I just did some front end work on my Gen2 4x4 4Runner. During work I bumped the 4x4 shifter out of H2 and coldn't get it back in. Everything was fine until I tried to shift it into H2 again. The shifter just sort of rolls around to each position without engaging in any of them. Plus I accidentally shifted it into H4 (Somehow) and can't get out. Shifter still just rolls around. I unlocked by Warn lockers so the fronts aren't connecting to shaft, but it is still in H4. What did I do? Plus passenger side sounds like something scrapes wen I drive.

 

did you try backing up ~ten feet?

 

if all fails crawl underneath and pop it out of H4 by hand

 

since you have the hubs unlocked, you may try just letting it creep along in 1st gear at idle and try moving the handle.

and you may want to pop the lever out and make sure you didn't break anything.

 

I will try to pop it out y hand. I already backed it up and drove around a little.
The shifter isn't in any gear, it is just loose and won't engage. very weird.

 

You might have knocked the shifter end out of the shift rail since you saw the shifter moves around a lot (it should not). Pull the center console/boots out of the way, and remove the 4 bolts holding the shifter base to the t-case and have a peek inside. The end of the shifter should be in one or the other gates on the shift rails. I find it easiest to put both rails into 4H, only place they line up with each other and then stab the end of the shifter into the two aligned gates, will look like this:

[x] < end of shifter into the two gates
| |
| |

 

sounds like the lever broke to me.

 

mine did that right after i bought it, but eventually i drove it in circles in reverse in a parking lot and it went back into 2wd lol

 

I will try that. It must have broke. 186,000 mileswill do that I guess.

 

Worked perfectly. Thanks!! The retaining clip popped out and then so did the shufter. Looked in there and did what you said and it is perfect now.