94 limited please help

[iggly2]

Ijust bought a 94 explorer limited and I don't think the front wheels are locking in. When I push the 4x4 butten on the dash I can hear a click coming from the rear and when I press the low range button I head a clunk in the front .Ive gotten under it and tried to turn the axel shafts and they won't turn and it souns as if they are locked into the hubs but i still don't know.What could it be and how can i find out for sure?Please help

 

[Glen4X4]

Welcome To The Forum! I'm guessing you have the autolocking hubs? Did you have the vehicle in neutral and jacked up off the ground?

 

[iggly2]

yes I do have auto lockin hubs and no it was not off the ground

 

[stev0n]

the easiest way i can think of is throw it in 4lo and let it idle and it should pull itself pretty good if it's working correctly.

 

[Glen4X4]

This is a way to test if your front hubs are locking put it in 4hi and on dirt type surface turn the wheels sharply and only do this for a couple seconds if it feels like its pulling hard then your hubs are locking in, or just try to spin the tires while in 4hi.

 

[gsmaclean]

Read this article on diagnosing and fixing locking hub problems that I wrote a few weeks back:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206722

 

[iggly2]

So much thanks guys.The reason that I thought that it wasn't working was that I got stuck in the mud and when i engaged the 4wd the front did not help, however recently ,after trying stevO's reply and trying that ,After engaging it at around 30 mph , it seems to work. The only conclusion I can come up with is that due to thelack of use and the cold weather , something was hung up. Oh well it seems the problem wasn't a problem after al , but I learned alot about the Explorer 4wd system from you guys and I hope it helps someone else.I plan on keeping the thread from gsmaclean on hand, I'm sure it will come in handy one day, as well as the rest of yall's advice.once again, Thank you guy's so much

 

[Glen4X4]

Cleaning the hubs here and there is a good idea just so you're more than likely to have your 4wheel when ya need it.

 

[DeRocha]

Also be sure to check out the stickies (FAQ) type threads at the top of the forums. They have info like 4x4 Troubleshooting Guide

 

[gsmaclean]

So much thanks guys.The reason that I thought that it wasn't working was that I got stuck in the mud and when i engaged the 4wd the front did not help, however recently ,after trying stevO's reply and trying that ,After engaging it at around 30 mph , it seems to work. The only conclusion I can come up with is that due to thelack of use and the cold weather , something was hung up. Oh well it seems the problem wasn't a problem after al , but I learned alot about the Explorer 4wd system from you guys and I hope it helps someone else.I plan on keeping the thread from gsmaclean on hand, I'm sure it will come in handy one day, as well as the rest of yall's advice.once again, Thank you guy's so much

If you are already stuck, then you are out of luck. The front wheels have to be ROLLING in order for the hubs to lock. If you are stuck, and are in 2WD, you can shift the transfer case to 4WD, but the hubs won't lock until you start rolling a few feet - and if you're already stuck, that's not going to happen. That's one of the big advantages of having manual hubs.

Best thing to do is if you are suspecting you might need 4WD, shift into it while driving, then shift out. This locks your hubs up (as long as you don't reverse, which will unlock them) in case you need them to get unstuck.

 

[DeRocha]

If you are already stuck, then you are out of luck. The front wheels have to be ROLLING in order for the hubs to lock. If you are stuck, and are in 2WD, you can shift the transfer case to 4WD, but the hubs won't lock until you start rolling a few feet - and if you're already stuck, that's not going to happen. That's one of the big advantages of having manual hubs.

Best thing to do is if you are suspecting you might need 4WD, shift into it while driving, then shift out. This locks your hubs up (as long as you don't reverse, which will unlock them) in case you need them to get unstuck.

That is not true.. Automatic hubs are actuated by the rotation of the axle shaft and do not require the wheels to be rolling or moving. They will lock just fine.. Whats weird is you even mentioned this in your troubleshooting guide..

• Turn the front driveshaft. It should turn freely. You should see the half shaft (the shaft connecting the front differential to the wheel) of the raised wheel turn as you turn the driveshaft.
• Within one or two turns, the hub in the wheel should lock up, and the wheel should start turning, either forwards or backwards (depending on which way you are turning the shaft).