The Chevy truck has a transmission shift cable which runs from the gear shift to the transmission linkage. This cable is what changes gears when the Chevy truck driver manipulates the shift lever. Symptoms will show up during operation of the Chevy when the shift cable begins to go bad.
The Chevy truck becomes hard to shift from gear to gear when the transmission shift cable is failing. This symptom begins because the shift cable is not pulling on the linkage, and the gear shift lever becomes stiff. Shift becomes hard as the shifter moves from first to second, then to third, and even harder when shifting into fourth or fifth gear. Reverse will become the hardest gear to engage. The only correction for this is to replace the cable and inspect the linkage to ensure no damage has been done to this transmission component.
Another symptom of a bad transmission shifting cable in the Chevy truck is when the gear shift begins to jump or pop out of gear. This is more prevalent in first gear because of the stress that decelerating the Chevy places on the transmission and shift cable. The brackets which hold the cable in place are most likely broken, allowing the cable to tighten during deceleration of the truck. The Chevy owner needs to inspect the shift cable to determine if it is still in good condition, and replace the broken brackets to repair this problem.
If the transmission cable is stretched, the driver cannot shift into certain gears, in particular, the higher gears such as third, fourth and fifth. The cable is not engaging the linkage because it has been stretched or loosened. This problem develops over time, under normal driving conditions. Automatic transmission on the Chevy truck can exhibit the same symptom -- the driver can move the lever into drive or "D", but the gear itself isn't actually engaged. The cable must be replaced to correct this problem.
