E-4WD front end noise.

[vdubn]

I post this to stress the importance of checking things out. If someone has a good hunch what failed, that would be great too.

Cruising at 55 on ice, thought I heard a little growling noise from front right. Finally decided it was the ice surface after grader ran a serrated edge over it, and some vehicles had ran chains making it a little rough. Just started to relax when front right wheel locked up. Yippee what a ride! Back end trying to pass the front, I was whipping the wheel everywhere trying to keep it behind me, my sweety and I both in "oh sh*t" mode, afraid to touch brakes and make it worse, after awhile just tired of it and wondering if it would ever come to a stop so I could look to see what happened. It did, and I even managed to get to the shoulder a little diagonal. Not everyone would be so lucky. I've spent over 50 years here in Alaska with 15 or so of that driving truck to prudhoe "ice road trucker", and luck still played a large part of me not having a bad crash.

For those that may have a hunch, I think it in the diff. Once I tried backing up, it would then travel forward again, it then made a pronounced growling/grinding noise, but I managed to drive the 4 miles back home (at about 10 mph). Pulled front right tire, all normal in brake assembly, no play in spindle bearings, turning hub with other tire on floor gave about 5-10º easy free play, but another 30 or so with heavy resistance. Inner bearing and then spider jammed? Only other anything was I've heard a squeak a few times thought it to be a pebble between pad and rotor.

 

[FORDBOYpete]

VdubN
More likely R/F Cardin Joint [aka outer flex joint] on Pass side short shaft axle went south on you. If "weather boots" over U-Joints go bad (they're there to protect joints) a Cardin joint can/will self destruct when it eats sand & gravel. Chip or shard engages between two driven surfaces & joint locks up tight.

They disintegrate, pretty much but if you can "Unlock" or unjamb them (like you did by backing up) you can go a short way before they fail completely.
If front your diffy was the culprit, you'd have gone nowhere at all.

The repair is replace R/F Short Shaft Axle. If L/F has a bad boot, I'd suggest you R&R that one also before it does same thing but with worse end results.
It's not kewl making a L/H turn into oncoming traffic anytime, y'Know?

I don't know about up in the great white, but here in BiKiNi Land those axles are about $200 a pair for rebuilt ones. It's a 1/2 day job to do both in a shop that's reasonably well equipped with a contact lift or good jacks & stands and good tools. It's not something I would try in the driveway without equipment.


Good Luck with the repair

CIAOFBp