Front U Joints?

[rangershea]

I'm kinda new to this truck and am not real familiar with it, so bear with me if I ask something dumb. I have been using the 4wd lately since it started snowing, and i have been noticing a clunk that has been slowly been getting worse. I've only had the truck for a month. The clunk feels like a U-joint, and only happens in 4x4 and when under acceleration or deceleration, but i crawled underneath and wiggled all the ujoints and nothing seemed to rattle or have any play.

What else could it be? I already pulled both auto hubs and cleaned them and lubed them with a little atf, they look good.

Should I pull a front axle and take a better look at it?

Maybe this is normal and I just don't know the truck very well?

Any help would be greatly appreciated
'93 ranger xlt

 

[schroader]

Might be the carrier( gear)...

 

[BlackBII]

Check the joints on the front driveshaft.

If that checks out, my guess is the hubs.

 

[rangershea]

to check and inspect the carrier, is there a trick to getting the cover off the front diff? It looks kinda complicated.

As for removing the front axle, how do I go about that?
thanks guys

 

[Nhaz]

Auto hubs are the debil!. My vote is Old and Worn auto hubs. They like to slip when the cams in the hub start to wear. It sounds like something going Clunk Loudly.

And the clue here is they are getting progressively worse. The clunk happens more often as time goes on.

Replace them with manual hubs asap! you'll never looks back at the auto hubs.

 

[rangershea]

From what I have been reading you may be right about it being the hubs, but is there any way I can test them to be sure before I go and replace them? Dont really have the money right now. And if it is the problem, would they still be okay to drive on even though they clunk?

 

[Nhaz]

you can continue to drive on them. but expect them to get worse. before i finnally replaced mine they would clunk every 20 seconds or so.

The only way i can think of repairing them would be to have a welder build up the cams back to the original height and grind them into shape Somehow without melting the plastic bits =>. Really not worth the time or money.

The best bet would be to replace them with a set of manual hubs from a junk yard. or buy a new set. the new sets vary in price. around here they can be bought for 175-250 for a set new Or at the stealership for a insane 600. at a junk yard maybe 100 for a pair.

If you go the junk yard option. you have to remember you Need all the bits behind the hub right back to the bearing. you will also need a special socket for the manual hubs nuts they are different then the auto hubs. If you really want to redneck it you can put the manual nuts on with a chisel. but i don't recommend it.

If you buy the hubs new you ALSO need a conversion kit since the hubs will Not come with one. the conversion kit can be bought off this site. and honestly I've looked around, its also the Cheapest place to buy the conversion kit.


Be sure to research in the tech library how they come apart and go together. its easy to do, really, it is. but you still have to know how to.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/howto_hubswap.htm

and Do Not turn the nut on the Auto hubs spindle nut till you have the locking key out of it first. or you are going to jam it and bugger something up =>