4x4 problems.

[Broncoforlife]

I have a 1983 full size ford bronco.. and when i lock the hubs and put it in 4 wheel drive. If i turn the wheel there is a loud click/banging sound and if i try to go while my wheel is turned i cant.

If anyone knows what the problem is can they please help me out?

Thanks

 

[Justshootme84]

I would check the axle u-joints. One may be frozen up or bad. Other than that, try to isolate the noise to the front end, driveshaft or the t-case.

 

[Yardape]

Definately bad u-joints

 

[Broncoforlife]

Whats it cost to fix? Anyone know?

 

[Yardape]

For you to do it about $15 per u-joint. a shop to do it probably 500.00

 

[Broncoforlife]

HOLY SHIT..... i guess il be doing it myself than.. haha Thanks

 

[Yardape]

Do it yourself for sure, there are many guys on here that have done it before, including myself that can walk you through it with ease. One thing you can check right away. Behind each front tire, at the steering knuckle, you can see the u-joints. See if you can move them around, mine moved approx half inch in all directions, with the new u-joints they dont move a millimeter.

 

[miesk5]

Universal Joint Installation

Source: by Mark H

Universal Joint Pulling Problems, Ford 4x4

Source: by Northstar Manufacturing Company

an excerpt; "... 1 . Bound-up outer axle u-joints can cause weird steering non-returnability, pulling, noises, etc. A suggested idea is to reach up and turn the drive axle 90 degrees at the outer u-joint, look for rust bleeding out of the u-joint caps, feel for looseness. .."

 

[wtfdissux]

mine had no play at all was just changing since was in there anyway and found no grease and most of the rollers turnd to dust so look for play check for the rust ring (will look like they were rusted in one place then move and re-rusted (kinda hard to explain with-out haveing one to say see that...) but for the cost if they dont have grease fittings on them may as well make it routine maintenance to replace anually more or less based on use and mileage

 

[1982 bronco lifter]

i have had the same problum and i cant figure it out it bangs (when locked in) when it is in fourwheel drive it and the front tires dont spin just bangs replaced u-joints and still nothing would of started new topic but i decided to use this one thanks for the help all

 

[wtfdissux]

I have a complete new (tire to tire tie rods to radius arm brackets) and still unable to resolve this when I engage the front it rides like crap grinds and the whole front acts like a teeter totter from the right side jumping up and down drives me nutz

 

[Yardape]

I have a complete new (tire to tire tie rods to radius arm brackets) and still unable to resolve this when I engage the front it rides like crap grinds and the whole front acts like a teeter totter from the right side jumping up and down drives me nutz

Maybe you need an inspection. LOL just kidding. Lift all four tires off the ground, put the t-case in neutral, turn the front driveshaft see if you can hear the pinion bearing grinding, if not lock in the hubs, see if you can get some grinding now, start the truck, put it in 4hi and put it in first gear and let it drive with all four off the ground. Any grinding yet? Turn steering from lock to lock while its still running in first gear. Do all this and the gremlins should show up for ya.

 

[wtfdissux]

great idea but it wont do it without the wheels off the ground thats why its driving me nuts

have tried that have taken the front shaft out and locked the hubs and driven short of going for a ride under the truck I have no idea what else to try

might be getting a new d44 complete from a customer that is doing the upgrade to solid axle on his f-250hd even if that doesn't solve it its a good reason to switch to 4:11 gears instead of the damn weak 3:55's

 

[BLADE262US]

Have you had the spindles off yet ? There is a bearing in the back of it that the inner axle rides on could make that noise . /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[wtfdissux]

finally going to have time to get into this again good thing since buffalo has been getting pounded lately with snow

am going to replace the spindle bearings any tips and how the **** do you pack them with grease as opposed to a wheel bearing

the latest is now the 4 x 4 is almost usable (had no choice got stuck half way up the doors in fresh plowed white ****)

so decided to try it after work tonight and it pulls badly to the right with the steering wheel being very erratic at the same time (like tight turning at a low speed in 4 x 4 only when going straight, or trying to anyway at about 25. Got some major grinding whine from the axles so pulled over and shifted back to 4 x 2. With the hubs still locked pulled back out and right back to normal.

If I cannot get this solved soon the headers and dual exhaust along with the 2 sets of tires/rimes will be on the market when I junk the truck

 

[mbtech2003]

finally going to have time to get into this again good thing since buffalo has been getting pounded lately with snowam going to replace the spindle bearings any tips and how the **** do you pack them with grease as opposed to a wheel bearing

the latest is now the 4 x 4 is almost usable (had no choice got stuck half way up the doors in fresh plowed white ****)

so decided to try it after work tonight and it pulls badly to the right with the steering wheel being very erratic at the same time (like tight turning at a low speed in 4 x 4 only when going straight, or trying to anyway at about 25. Got some major grinding whine from the axles so pulled over and shifted back to 4 x 2. With the hubs still locked pulled back out and right back to normal.

If I cannot get this solved soon the headers and dual exhaust along with the 2 sets of tires/rimes will be on the market when I junk the truck

possible blown front spyder gears?? with no load on them their won't be any noise.

 

[wtfdissux]

any way to tell without pulling the diff and do I need to set lash etc. when doing and lastly how do I know if it has the trac-loc setup with out pulling it the rear did and what a P.I.T.A. that was has since bean changed to normal limited slip

 

[Yardape]

Your question seems to bounce around, and really doesnt make much sense. I am not clear what your actual question is. From what I can decipher I will do my best to answer, correct me if I am wrong. To check lash, you can get a good idea by turning the yoke at the pinion of the diff in question, turn it a bit one way and when it binds, turn it the other way until it binds, does this feel excessive? There should be a bit of play but not too much. Your next question is the one I am having trouble figuring out, are you asking how to tell if you have posi in general or you know you have posi but what to know what kind? If you are wanting to know if you have it, lift both tires off the ground of the diff in question, put it in neutral, if its the front diff lock in the hubs. Ensure that the hubs locked in, and t-case is in neutral. Turn one tire and if the other tire turns in the same direction its posi if it goes in the opposite direction then its an open or otherwise known as a conventional carrier.

 

[wtfdissux]

sorry for the quick throw together reply looking at yes it is perfectly easy to read ..... if you have ADHD and to much caffeine

first part was regarding when I drop the front diff will I need to set pinion lash and so on when it goes back in or just replace the spider gears and return the front diff back to the truck

second part is there a way to tell if it has the ford Trac-loc set up in it the factory rear axle did and it makes for a pain in the a@* to replace the spider gears if they are bad

and lastly and this is an afterthought if it is the Trac-Loc setup is it possible that the clutch packs just sh*& the bed

for a little bit of background info when the front drive first went out was in a snow storm pulled off shifted the hubs and T-case and it felt like driving with the brakes on since the have replaced both axles locking hubs spindles wheel bearings.....basically everything from the knuckle out plus the axles and all U-joints now am getting ready to do the spindle bearings just because the spindles that I put on were from a 89 in the bone yard so I don't know how good they are

have had 2 unintended trips off of the road since the snow started one almost involved a school bus so I finally need this resolved