ranger binding in front, need help

[basketrunner]

i searched and cant find any info so im hoping someone can point me in the right direction. i have a 95 ford ranger supercab. with manual hubs and transfer case. when i locked the hubs and put 4x4 high i get binding and pop when driving in forward or reverse. i dont want to do any damage to the transfer case so i am not going to use 4x4 till i figure this out. also the truck does not want to go over 35 to 40 miles per hour. i would appreciate any help. thanks

 

[Viper Command]

bad alignment and or wheel bearings, your tires are doing the snow plow effect. /\

 

[basketrunner]

will driving like this cause more damage?

 

[basketrunner]

could it be a mismatched rear? a new rear was installed prior to me receiving truck.

 

[Viper Command]

it could destroy your wheel bearings by over heating, scar your spindle tubes, kill the inside of your tires, and cause brake fade and uneven pad wear.

I think you should drop the $50-90 for an alignment.

 

[Viper Command]

what axle code is on your vin lable? mach that up in the tech library
http://therangerstation.com/tech_library/Axles.html <--link

then pull the rear cover and on the ring gear it will be stampted with the ratio

 

[basketrunner]

definitely will do alignment. just want to be sure thats not the only problem. will a mismatched rear cause this problem?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yesif the rear gearing is mis matched to the front gearing then it will definately cause Binding. Its the same effect as if you put large tires on the rear and small tires on the front or in reverse. There is a mechanical link between the front and rear when you engage 4x4. The front will spin at one speed while the rear spins at another and when it pops and jumps thats the parts getting so stressed that it pops the wheels to relieve tension. It is not a good idea to drive in 4x4.

AS for the truck not going over 45... does it feel like the brakes are dragging? or the front end is doing something or does it feel liek the engine has reached its limit?

 

[basketrunner]

thanks for all the responses. changed the rear all is good for now. one quick question. my 4x4hi and 4x4low lights flash every 2 minutes. why is this and what is the significance since i have manual hubs and transfer case? thanks again for all the help.

 

[AllanD]

definitely will do alignment. just want to be sure thats not the only problem. will a mismatched rear cause this problem?

YES!

Going STRAIGHT a bind like that is a classic sign of a mismatched rear axle.

Driving like that will break things... expensive things.

AD