Help Please!

[98blk5.0]

so i bought my tuck about two months ago and has been doin great since the day i bought it, its a 98 5.0 AWD AT until today! I was on my way home and heard what sounded like a metallic ginding noise, heard it and figured it was a rock in the brakes cause the sound dissaperaed quickly. So im about a 1/4mile from my house and now i here a clunking noise(really sounded like a flat tire) so i go to hit the brakes to slow down and the whole front of the truck locked up and came to a stop. I then put it in park visually looked at the brakes ( i just replaced them last weekend) and there was no sign of wear on the rotors whatsoever. I got back in the truck put it in drive and it started moving just fine, hit the brakes again and BAM front wheels lock up again. So i put my head out the window and gave it a little gas and the front wheel was completly locked until i gave it like 1/2 throttle and it began to move very slowly the wheel was still locked but it was over powering it i guess. So i put it in reverse to try and park it (im like 10 feet from my house at this point) goes into reverse fine hit the brakes and nothin truck stopped fine like nothing was wrong. Put it back in drive hit the brake and the problrm came back. I figured out the only way to get the front wheels unlocked was to shift the truck from drive to park and then put it back in drive and they'd spin freely.
So when i get home i visually inspected everything and noticed my truck does not have a font drive shaft:thumbdwn: which i was unaware of. But the brakes are perfect the pistons don't appear as though they are sticking. And i had myy dad come by and BOTH FRONT tires lock up everytime i hit the brake while the truck is in drive.

Anyone have any idea on the problem: Tranny, transfer case, Maybe because of the missing drive shaft? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Justin

 

[schmidlkofer]

dang thats scary. bump.

 

[IZwack]

Interesting story.. lets sort this out piece by piece..

Okay first of all about that missing driveshaft, since you have an AWD vehicle, set the parking/emergency brake when you park the vehicle or else your vehicle will slowly crawl even if the transmission is set on [P]ark.

Ok next thing is the front wheels locking up. This of course could either be some wacky brakes (which I'm suspecting) or the front differential is completely grenaded. I'm suspecting the brakes since that was the last thing you touched in the vehicle's drivetrain so I'm thinking something was improperly installed. So I would take the front brakes apart piece by piece and re-install. But while you have the calipers off the rotors and since you're missing a front driveshaft anyway, I would go ahead and try to turn the rotors and see if they turn freely. If the rotor does not want to turn, then the probelm must be in the differential.

 

[98blk5.0]

Ive done alot of brakes rplaced the rotors and pads everythomg wemt smoothly. I originally thought it was the brakes too until i relized both wheels were locking up at the same time. I could see one doing it and thinking it was install error but for both to lock at the same exact time seems a little odd to my. And like i said the front wheels spin freely until you hit the brakes and then they lock shift into a different gear and they unlock

 

[IZwack]

Well get the front end up in the air and turn the front wheels by hand. And, with the transmission still in Park, I guess have some one else start the vehicle (to get brake boost), press on the brakes for a few seconds, release the brakes, and see if you can turn the front wheels again.

 

[98blk5.0]

will do tommorrow am

 

[Nocturnall]

Where in AZ are you located? I just moved to Tempe.

Both wheels locking up, I dunno if one wheel locked if the differential would lock the other side as well, maybe if you have a posi unit in the front or something that I dunno if your truck came with....or if it got installed along the way since your missing a front driveshaft. Not to point fingers or anything but you sure you put all the bolts back in?

 

[98blk5.0]

Where in AZ are you located? I just moved to Tempe.

Both wheels locking up, I dunno if one wheel locked if the differential would lock the other side as well, maybe if you have a posi unit in the front or something that I dunno if your truck came with....or if it got installed along the way since your missing a front driveshaft. Not to point fingers or anything but you sure you put all the bolts back in?

Im in tucson and i didnt remove my front drive shaft its been like that since i bought it and just noticed it wasnt in there

 

[Turdle]

Check the front caliper mounting bolts--on the inside of the spindle assembly--they are known to work loose and do just what you described--

 

[98blk5.0]

ok ill check that now

 

[98blk5.0]

yes Jtsmith!!!!!!!!!! The passanger side is missing a bolt! Thats what i get for inspecting at 11 oclock at night

 

[IZwack]

Well there we have it!

 

[Nocturnall]

I meant since the front driveshaft was missing when you bought the truck maybe they did something to the front differential. And yet again someone else get's the credit for what I suggested DAMN IT. Glad you found the problem, luckily you didn't discover it on the highway.

 

[nolimitssjca]

As Maxwell Smart would say.. "The old missing bolt on the caliper trick"

Hold on while I get my shoe phone...

 

[Donner]

If ya'll have a moment... tell me about this locking differential please. Does my 3rd gen have it or does it have to be added? I don't know what it is... thanks!

 

[IZwack]

If ya'll have a moment... tell me about this locking differential please. Does my 3rd gen have it or does it have to be added? I don't know what it is... thanks!

How differentials work (as well as locking differentials):
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm

3rd gens I think did have the option for a "limited slip" differential but this is far from a true "locking" differential as the clutches can wear out and be overcome.

 

[Donner]

Oh thank you! Then there isn't really an option for a 3rd gen locking diff? A winch would be about it?