1992 Explorer 4-wheel drive problems

[harrisonbilly88]

Just bought a 1992 eddie baur, drove it from Georgia to Fort Lost in the woods, MO with no broblems...until now. Engine running hot, but I beleive that is because the thermostat I got from Auto Zone is not the right one. However while I had it on the lift, I decided to check the four wheel drive. I found that the passenger side spun, but would not engage the hub, while the driver side did nothing at all. This was after I had replaced the rotors and brakes, which required that I take the auto locking hubs off to take the rotors off. Any ideas as to why the drivers side won't spin would be helpful. I beleive that I am going to have to replace the hubs anyway, but that doesn't really do much if the drivers side won't spin...

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Check # 27 in my list of useful threads for more information: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122696. # 26 has additional information, but check the above link first: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149326&page=1&pp=20

 

[harrisonbilly88]

Hell yeah! I am going to do the hub rebuild this weekend, if it works, it will save me some where around 300 bones! Thanks Brooklyn! Anybody have any ideas as to why the drivers side front driveshaft doesn't spin when 4 wheel drive is engaged?

 

[BrooklynBay]

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

 

[harrisonbilly88]

Well, hubs definetly don't lock, took them off and cleaned the old grease and crud out of them, reapplied a small amount of fresh grease, and they still don't lock. Got to thinking about the drivers side not spinning, while the passenger side does. If I am being correctly informed, than this is normal. My experience in four wheel drive is from the HMMWV, which is full time four wheel drive, and all four tires spin, all the time. From what I am being told, which could be completly wrong, the way the four wheel drive works on the X is that the power goes to the wheel with the least traction in the front when the four wheel drive is engaged. I have personally never seen this, can anybody validate this before I go buy a new front diff?

 

[Maniak]

What you are describing is correct for any 4x4 with a locked transfercase but no lock (or limited slip) in the differentials (which is how most 1st gen explorers are)

What you basically have is two open differentials. The transfer case will send power between both axles but once it gets to the axles the tire with the least amount of traction will get the power.

This isn't specific to the explorer, its how open differentials work.

BTW.. general consensus is don't grease the hubs. clean them out, soak them with ATF then install them.

EdIT: To check if your hubs locked, lift the front of the truck, lock the hubs and then rotate the tires. If the axle shaft spins then the hub locked..

~Mark

 

[harrisonbilly88]

Thanks Maniac! thats exactly the info I was looking for, I'll do the hubs again this weekend, and let everyone know if it works.

 

[harrisonbilly88]

Looks like I should have paid a little bit closer attention to the insides of those hubs when I took them off, the drivers side was worn completly down! It looked almost like the three "teeth" in there just got sheered off, but I don't remember seeing any peices of metal in all the grease I took out...? Oh well, looks like I am doing the conversion now, shouldn't be too difficult, just expensive from what I have seen...