Vehicle driveline component having a two-speed transmission and a failsafe spring configured to urge the transmission into a desired speed ratio

A method for operating a vehicle driveline component having a housing, first and second shafts supported by the housing for rotation about a rotary axis, a two-speed transmission in a power transmission path between the first and second shafts, a shift fork and an actuator, the two-speed transmission having a movable member that is movable along the rotary axis between a high-speed position, in which the two-speed transmission operates in a first gear ratio, and a low-speed position in which the two-speed transmission operates in a second gear ratio that provides a higher speed reduction between the first and second shafts than the first gear ratio, the shift fork being coupled to the movable member for movement therewith along the rotary axis, the actuator having a cam and a follower, the cam being rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the rotary axis, the follower being coupled to the shift fork and engaging the cam, the method comprising:

• transmitting rotary power from the first shaft through the two-speed transmission to the second shaft with the movable member in the high-speed position;
• operating the actuator to drive the cam about the cam axis in a first rotational direction such that the cam and the follower cooperate to translate the shift fork along the rotary axis to position the movable member in the low-speed position;
• transmitting rotary power from the first shaft through the two-speed transmission to the second shaft with the movable member in the low-speed position;
• and
• applying a force to the movable member via a failsafe spring that is disposed coaxially about the rotary axis, wherein the force applied by the failsafe spring is sufficient to move the movable member into the high-speed position when movement of the shift fork along the rotary axis is unresponsive to rotation of the cam.