4WD Help

[bigboy]

So i just picked up a 1993 explorer 5 speed for 500 bucks and all it needed was a clutch it only has 4000 mile on the rubuilt motor and has 127000 on the body. I went to put it into 4wd and it made a clicking and popping sound. When you go to disengage 4WD it has a hard time disengaging and makes the same sound. I thought it was a hub so i replaced it and that didnt work. Im thinking it is the 4wd motor on the back of the transfer case, just wanted to see what everyone else thought. Thanks.

 

[MrShorty]

Not sure what to think. Can you provide more detail as to what it is doing and not doing? Does the 4wd work (do the front wheels get power)?

When you say it has a hard time disengaging, what does that mean? Based strictly on what you wrote, my first inclination is that something is mismatched (tire size most likely) that is causing the drivetrain to bind up in 4wd.

 

[bigboy]

i got stuck the other day and if i engage 4wd high it wouldnt do anything except clunk around. i engaged 4wd low and it pulled me right out but then it didnt want to come out of 4wd but eventually did and made all kinds of grinding and clunking sounds for a few minutes while the vehicle was in motion.

 

[94Gexplorer]

if u have auto hubs did you put it in reverse to unlock them after you disengaged the 4wd

 

[bigboy]

yes i did put in in reverse to disengage them and it just clunked around for a few min.

 

[Vargas]

Hub problems are generally clicks, except for the bang when they fail under load.

Any major clunking noise is something else.

Transfer case in the '93 is pretty simple. You said "4wd motor on the back of the transfer case" so you must have the TouchMatic (or is it called TouchDrive, can't recall) push buttons on the dash.

Push the 4x4 button. Might hear some relays clicking in the back end from the shift controller in the jack storage compartment. Within a second or two, the light next to the 4x4 button will illuminate, indicating that the TC has successfully shifted. No light until shift is completed. If the hubs are already locked, you might hear/feel a small thunk as the TC engages the front driveshaft. If there is any drama, then you probably have mismatched tire sizes.

The shift into (or out of) 4low requires that you be stopped and in neutral. A push of the Low Range button and again there will be relays clicking in the rear quarter. When shift is complete, light will illuminate.

If you don't get positive shift results, try just sitting still in the driveway with the parking brake set and the transmission in neutral. It is very common for the transfer case shift motor to "gum up" and not want to shift smoothly if it has not been used recently. We used to have a '93 that my wife drove and the 4wd had not been used for a couple of years. When she tried it in the snow, no luck. I spent an hour just patiently pushing the button, listening to the clicks and waiting for the light to come on. It would take several tries before the control would indicate a successful shift. The controller clicks for a couple of seconds and then times out. Wait for the clicks to stop before trying again. After a few cycles, it would complete a shift. It would then take several click cycles before it would disengage. I just kept exercising it and each time it took fewer cycles to make a successful shift. After maybe ten shifts, it was working smoothly.

After that session, it continued to work reliably when I tested it every few months.

 

[bigboy]

Hub problems are generally clicks, except for the bang when they fail under load.

Any major clunking noise is something else.

Transfer case in the '93 is pretty simple. You said "4wd motor on the back of the transfer case" so you must have the TouchMatic (or is it called TouchDrive, can't recall) push buttons on the dash.

Push the 4x4 button. Might hear some relays clicking in the back end from the shift controller in the jack storage compartment. Within a second or two, the light next to the 4x4 button will illuminate, indicating that the TC has successfully shifted. No light until shift is completed. If the hubs are already locked, you might hear/feel a small thunk as the TC engages the front driveshaft. If there is any drama, then you probably have mismatched tire sizes.

The shift into (or out of) 4low requires that you be stopped and in neutral. A push of the Low Range button and again there will be relays clicking in the rear quarter. When shift is complete, light will illuminate.

If you don't get positive shift results, try just sitting still in the driveway with the parking brake set and the transmission in neutral. It is very common for the transfer case shift motor to "gum up" and not want to shift smoothly if it has not been used recently. We used to have a '93 that my wife drove and the 4wd had not been used for a couple of years. When she tried it in the snow, no luck. I spent an hour just patiently pushing the button, listening to the clicks and waiting for the light to come on. It would take several tries before the control would indicate a successful shift. The controller clicks for a couple of seconds and then times out. Wait for the clicks to stop before trying again. After a few cycles, it would complete a shift. It would then take several click cycles before it would disengage. I just kept exercising it and each time it took fewer cycles to make a successful shift. After maybe ten shifts, it was working smoothly.

After that session, it continued to work reliably when I tested it every few months.

tried this and still doin the same thing

 

[Vargas]

When stationary, does it shift reliably and without noise other than a few clicks?

 

[bigboy]

When stationary, does it shift reliably and without noise other than a few clicks?

yes shifts fine with just the sound of the relays.

 

[Vargas]

If it shifts well when stationary but has trouble when moving, it is most likely mismatched tires.

 

[bigboy]

what do you mean my mismatched tires. i went out and looked and there all the same size. 235/75/15

 

[Vargas]

Same brand/model? Purchased at the same time?

 

[bigboy]

i just went out and cleaned up the hubs real good and greased them up with a light coat of grease. still the same thing. i engaged 4wd and jacked it up and could rotate the drivers side with no problem and i could rotate the passenger side with a little bit of difficulty. I took it for a ride and now my ABS light is on and when i hit the brakes it pulls to the right real hard, i tried bleeding them but they were fine. what did i ###### up now

 

[Vargas]

Did you have both front wheels off the ground at the same time?

With 4WD engaged, front end off the ground, you should be able to turn each front wheel with moderate effort. When you do so, the other front wheel should turn the opposite direction if the hubs are locked. If they weren't locked when you jacked it up, it may taken a few revolutions before they lock. If the other wheel does not turn, check the other side. If one turns with noticeably greater effort, the hub on the easy turning wheel is not locking. The difference in effort to turn each wheel is because the one with the good hub is turning its halfshaft, as well as the opposite (spinning in the other direction) through the front diff.

One bad front hub will cause hard engagement while moving, because the front driveshaft is not speed matched to the rear driveshaft.

 

[bigboy]

well right now i have made a big mess and i need some serious help. this is no longer about the 4wd. I lent my explorer to a friend to do a manual hub conversion because he said he knew how and has did it before well he knew ****. he didnt use a conversion kit and just put on the maual hubs. well i took it for a ride and made all kinds of noise and pulled around. well i took them back off and put my auto hubs back on. well im going to work this morning and when i would hit the brakes it would pull to the right extremly hard. When i went around a LEFT hand turn it would jerk to the LEFT real hard but only for an instant. Well made it to work and when i was leaving i was going down the road and a loud POP came from the passenger side and nothing changed, well then the brakes started screwing up and when you first pushed the pedal there was nothing but the second time you would have normal pressure. Also i took out the fuse for ABS thinking that would help but nothing came out of that. Also there is a humming/ vibration coming from the passenger side now also. Some ppl told me it could be a wheel bearing, axle joint, caliper, or universal joint. Please help me out any more info needed just let me know.

 

[MrShorty]

Are you up to taking the front end apart? I might suggest taking a good manual and the "1st gen brake job diary" thread and start pulling each side apart to make sure it's all put together right.