Few questions on AWD

[yellow coupe]

1. What is the best way to tell if the AWD transfer case is going bad?

2. What can it damage if it is going bad?

3. If it is bad, will it hurt to drive it for a while with the front driveshaft out?


All help appreciated. Thanks

 

[McSlug]

I can't help alot, but I will tell you they are very expensive to buy new. I'm fairy sure the nature of awd means you can't take the shaft out and drive it. There is no selector to change to 2wd so it will prob keep trying to balance the torque to the front output shaft and I guess ruin your viscous coupling.
This is theory devised by me from knowledge gained last night, so I may be wrong, but that hardly ever happens.
You may like to read this thread.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134671

 

[Electrohacker]

does your front driveshaft have 4 bolts or 6? because I have a used AWD case from my 96 which might work for you


and you know when the case is bad when you either get binding in the front end or your front doesnt drive (put it on jackstands and see if the front wheels move in idle) or you get slippage when driving (this could also be a transmission issue)

if the viscous coupling is ***xor it could damage your front axle when turning

if you do drive without the front driveshaft, chalk your wheels because you will no longer have a solid park
in fact if you do park without a front driveshaft on a slight incline it SHOULD move over time, VERY SLOWLY, if the viscous coupler is good

 

[my pos mounty]

1: If the case is bad, you will get wheel hop when turning sharply at slow speed, such as a parking lot. You may also hear noises from under the truck like groaning or a scraping.

2: what can it damage? Depends on just how bad that transfercase is (or more directly the viscous coupler within it).
It can bring a quicker death to upper/lower balljoints, tierods, will kill CV's and differentials and drain your wallet quickly if it is ignored, (dont ask how I know).

3: The jury is out on this one, actually. I say no, but I removed my front driveshaft long after my transfercase was dead. My Tcase was so dead that the viscous coupler was frozen up solid and the truck never moved when in park for the year that I drove without the front shaft installed. I say that you can not kill what is already dead, and you may just save other parts from getting harmed if your transfercase is dead now.
How do you tell? Take that driveshaft out, go park the truck on a steep hill, but don't get out of it. If the truck rolls slowly down the hill, your viscous coupler is good (at least it is at this time).

Heres a question for you: What makes you think your AWD case is either dead or damaged?

 

[yellow coupe]

Heres a question for you: What makes you think your AWD case is either dead or damaged?

It kind of binds up on a sharp turn and creaks and pops. Also, I am getting gear noise on the coast side when you let off the gas pedal like the front end has too much pressure on it. It is fine in a pull or evened out. I just put the front differential in about 3 months ago and I don't want to kill it. I just put in new upper and lower ball joints and inner tie rods. I don't really care to do it again anytime soon.

From what I can find out, if you remove the front shaft it will kill the transfer case coupling. If it is already bad I don't see what it could hurt to take the shaft out.

Another question for you. I have a t/c that I can install that is out of a 97 AWD just like mine. Is there a way of telling if it is good or not before putting it in?
It's summer now and I am really in no big hurry to change them out.

By the way, the used t/c that I have is still on a used tranny. Do you think that with the tranny in park that I could put enough pressure on the rear output to see if the t/c would slip like it should?

 

[my pos mounty]

Very good questions, but unfortunately I can not answer them.
I replaced my AWD transfercase with a F150 manual shift case just this week.
If your interested in that modification, there are many threads that, if read, you could easily do this in a weekend if you have all the parts ready to go, the tools to do the job and some mechanical ability.
This thread will give you a list of parts you will need and a true step-by-step:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166726&page=3

 

[Electrohacker]

BE AWARE that NO DRIVESHAFT WILL FIT DIRECTLY in the 4406 mod... unless you're super lucky

it turns out EVERY vehicle ford made, had a slight difference in driveshaft length. like even two fairly identical expeditions...

but the shafts can be shortened for $50 per shaft and its easy to drop these in last, just realize you cant put the fluid in until you have the rear shaft in (or you can decide to get an slip yolk eliminator, this is my next install)

 

[my pos mounty]

Electrohacker: Sorry to hear of your misfortune with the driveshafts. I must have been very fortunate because I had zero issues with driveshaft length. (other issues with them though)
I got the shafts at the junkyard using the specifics outlined in the Mountaineergreen write up. Granted the front driveshaft only has about 1/4 inch movement in the slip yoke, but since the differential is hard mounted I don't think much more is needed, but time will tell. It has only been a few days so far, and I do have a very slight vibration at highway speeds. Maybe that is my issue???
I will admit that my rear driveshaft did not turn out to be from an Expedition (according to the autoparts store where I got my U-joints). Apparently it was out of a F250 or F350 because the slip yoke U-joints were much larger than what was available on any year Expedition. Suffice it to say that I have 2 conversion and two standard U-joints under the truck.