4WD Issues: Disengagement and binding feeling

[OculusVision]

My new to me 99 L400 appears to have some issues with the 4WD system and looking for some guidance on how to diagnose.

The van appears to shift into and out of 2H and 4H fine: I can feel and hear a click with the hubs lock/unlock and the lights on the dash correspond properly. To be honest, I don't feel much of a difference when driving in either mode and not sure if I should.

Trouble seems to occur when shifting out of 4HL: I have only done this twice since I have owned the van. Shift into 4HL and the transfer case orange light comes on and I can definitely feel a difference as if everything is engaged properly. Shifting out the lights flash but do not go out until I back up a significant distance. Attempting to drive with the lights flashing, at full turn or near full turn I feel significant resistance/binding/etc in the front wheels.

I have read a bunch of threads on issues with the system but they have all pointed me to sensors or vacuum issues which to me doesn't seem to be the problem here.

Thanks in advance for all of your guidance and wisdom.k

[Andy-]

I had the same thing happen to mine. I just tested out the 4wd to make sure it worked. It probably wasn't a great idea to do it on pavement...the driveline was all bound up and I had to drive forward and back in a straight line a few times before it would unlock and go back to 2wd. I assume that's kind of normal. My truck acts the same way.