Makes klunk sound while driving in 4wheeel drive.

[Brainsaw]

While driving down the road with the 4 wheel drive engaged, it makes a loud klunk sound about every 10 seconds. It's loud, sounds like hitting a pothole. Acts like it's coming from the front end somewhere. I have auto locking hubs.

 

[Positive Vibes]

Why are you driving on the road in 4wheel? Is is when you turn or brake? Any more sysmptoms or info would help. Also where does it feel/sound like it's coming from?

 

[Maniak]

Your 1992 has a Part Time xfer case that is also a locking xfer case. This means when you are in 4x4 mode the front and rear drive shaft spin the same speed.

You do not use 4x4 on pavement.. What happens is the front/rear wheels are not spinning at the exact same speed. This causes the driveline to bind. At this point something has to give. Normally a tire will slip (when your on soft surfaces).. If the tires can't slip something else will give, like u-joints or worse..

so the bottom line is don't use 4x4 on any hard packed durface. Use 4x4 only when the tires can slip. BTW.. The binding of the driveline gets even worse if you try to turn the wheel at all on a hard packed surface when in 4x4 mode.

~Mark

 

[TPLYNCH]

That's probably the sound of your hubs being trashed from using 4x4 on pavement.....

 

[Brainsaw]

Hey thanks for the replies!


*Mark "so the bottom line is don't use 4x4 on any hard packed durface. Use 4x4 only when the tires can slip"*

I dont think it's the pavement causing the noise. The klunk sound happens on snow and even when I took it on the beach in North Carolina when I went surf fishing for drum one weekend. The sand was very loose and deep. I dont think I could get any more slippage than running on sand or snow. The problem is definetly not a surface only situation. Happens everywhere.

I know what you mean about pavement and 4 wheel drive, that hard on the system.


It makes a LOUD "klunk" sound from the front end somewhere. It happens like clockwork every ten seconds. Its so loud you can even feel it cuz it knocks so hard.

 

[Maniak]

oh.. then I'm way off.. I thought you were doing that on hard packed surfaces..

Is the clunk speed specific? If so, and it only happens in 4x4 it has to be drive train specific.. bad u-joint, something in the front diff etc..

~Mark

 

[Brainsaw]

Is the clunk speed specific?


Not sure, I'll test it today.

 

[TPLYNCH]

Still think the hubs are shot..... sound may be them engaging/disengaging. Switch to manuals. Much stronger...

 

[Brainsaw]

Still think the hubs are shot..... sound may be them engaging/disengaging. Switch to manuals. Much stronger...

Whats a good strong replacement for my auto hubs? 4wheel.com have them?

 

[Brainsaw]

I think I found the answer. This thread pretty much solved it.

Dead Link Removed

Warn manual hubs coming soon.