Power Wagon Registry

So yesterday loaded up a tractor and trailer, total weight about 8500lbs. Did not chock wheels and loaded with truck in park. When I went to drive away the gear shifter was very tight, and seemed to have no detents in it. The light moved appropriately on the gear indicator and the transmission seemed to work fine. What have I done and what does it take to fix? 2012 PW.

You had a load against the parking paw inside the tranny. Making it hard to come out of park. How does the tranny feel now since you no longer have a load against it.

It feels like that constantly now with nothing hooked up. Removed the trailer drove it a bit. Same result. Does the shift linkage operate via a cable?

Yes, on a 2012 the transmission is cable operated. When you park the truck now, does the parking pawl engage and hold the truck from rolling? Maybe the detent linkage got hyper extended or popped out of position. You might have to pull the pan to investigate.

Keep us posted.

Ok thanks, sounds like a trip to the transmission shop. I’ll report back.

Here's a video that might help you visualize what you might be dealing with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CDAytTHVoU

Very interesting thanks for posting! I’m guessing the park mechanism pressed on the roller piece and damaged it somehow.

I've never had this issue but I also always put parking brake on too. And try to load on even as possible ground.

need mods... too little time and money

Update: unhooked the trailer and drove the truck a couple places around town. Still had the same feel to it. I hooked the trailer back up last week, and chocked the tires. I put the truck in neutral, set the brake, then put it in park and loaded the tractor. Drove out and u loaded and did some bushhog gong again with chocked tires. Drove the truck around some more with and without the trailer and the situation seems to have resolved itself. Looking at the video BLM rig posted above, I’m thinking the flat spring that gives the shifter the feel may have gotten stretched under a load when parking on slight inclines and declines. Also I got the thing stuck going up the steepest part of the road. 4 low front and rear lock and it was just jumping and spinning all 4. Either way it seems fine now. I’ll update again if the problem returns.

happy it’s working again for you! 🤏