96 5.0 AWD problems

[jar2187]

I have a 96 limited 5.0 with AWD. It has about 115,000 miles on it. On the highway it pulls to the left, and sometimes to the right making it very hard to keep straight. The tires where just aligned recently so I dont think it could be that. I know the pull of tires being out of alignment and its not that. I will stay straight when doing 50-55 mph but once you hit 65 mph its feels like it is finding ever seam in the road and the front end is following it.
Also the brakes seem to fade after I have been on the highway for about 20 minutes or more of driving. The drivers side front wheel had more brake dust on it than the passengers side this week, maybe thats a clue. After driving on the highway for about 20 minutes or more and take the exit I end, theres a stop sign a good ways down the exit ramp, When I press the brake pedal and it feels really easy to push and I am not stoping where I should be when the pedal is at that certain position. Then it goes away.
The powersteering makes a grinding noise when the truck has been warmed up. It seems like it does it when it is above 60 degrees. The steering wheel is really hard to turn when it does this. The rack has fuild.
When driving at 30 mph and above I can hear this noise coming from the front, its a low pitch turning noise, not metalic grinding though.

I have another question. Is there anyway I can tell if my AWD is working? The winter is coming and I have to commute about 30 minutes away on the highway, last year I didnt do to good with this truck in the snow.

 

[Jbrobeck]

Pull your tires and check the brakes, sound like you have a caliper sticking, this would cause the pulling, and because of it dragging, it will create heat and possibly boiling the brake fluid on that side, thus creating the soft pedal. The noise you are hearing coming from the front could also be the sound of the dragging caliper. The only other thing I can think of is if you have a front wheel bearing going bad, however that doesn't explain the brake fade.

As for the rack noise look in your engine bay, follow the steering shaft down and check and see if anything is rubbing/catching on the shaft as that can create some wierd noises/feelings, past that, I would suggest replacing the rack/pinion.

For the AWD, find some dirt! The transfercase is all mechanical, no electronics involved at all. There is a viscous fluid coupling that controls rear/front power transfer, when the coupling slips it heats and grabs tighter (over simplified version of what really happens) so if you get on a dirt road and only your rear tires spin on accelleration, you may have to have it checked out, but that is very rare.

Josh

 

[jar2187]

I have a tendency to have bad things happen to me, so what should I do when on the dirt to see if it is working, Jump on the gas and then let go or....?