4x4 not working/grinding

[binks0678]

well finally got my truck going and suprise suprise a new problem. After i got it going i took it out in the snow and locked it in (87 ranger 5 speed manual hubs) went to go up a hill and only rear wheels spin, when it started to slide back down the hill i heard a loud grinding all the sudden. before it quit on me 4x4 worked, however when it did run last year i drove it around for a couple hundred miles in 4x4 but with the hubs unlocked. when in neutral the front driveshaft does not move freely. also when i first lock it in a have to give it a lot of gas then it feels like it suddenly breaks loose and goes. im thinking my front diff is ****ed but not sure. whats everyone think and how can i come across and change a front diff?

 

[binks0678]

also it has new front driveshaft ujoints

 

[trail B2]

Jack up the front wheel with everything locked in.Try to turn the lifted tire if somethings not in gauging you will be able to see what it is looking at the knuckles for hubs or drive shaft for transfer case.If it just spins and only the wheel u joint your on turns you got differential problems.The other thing you can do is dis engage the transfer case and see if the differential works smoothly when you turn the drive line with the tire.Usually its a hub or a transfer case not in gauging properly.If its a hub my first guess take it apart clean it up regrease it not to heavy of grease its really cold.

 

[binks0678]

alright im going to do some further testing tomorow. Its snowin like crazy and i just want to go fourwheelin asap! Im assumin that if only 3 wheels spin in 4x4 it would be one of the hubs so ill check that also. Also to check the tcase could i put it in 4x4 low and if it works but 4x4 high doesnt, then just the 4x4 high gear in my tcase would be bad? im fairly new to working on 4x4 systems so bear with me please. and thanks trail b2 ill try all of that also to try and get it narrowed down. Is some humming while locked in normal?

 

[binks0678]

ok so ive figured out how to test the transfer case and hubs how would i test the front diff? are there any vacum lines associated with 4x4 on an 87 ranger?

 

[84stealthranger]

not if its a manual transfer case with manual hub there shouldnt be any. put the transfer case in 2hi jack it up lock the hubs in spin one wheel forwards the other should spin backwards, if its open diff if there is no bad sounds lol then ur diff is fine if not check the u joints in the axle if its not that then its prolly something in the transfer case. hope this helps o and check the hubs for damage too like trail b2 said

 

[binks0678]

k im going to do all of this tomorow, crossin my fingers hopin its a dirty hub and no diff or tcase problems, thanks guys ill post up when i find out

 

[binks0678]

also if its a tcase problem will both 4hi and 4lo not work? not sure if there 2 seperate gears in the case or if low is just a reducer gear running off 4hi hope that makes sense dont know the tech terms

 

[84stealthranger]

i think its 2 gears but not sure check the tech library if 4low works and 4hi dont u might have messed something up in there i dont think its good to run in 4hi with out hubs locked in cuz u said u drove like 100 miles like that in ur first post so that would spin the front diff u might have messed up the hubs i would check that first to c if there locking in

 

[84stealthranger]

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Summer2003/ChangingBearingsInManualHubs.htm check that out it might help out on ur hubs and this http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/HubDiagnosis.html andddd this haha http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/transfercasetroubleshooting.htm it might help out more then what i kno. good luck!

 

[mudcrazy]

well finally got my truck going and suprise suprise a new problem. After i got it going i took it out in the snow and locked it in (87 ranger 5 speed manual hubs) went to go up a hill and only rear wheels spin, when it started to slide back down the hill i heard a loud grinding all the sudden. before it quit on me 4x4 worked, however when it did run last year i drove it around for a couple hundred miles in 4x4 but with the hubs unlocked. when in neutral the front driveshaft does not move freely. also when i first lock it in a have to give it a lot of gas then it feels like it suddenly breaks loose and goes. im thinking my front diff is ****ed but not sure. whats everyone think and how can i come across and change a front diff?

I had a seal go on mine in the fall and got water into the diff. I didn't know at the time till I went to use the 4x and didn't want to move just like yours, then broke free. Mine was just froze up, I put it in garage and warmed it up so I could change the fluid. There was quite abit of water that came out. Workes good so far.(yes I replaced the seals to.)

 

[84stealthranger]

when i swaped out my diff for 3.73s what came outta there was bad it was sooo thin like water thin lol

 

[binks0678]

finally got some shit tested...put it on jack stands and when i turn one tire forward the other goes backward. When i lock it in and start it all 4 tires spin however both front tires are very easy to stop with your hand. When me and my brother held both front wheels this is what happened: the passenger axle shaft keeps spinning even though the wheel isnt, and the drivers side axle shaft does not spin at all. also both sides are noiser than shit.....im thinking both sides need the hubs cleaned, and new bearings. Im also thinking my front diff is messed up cuz its loud as hell to and the driveshaft going into it is definetly working right...whats everyone think? Hubs or differential or both?

 

[binks0678]

since i drove it for a long time in 4x4 but with hubs unlocked could my hubs just be messed up or would that tear up the dif? and where the hell do i find a new diff?

 

[binks0678]

found new hubs for $130. Does everyone think its my hubs or could it still be the diff?