Something Slipping In 4wd.....

Wanted to reach out for some troubleshooting tips. I thought I had everything in good shape for the upcoming hunting season and then on my latest test drive I rediscovered an old problem I thought I had solved. When I'm in 4wd, and not even necessarily spinning the tires or stressing the drivetrain, maybe just easing down a dirt road, something up front is slipping with a terrible steel-on-steel PLANG. It's just every now and then, pretty much at random, but it feels like the front right wheel is skipping a tooth somewhere or coming in and out of 4wd. I thought I had fixed this a few months ago when I found some slop in my transfer case shifter linkage. That is all tightened up now and working properly, so I can pretty confidently eliminate that item. I'm out of town until the end of the week so I'll just be pacing back and forth in the hotel room all night until I can put my hands on it this weekend. My dad went out yesterday and pushed on the front right wheel and said there was slop in my bell crank but didn't seem to be slop coming from the wheel bearing. Right now my troubleshooting list includes:

• Check the hub and make sure it isn't stripped. (It's almost brand new so I'd be surprised)
• Check the wheel bearing
• Check the axle splines
• Check the differential and bearings (just looked it over a few months ago when changing the oil and seemed fine)

Any other ideas?

 

I would be checking the driveshaft slip joint

 

It sure sounds like it did when my F-250 had a worn out hub that would pop out under load. Definitely make sure they are engaging all the way. Also X2 on checking the slip joint.

 

How can you check that, other than twisting the dial over 100%?

 

Usually they are spring loaded, so if things aren't lining up right, they won't fully engage. Some disassembly and checking to make sure everything slides nicely might be needed. On the truck it was visually obvious worn-out splines on the slider. That's probably not the case here since the poster says the hubs are fairly new. It seems like it would have to be mis-assembly (if it's the hubs).

I remember mis-assembling a set of newer Warn hubs on my CJ2 so they wouldn't engage. I was a teenager and snapped a rear axle shaft trying to do a burnout. I thought I'd drive home on the front to find out I had no front! I walked to my Grandma's and called my Mom bring some allen wrenches. Fixed the hub and drove home in front wheel drive.

 

Are you driving in 4WD on a hard surface? That will torque load the drive train then release suddenly.

 

this makes sense. i had my spring in backwards in my lockout hubs. 4WD wasnt always working in that instance.

 

doesnt have a locker im guessing? what kind of hubs are they?

 

It could possibly be my hub. I had to take it off earlier to replace the gasket because it was leaking oil and could have possibly reinstalled it wrong. It's a warn hub with the manual turning lock. no locker

 

Universal joint?

 

Could be. I'll finally be able to put my hands on it again today. I just replaced my front driveshaft and u joints a few months ago, the yoke had been sheared in half for no reason I could come up with other than maybe it was old and worn out. If it turns out to be the U joint or yoke again I'm going to be worried that my T98 has made the angle of the driveshaft too sharp to run without tearing itself up. Hope that's not the case.

 

I think I fixed it. Went through most of the running gear and everything looked fine. Finally noticed that the bolts holding the little oil pan on the bottom of the transfer case were barely hand tight. It was definitely dripping oil but when I checked it the TC was basically dry. Fortunately I haven't been driving much so I don't think any major damage happened. I tightened everything up and filled it with new oil and on my short test drive there was no more popping. Fingers crossed that that was it.