97 control trac

[skoal_mint]

I'v always had this problem, well maybe its not a problem but its annoying.

When i take off from a stand still my explorer makes a cuple of clunks.

Its not the u-joints or slip joints...

But i was wondering if it is the transfer case making the noise when the clutch kicks in for the control trac? Does this happen to anyone else with control trac??

 

[studd469]

This happens to me!! No clue why though. I find it only makes the clunk when it is slipery. I can feel the truck jerking and trying to grab with the clunks. This has not happened when the ground is dry.

 

[skoal_mint]

for me it does it when even i slam the pedel, or like you said when its slippery..

but put it in 4x4 and the truck wont do it right??

 

[97greenmonster]

Its the front wheels engaging. Thatys why it wont do it when its in four, because all are already moving!

 

[rhyno]

yep, just the transfer case doing its job. If you dont like it, you can do the 'brown wire mod', and use 2wd.

 

[skoal_mint]

Really?? i heard alot about the brown wire mod on here, but i also thought it casued problems..but if it doesnt i might just do that, maybe hook up a switch to turn it on when i want the control trac or 4wd

 

[studd469]

skoal_mint ya it wont do it when its in 4x4 mode.

Sweet, so then there is nothing wrong with my truck. I was scared you guys werer guna bring on some bad news. I've been meaning to do the brown wire mod. But I need to find a suitable switch location. and the time to do it. thanks

 

[tcross8361]

I'm having the same thing. Mines a 97 Eddie. Mine does it when I reverse after backing up about 10-15 ft it will clunk and when I'm cruising down the road. Never from a dead stop. I thought it was the tranny so I took it into a tranny shop and they adjusted the linkage for me and told me the only thing they could see is that I had brand new front tires and older back tires. They said there was like a 3/4 inch differance in diameter between them so that could cause the control trac to act up. He also said that because I drove it like that for a few months it might never go away now. The tranny was in good shape though he said. So I got the new back tires and it still does it. Guess I'll drive it till something happens. Pretty much sounds like what you guys have going on though.

 

[gijoecam]

FWIW, my 98 Sport has done that since day one. It went into the dealership repeatedly for the problem, but they've insisted all along it was normal. 130,000 miles later and it's still doing it... no better or no worse than it did the first time I noticed it. The brown wire mod stops the clunking too.

-Joe

 

[tcross8361]

Well, I did the BWM today and it works as far as diconnecting the front drive in 4x4. Unfortunatly it didn't eliminate the clunk. So any other ideas?

 

[gijoecam]

Well, I did the BWM today and it works as far as diconnecting the front drive in 4x4. Unfortunatly it didn't eliminate the clunk. So any other ideas?

Can you describe the clunk a little more in depth for us? When exactly does it happen, and under what operating conditions?

 

[tcross8361]

Well, it does it sometimes when I reverse for about 10 ft then it makes a clunk noise, but not all the time. It will make a clunk noise when driving down the road to usually when on a hill but not always. It never does it from a stop its always at about 30+ mph. I took it into the transmision shop and had it checked out. They said the linkage was loose and adjusted that. Then they said that because the front tires where new and the back ones weren't that there was a 3/4" differance in the diameter between the two. They said that can cause the control trac to act up and recomended I get new back tires. They said other than that they couldn't find anything else wrong. So I got the new back tires and it still did it. So then I resorted to the BWM because it sounded alot like the same as what everyone else had going on. But that doesn't seem to work. When it makes the clunk I feel the truck jerk a little.

 

[CRUISERMEDIC]

this sounds similar to my problem i had on my 97 xlt. it did it very sparingly almost like i was runnin over a crack in the road but when i paid attention there was no crack. felt like the rear bucked a bit when it clunked. i narrowed it down to something in the t-case. i got a salvage cheap and put it in and problem gone. my clunk happened at no certain speed although it rarely did it below 30. and some times it did it 2 times in a row and some times i drove 5miles and it didnt do it.

 

[skoal_mint]

well im going to be doing this in 10 minutes...im just going to the brown wire thread to find where the heck it is...i cant find that sucker..

i'll lets yous know how it works out

 

[skoal_mint]

1ST TRY: FAILED

well i guess i must have cut the wronge wire, they is no difference...well i guess i'll try again...but it must have been the right wire, it was a thick wire not like the rest. Oh well, it passes the time

 

[CRUISERMEDIC]

if i remember correctly it is a wire off by itself off the rear of the t-case. i think it is above where the rear output flange(not sure real name) is. i cutmine and respliced it for the new t-case prob should have just done the "wire mod"

steve

 

[skoal_mint]

Well i did have the right wire the first time, i just had the switch wired wrong, lol..

So i took the brown wire from under the seat and befor i wired it to the switch i finally found out that i had it wired backwards.

But ist worked out perfect, and i was surpised how easy it is to light the tires up