Turned 4x4 too hard, too sharply

[ally0000]

Hi All

I have a '94 XLT V6 and I was driving this morning in the snow with 4x4 on, I've not fitted the snow tires yet. When the steering is on full lock with the 4x4 engaged I feel a lot of resistance on the steering wheel...is this normal?

Anyway this morning I was turning into a parking lot and the 4x4 was on and the truck made a kinda grinding sound and now the steering is pretty hard to turn. I think I may have damaged something like the steering rack? I'm still at work and kind of scared to drive it home but I wil probably do it anyway.

Do any of you guys have any idea what's happened?

Thanks
Ally

 

[Billy177]

you are not supposed to go in 4x4 on dry pavement but yes it is normal

 

[blue_97_v8]

I feel a lot of resistance on the steering wheel...is this normal?
YES!!

 

[410Fortune]

Your 94 does not hack rack and pinion steering. It has a power steering box and pitman arm with tie rods.


it should be harder to steer in 4x4 then in 2wd but not impossible.

You can get a good idea if anything is broken just by getting under the front of the truck and looking.

Also you might check the level of power steering fluid in the pump resevoir.

DOes your truck have auto hubs?
How long has it been since you checked your tire pressure?

 

[ally0000]

Hey All

thanks for all your replies, its interesting why this happens, I'm not a mechanic but it doesn't really make sense. Living in Calgary right now, we've just had a foot of snow so I do tend to use the 4x4. I drove th etruck home and it turned out to be OK, which is a relief.

So thanks again

Ally

 

[RangerX]

Ally, if your truck still has it's owner's manual, read the section about driving with 4WD.

 

[410Fortune]

It makes complete sense........you are now running everything from the transfer case forward, the driveshaft, the differential gears, both axle shafts, to the hubs.

Plus you are now sending power to the front wheels

This will effect steering in any condition.

If you have manual hubs you can do a little experiment too. Try locking in the hubs without putting the truck in 4x4. This will turn the axles, diff, and driveshaft. Just having all this stuff turning will effect the steering, even without engaging the T case..........

 

[mrbeefy]

sounds like a hub problem have them checked out.

 

[Hotweels]

Living in Calgary right now, we've just had a foot of snow so I do tend to use the 4x4.

Ahhhhh a fellow calgarian nice to see more local's on the board.
And for the rest of you just FYI calgary does very little in the way of road cleaning after a snow fall beacause we get chinooks (one day it's -10 and snowing the next it's +10 sunny) so we can honestly say we 4x4 to work in the city

 

[Hotweels]

oh and if you are looking for a new set of hub's let me know i am selling a almost new set of Warn manual locking hub's.

 

[jimbo74]

it should be rough... i actually check my 4x4 to see if it is working by trying that, i lock my manual hubs, and turn the wheel put it in 1st gear and dont give it any gas at all, if it creeps or moves, something isnt working right... basically, its normal and the clunking is the wheels hopping/ binding becuase of the increased resistance... its normal....