and the hubs locked. (just like my 205 does).

However, with the 203 (hubs locked) in 4x4Low no scrubbing happens.
I basically was driving in a figure 8 in the parking lot.

I'm assuming this shift pattern (From
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=28236.0 )

4x4 Low <-- this is where my shifter is for this test
2x4 low
Neutral
2x4 High
4x4 High

[95 S_Trucker]

From the factory, this is the shift pattern:



Do you know what your part time kit consisted of? Or did you just put locking hubs in the front?

[B. W.]

In 4wd & with the hubs locked the truck should bind / scrub on pavement making tight turns.

Problem could be in front hubs or T-case

With the front hubs unlocked, in 4wd you should not be able to turn the front drive shaft by hand. If you can the t-case is not shifting into 4wd

You can jack the front end up, in 2wd spin the front tires by hand & confirm the hubs are locking & unlocking (you can watch the axle shaft/axle u-joint spin when locked). If one hub does not lock in it will act(feel) like a 2wd.

Check in "Hi Loc" (converted is 4 High), Hi = 2 high
should act / feel just like your 205 in 4wd