Is it OK to run my 4x4 with no no rear shaft

[BigTirez]

Now that I have some time I need to replace the rear shaft on my 84 Ranger because the joint failed at the Tcase and long story short......you get the picture.

My only driver is my ranger so I am wondering if it will hurt to drive around from u-pull-it to u-pull-it looking for a new shaft with the front hubs locked in and in 2-high (I meant 4-High)?

I get a lot of torque steer when I accelerate, decelerate or shift gears and I don't want to trash my front end.

Thanks for any help!!

 

[KELLY88]

Now that I have some time I need to replace the rear shaft on my 84 Ranger because the joint failed at the Tcase and long story short......you get the picture.

My only driver is my ranger so I am wondering if it will hurt to drive around from u-pull-it to u-pull-it looking for a new shaft with the front hubs locked in and in 2-high?

I get a lot of torque steer when I accelerate, decelerate or shift gears and I don't want to trash my front end.

Thanks for any help!!

Ummmm, 2HI drives the rear shaft only. If you have no rear shaft and put it into 2HI then your output shaft for the rear will just spin and spin. If you put it into 4HI and drive with only front wheel drive then I suppose it would be possible, but definitely not recommended. You're looking at running into a whole lot more problems if you do that.

 

[Maverick]

It's perfectly fine. I've ran two vehicles for a short period of time with no rear driveshafts (due to being broken). I also had a friend loose the rear shaft in his BII, and he drove it everyday for nearly a year and a half like that until he got rid of the truck.

 

[Jspafford]

Now that I have some time I need to replace the rear shaft on my 84 Ranger because the joint failed at the Tcase and long story short......you get the picture.

My only driver is my ranger so I am wondering if it will hurt to drive around from u-pull-it to u-pull-it looking for a new shaft with the front hubs locked in and in 2-high?

I get a lot of torque steer when I accelerate, decelerate or shift gears and I don't want to trash my front end.

Thanks for any help!!

Go for it. I had a rear driveshaft go out on me twice in a month, I pulled the shaft, locked the hubs put it in 4WD and drove for 15 miles in 4-HI at 70 mph on the freeway.

You will be fine, just start off easy and be gentle on your dront axle. Oh yeah, it drives strange that way. Takes some getting used too.

 

[88ranger2.95sp]

Eeekkk!

I wouldn't do it. WHen my rearend blew (ironically it was on the way to my grandmother's wake.. RIP) I put it in 4hi and they front U-joints blew to hell driving on the shoulder of a 45mph road. They weren't in the best shape, but still...

I would never do it again, nor reccommend it.

Rob

 

[BlackBII]

I drove one of my BII's with a 4.0 in 4hi with no rear shaft because it snapped.
I did that for almost a month, worked fine, as long as the U joints are in good shape on the front end and the Transfer Case has fluid, should work just fine

 

[truckman]

Go for it i drove my truck around w/ a d28 and 32's for a month while i saved up to have a new rear shaft built. I even went out and played in the trails a bit like that. Just don't do any burn outs. If u do u might be stuck in front of ur friends house w/ no front axle either b/c u blew the u-joints apart.

 

[Ranger44]

Do it. I've driven my truck on the highway at 55mph with the front axle only when working on my rear joints. No probs!

 

[MAKG]

You "can," but you are at greater risk of breaking the front shafts because they are smaller than the rear, and the vehicle will handle very differently.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Yeah, but try not to do it for very long. I know someone who stripped the teeth on the rear axle ring gear, they pulled the ring gear off and reassembled it and he drove home from Tillamook state forest, to California, like 500ish miles with front wheel drive. (Dana 28 front axle BTW)

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

drove my ranger loaded with 4 days worth of camping gear over 120km's at 100km/hr to get home after taking out a rear drive shaft on some rocks in a creek crossing. It did torque steer when accelerating hard or down shifting for hills, but it was nothing that wasn't manageable. Go for it.

 

[compleckz]

i did it last week, i have a lock-right in the front, and i found both hubs locked drove much better than only one locked.. i started out with just the right hub locked, but it was very unpredictable like that!

 

[Hahnsb2]

i did it last week, i have a lock-right in the front, and i found both hubs locked drove much better than only one locked.. i started out with just the right hub locked, but it was very unpredictable like that!

I was curious about what would happen if I had to use FWD with my front locker, so it's not too bad, eh?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Just baby it. I have ran with the hind legs broke many times.

 

[compleckz]

I was curious about what would happen if I had to use FWD with my front locker, so it's not too bad, eh?

yep really not too bad at speed, in the city/tight turns it might be better with only one hub locked.. but going 50 it was much easier to drive with both hubs locked. limping home like that is completely possible, and completely safe. i only did it for a few miles though.