4WD Not working - OR - Operator Dumb?

[dsfii93sport]

Hey all,

I just got my first snow fall here and I took my 93 Sport out to test its 4wd capabilities and I'm hoping someone can help me out here.

I want to say its not working, but the light comes on and on the dash it says 4x4. But when I try to take off, the rear wheels spin and fish tale around like when 4wd is off??? Im also not gettin low range to come on, when I press the button for low, it turns 4wd off!...

Is it possible for the light to say its on, and it not really be working???

If I'm really in 4wd, should the rear tires spin like that?

Thanks for any procedures to figure this problem out.

 

['92Bauer]

Sorry but the only thing i can help you on would be the low range, for that you have to be in Neutral, while in 4X4 then press the low range button. Do you have autolocking hubs or manual ones by the way?

 

[dsfii93sport]

I have autolocking.... I'm thinking I might have applied a lot of grease in them when I did my brake job... hmmm

Also It is a manual stick shift, so does neutral matter w/ low range?

Where is the transfer case motor that I can hit as I've heard on other threads?

 

[Con Seann3ry]

I have autolocking.... I'm thinking I might have applied a lot of grease in them when I did my brake job... hmmm

Also It is a manual stick shift, so does neutral matter w/ low range?

Where is the transfer case motor that I can hit as I've heard on other threads?

If the light comes on then your transfer case should be fine...sounds to me the problem is grease in the hubs. These are dry hubs and should not be greased other than a small amount to prevent rust. You should clean as much of that grease out as you can, then I hear if you soak them overnight in ATF fluid also that should help clean them...someone should know exactly what to do, or you could search.

 

[Eneurb]

Have a brave assistant check if the front drive shaft spins... then you know that you're having hub problems.

 

[DeRocha]

If the dash light and button come on indicating 4x4 then your shift motor has shifted the T-Case into 4x4... You must be in neutral and going under 3mph in order to switch from 4H to 4L.

With open diffs only 1 wheel (the one with the least traction) will be driving the car. So if your left rear tire was on dry pavement and your right rear tire was on ice the right rear tire would get all the power while the left did nothing. A limited slip or locking diff would allow both wheels to rotate in these conditions.

The HUBs do not require grease as there is no moving parts that require it. Packing the HUB with grease will eventually cause it to hydrolock the spring mechanism (hidden from view at the bottom of the hub) towards the disengage position rendering 4x4 useless.

 

[dsfii93sport]

Well, I tried the neutral and at 0mph and it still shuts off 4x4 all the way,, unless my 4L lights are all burned out. Cause then I press 4H again and it does nothing,,, then a second press and it comes back on again...

You say in 4wd the rear will spin??? wow whats the point in 4wd if the front won't pick up what the rear can't???

 

[DeRocha]

Well, I tried the neutral and at 0mph and it still shuts off 4x4 all the way,, unless my 4L lights are all burned out. Cause then I press 4H again and it does nothing,,, then a second press and it comes back on again...

You say in 4wd the rear will spin??? wow whats the point in 4wd if the front won't pick up what the rear can't???

Not exactly... 50% of the power goes to the front and 50% to the rear; so 1 axle in the front and 1 wheel in the back will always be moving. Unfortunately it is the wheel with the least amount of traction. When offroading if a wheel comes off the ground the axle it is on is rendered useless. This is because the wheel in the air will get all the power and spin freely while the wheel firmly planted on the ground does nothing... As such if you have a broken or Unlocked hub in the front axle then it is rendered useless. The power will be sent to the wheel with the broken or unlocked hub (spining freeling without moving the wheel at all). So engaging 4x4 with a broken or unlocked hub is exactly the same traction as being in 2 wheel drive.

 

[dsfii93sport]

Cool thanks for the pointers,, I am gonna go out when I get a chance and tape a string about 3 feet long to each of the front axles, perpendicular to it. Then get in the truck, put it in 4wd and move forward about 10 feet. Then if one or both of the axles are turning,, I should see the string reeled around the axle,, or if that axles is not turning, obviously the string will not be wrapped around at all...

I'll let you know what happens!

 

[dsfii93sport]

Ok I have more information now after I did my string test.... Maybe bad news! haha... Neither the left or right front axles are spinning when in 4H (lights on confirming 4WD). Now I did the test also on the input shaft into the front differential, and as you'd assume, it is not spinning either....

So even though my dash says 4WD is on,, well it is not! haha... When I turn it on I can here clicky clicky click in back left rear like relay chatter and thats all I hear. Then when I turn it off it clicks like once I think...

Whats my next step in determining this problem??

 

[Con Seann3ry]

sounds like your transfer case...I'd assume that the tcase motor isn't calibrated with where the transfer case is actually at, that's why it thinks it's in 4wd but isn't, but it sounds like the tcase motor is working (good news)...there is some shifter thing in there that you can do manually and you need to check that I guess..that's as far as i've thought this through

 

[dsfii93sport]

Yeah from what I've read on here, I think next I'll pull the tcase motor off and try engagin it manually see if the 4wd works that way... Plus clean up all this switch contacts stuff and realign it...

 

[dsfii93sport]

Ok, I pulled the tcase motor off and for giggles shifted the tcase into 4H (FORD THANKS FOR THE MARKINGS ON THE CASE!). Took it for a spin and WAhlaaa,, yeah the 4wd works and I am impressed "first time using"....

Sooo.. I now have this motor on my desk,, where should I start to tinker w/ it? I assume put power to the motor itself and see if she turns... Anyone have wiring diagram for the pins on this plug?

 

[Evicerate]

Do a search about cleaning the tcase motor. The contacts in mine were black and shouldve been copper. A little electrical cleaner and a paper towel fixed my problem.

 

[dsfii93sport]

Anyone ever seen this before?? I opened up the tcase motor and cleaned out.. Looks like the nylon stopper under the gear was busted in half,, peices all over. Well, I cleaned it out, put back together and when I apply power to the motor, the thing works until the stopper hits. After that it seems to JAm up.. and applying power to the motor in both directions does nothing,,, just STUCK...

My question is? Is this because I am applying power fully all the way to the stopper jamming.. Where as in real application the 4wd controller should remove power right before the stopper hits eliminating this jam?

Or is my jam something wrong?

 

[dsfii93sport]

Well I think that this locking is because I didnt have a good spacer on the stoppping post. When the stopper hits, the motor torques it down like a screw... Then it becomes locked.. So I went out and bought a rubber grommet and placed over the stopper which now makes it work great... See now the rubber grommet acts like a spring so to speak, so if the stopper hits, the rubber flexes and minimizes the lock that occurs w/ a hard stopper.

I'm gonna try to get it put back into the truck and see how it works. I'll let ya know!

 

[Con Seann3ry]

You should take some pics of this before you stick it back in the truck

 

[have2goski]

I would be interested in pics as well. I am currently trying to figure out my 4x4 problem.

I have the clicking from the back when i push the button but get no indication on the dash that 4x4 is engaged. Automatic hubs should be fine. Last time i used it, I had no problem what so ever, but it has been awhile and I too have gotten a heavy dump of snow recently. When to put it in 4x4 and it was a no go.

 

[dsfii93sport]

YIKES! I put it back in without pics Sorry!!!

Well my 4wd works now! yeah.. Seems it was the broken stopper and the contacts were missaligned causing haywire for the 4wd controller.

After all this I'd have to say the BEST method for testing your 4wd is to find out if the axle from the transfer case to the front differential is turning.

 

[TPLYNCH]

For pictures, look for Brain's thread on shift motor in the useful threads forum. VERY DETAILED writeup...