4wd questions

[95highline]

hello, i've got my hub finally in my '91 explorer, went to test to see if the 4wd was working, pushed the button to go into 4wd, i heard a click and a clunk, so i figured great, it's in 4wd, went into the mud...only the back tires did anything, the fronts didn't lock up. i know that hub was good and everything starts to turn in the front when you engage the 4wd, could it be a blown diff??

 

[Rick]

If your diff was blown you would have heard a racket. Auto hubs I assume??? Are you sure both hubs are good? Auto hubs are nothing, but problems. Most have swapped them out for Warn manual hub which are MUCH more reliable and less expensive too...

If your front driveshaft is turning I'm willing to bet you still have a problem with the hubs.

 

[bigbadbob94]

Get Manual hubs i had auto's and they were junk! I got Warn hubs now.

 

[95highline]

i'm not 100% sure if both hubs are good, i had the passenger one off and it had the cams and such in it. i don't plan on doing any rock crawling or extreme mudding, but it will see some off road times, i know your all gonna think i'm nuts but personally i'd like to keep the auto hubs just so i can be driving down the road and not have to get out my truck in the mid winter just to lock it into 4wd. i know i'm lazy.

 

[Tony H]

I too went with Manuals. I did the same in my Chevy pickup. Both these vehicles are my wifes cars. If there's enough snow on the ground, she locks them in before even pulling out ofthe driveway.

You can pull the autos off , put the tire back on. Idle down the road with someone looking at the exposed axles. If they are turning then you are getting power to the Hubs. that only leaves bad Hubs.

 

[ma96782]

Test:

Quote:
- when i push 4x4 and the light comes on, when in neutral and i roll the truck, the front drive shaft and axles now rotate, this means the transfer case is working right and the engine will be powering the front axles, right? However, I'm not sure my hubs are locking cause after I drive forward a bit, then put it back to 2 hi, the axles don't spin anymore. If the hubs are locked and it's in 2 hi, the axles and front drive shaft should still rotate right? End Quote

Negatory. That does not mean the transfer case is working. That means your hubs work. To check if the transfer case is in 4x4, put it in park, press the 4x4 button, and see if you can turn the front driveshaft by hand. If you can;t, it's in 4x4.

Also, yes your driveshaft and front axle parts should rotate if the hubs are locked, even being in 2WD.

The auto hubs are greaseless hubs. There should be no grease in them at all. A light coat of ATF is all they need. The hubs will lock within a few inches of moving, after 4x4 is engaged, as long as they work properly.
__________________

could it be a blown diff

Since you think it might be the diff or transfer case.......did you see this:

http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/tcase.html

Aloha, Mark

Also, there are other things to look at:

overhaul:
http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/fourwd.html

conversion:
http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/hubconv.html

notes:
http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/autohubs.html

 

[95highline]

ma9782..thanks a bunch, i'm pretty sure i know my prob now...when i had the hubs off inspecting the parts etc, i put grease on the cams and such, so i think tommrow i'm gonna be useing a roll of shop towels and degreaser (only on the hub cover, not the parts themselfs, unless it wouldn't affect them) and cleaning some grease out of there...

 

[95highline]

well...i got the front hubs working properly, and the transfer case works fine, it's jsut the one major peice inbetween that's the prob...we were out back of the garage after we cleaned out the hubs and such, only to find, no 4wd. so we started looking, with the transerfer case in 4hi, back wheels were turning fine, and front axle was spinning fine, but nothing getting to the hubs, then once we got on flat grounds we noticed that the u-joints next to the sterring knuckles were turning...only leave the diff.... it's got the 3.55 open diff and i'm wondering what would be a good replacement (minus a solid axle swap) for street and trail use, i was kinda thinking something along a full spool if possible. any idea's anyone?

 

[Tony H]

If the Front driveshaft is turnuning, If the 'U' joints at the knuckles are turning but the wheels aren't . It's you HUBS

 

[95highline]

think i confused people here, with the hubs locked, the drive shaft will turn but no movement past that (when spinning the back tires) once on flat ground and rolling, the u-joints turn with the hubs engaged but the fronts not locked in 4wd (turns smooth on pavement rather then jerky like it would if the front is locked)

 

[ledge butta]

its the hubs man those autos are crap just get the manuals and youll be fine

 

[95highline]

well...i got under the X today and found out the passenger drive axle is shot, i've got a spare on the parts truck, but i'm wondering, with the rep that the auto hubs have, and the time and effort required to switch out the drive axle's just to be where i started from in the first place, how would a dana 30 SAS rate in compared to work and cost? i've been doing alot of reading and found the 30 is the least expensive and one of the easyer to do...my msn is raven_600@hotmail.com if someone who's done that or has the knowledge of doing a 30 swap would like to take the time and answer a few questions.

 

[410Fortune]

so now you want to do a solid axle conversion? try a search on this forum.
from having an issue with your auto hubs, to wanting to keep auto hubs because you only do light wheeling sometimes, and now you want a solid axle?
I am confused....

 

[95highline]

sprry for the confusion, but if i've gotta take apart half the front end to replace the drive axle and it's not going to be to costly (i know there will be some cost) then it's the perfect time to so the swap. it's just sooner then i had originally planned