To buy or not to buy. 4wd help

[rabbit4x4]

Im about to purchase a 1999 ford ranger reg cab 4x4 automatic 3.0l v6.

But its front wheels wont engage when 4wd is flipped on. (i know about the PVH system problem)

The front drive shaft engages, it spins, but the front wheel recieve no power.

The owner has no clue, and he didnt even know 4wd wasnt working, and i believe him, this thing has NOT been abused. 150k miles, runs great, looks great, street tires, not even a ball hitch on the bumper and the bumper is perfectly strait. Paint and body is great!

I was test driving it..and sold on it, untill i decided i BETTER test the 4wd..Sure enought no power to the front wheels.

The owner has it in the shop for an estimate and diagnoses.
Assuming its the PVH system, i imagine they are going to give him an outrages estimate to fix it. Personally im not about to let a shop do the work.

So do you guys think its worth it, for me to just buy it "as is" at a good price, and hope it is the PVH system and fix it myself? Oh um i wont fix that PVH system, ill just put manual locking hubs in it.

Again all i know is the front drive shaft engages, it spins, but the front wheels recieve no power

What price would you guys offer, assuming its just the PVH system? Or what else could be wrong?

150k miles, runs great, looks great, newish street tires, not even a ball hitch on the bumper and the bumper is perfectly strait. Paint and body is great! whats a good price for it?

 

[4x4junkie]

I would say if the front driveshaft engages, probably 98% chance it's the PVH hubs. That last 2% chance maybe it's a front differential issue (in which case the front axle housing isn't too real difficult to swap out for a junkyard unit). You should be able to tell which is which just by looking at the axle half-shafts going to each wheel. If one or both are also spinning, but the wheel isn't, then for sure it's a hub issue.

 

[--weezl--]

i would go for it, hold the 4x4 deal against the PO, get a good price...

IIRC, i priced out manual locking hub conversions here (though this was for my 07) and it was about 300 a side

 

[rabbit4x4]

Thanks for the tip guys. I should hear back by tomorrow. I think ill go for it.