Hey fellas Just changed the diff fluids and t case oil in the track Still hard to shift on the fly to 4 hi though helped a bit though used the syncromesh fluid from gm any ideas on how to get this working properly thanks Love this site very educational and entertaining Cheers

From my experiences with that exact vehicle, there is nothing wrong with your Tracker.
 
It is probably not the best Idea to "shift on the fly" into 4-high.  That's my opinion... and here is my logic:

The '02 Tracker Operator's Manual (I own a '02 4-door ZR2 4wd) states:

"You can shift from TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2h) TO FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or from FOUR WHEEL HIGH (4H) TO TWO WHEEL HIGH (2H) at any speed if your vehicle is going less than 60 mph (100kph) and your wheels are straight ahead.  Your front axle will engage faster if you take your foot off the accelerator pedal for a few seconds as you shift."

If you are not driving in a straight line when you apply 4wd, it is possible to lose control of the vehicle as the front wheels suddenly gain (or possiibly loses) traction.  Also note the last sentence.  It is my belief that the transfer case is not equipped with synchros and that is why it will shift easier when there is no power being applied to the transfer case input shaft when operating the transfer case shifter.  Also, the transfer case will be hard to shift if traction conditions have caused the front driveshaft NOT to be spinning exactly at the same RPMs at the rear driveshaft.

Be aware - your Tracker does NOT have all wheel drive!  There is no central differential or viscus coupling built into the drivetrain to compensate for independent changes in the rotational RPMs of the front and/or rear axles.  It is a part-time 4wd system. Your experiences are not symptoms of a problem but rather the natural way the system works.

I deliver pizza in my Tracker and, because of the weather, have made use of 4WD a lot this winter.  I found it a lot easier/safer/less damaging to the truck to always engage 4wd at a complete stop to eliminate the use of force when shifting the transfer case.  It also allows me to stay in control of the vehicle from both a change of traction AND a distraction standpoint.

I hope that this helps!

I won't comment on what's advisable but, the transfer case in an '02 DOES have synchro on the front drive hub, allowing it to be shifted between 2HI and 4HI without stopping.  There is no synchro on the reduction hub so you must bring it to a dead stop before shifting between 4HI-N-4LO.

To get it into 4HI, what I do is just grab the shift lever and flip it forward with a kind of a backhand movement (the knob is in the palm of my hand and the lever is between the second & third fingers) and it goes in, no crunch, no fuss, going back to 2HI is just grab the knob & pull it back.

Are you running manual hubs in the front end?  It helps if the front axle is already locked, that way your driveshaft is already running at the correct speed and will allow easier shifting to and from 4wd on the fly.

Are you running manual hubs in the front end?  It helps if the front axle is already locked, that way your driveshaft is already running at the correct speed and will allow easier shifting to and from 4wd on the fly.

Yeah, good idea! The last thing you wanna try is locking the hubs while they're still rolling. 

Quote from: Drone637 on February 14, 2010, 12:28:34 PM

Are you running manual hubs in the front end?  It helps if the front axle is already locked, that way your driveshaft is already running at the correct speed and will allow easier shifting to and from 4wd on the fly.

Yeah, good idea! The last thing you wanna try is locking the hubs while they're still rolling. 

I meant compared to automatic hubs smart ass.   

I'm glad you clarified that, I was getting a little worried.