OK ppl ... I need help .. 96 Sport has drivetrain issues/noises

[mccoyxx]

Hello everyone I need some help if you have time ... I have a 4wd 96 Sport with a 4.0 in it ... when I got it I put new upper/lower balljoints/control arms , tie rod ends and hubs and had it aligned. Well it never did stop what it was doing originally ... when its been sitting overnight or sometimes in the day too when I first pull out it has this weird feeling and I cannot figure out what it is. I pull out and its got this feeling like a flat spot in a bearing ... like I am running over very small speedbumps until it gets warmed up ... usually around 1/4 - 1/2 mile occassionally a little further ... most times not very far at all. You can feel the Ex catching on something it feels like sometimes to the point that it jerks the vehicle a little like ur very very speedily hitting the brakes for a micro second. I have noticed that the drivers side CV joint is beginning to click some in a sharp turn if I am just pulling out or backing up ... I have had the axles and u-joints on the drive shaft looked at at more than one garage and they all say everything is fine ... could it be the 4wd motor trying to engage ... possibly not enough vacuum to not keep it completely disengaged trying to lock in ? It has never locked up or anything and the 4wd seems to engage/disengage properly ... however I am unfamiliar with 4wd components as I have just gotten this ex as my first 4wd vehicle a few months ago ... any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 144197]

it may have something to do with your tire size not sure if your running bigger tires or not but im pretty us 96 4wd sport boys run 3.27 not 100% on that tho... if you runnin stock 30's (29.somethin lol) i honestly have no idea except that it kinda sounds like an internal front axle problem! if it doesnt pose a threat to your daily driving id say let it ride until one of these elite guy gives you the heads up on what they know... ive learned a hell of alot from these guy! dont know what id do without this website

 

[imp]

Maybe Check Tires?

How about your tires? Try lowering pressure in all 4 to perhaps 22 psi, take it out for a spin, see if anything feels different. Softer tires may mask a noise problem originating in the tires themselves. If the complaint is absolutely the same, tires are probably not the cause.

Just a thought. imp

 

[mccoyxx]

Its not tires

I am 100% certain its not the tires ... thanks for your time though ppl. maybe one of the old timers can chime in and help ... until then I'ma do as u say and drive it til it breaks !!

 

[Rudy602]

Just another uneducated guess but if it sounds like a warped rotor to me except that I wouldn't think it would go away after it warms up. Any pulsing in the brake pedal?

 

[mccoyxx]

no it brakes smoothly ... just installed ne ceramics on the front because the cheapies sure didn't last long.

 

[safn1949]

Have you checked the differentials? There might be a piece of metal floating around in one of them from a chipped gear tooth.It is extremely rare but it can happen.It sounds like something is failing,but you are only feeling it when it's cold.It ain't gonna heal itself whatever it is,so be prepared for a repair in the future.

 

[mccoyxx]

Yes ... that sounds more like a probable cause ... no I haven't checked them ... I just drive it if it still goes for now ... when it finally gives out then I will get dirty on it ... It doesn't however always do it when its cold ... just probably 90% of the time ... every now and then I can be going on a straight stretch and most times its right after I come out of a curve or during that it starts and does it a little ways and then it stops ... I just keep going and all is fine ... I have tried braking/accelerating when it does it and it doesn't seem to affect it. Also one more thing it used to try to pull when I was sitting at a dead stop like for a light or a turn waiting on traffic ... you know how it feels when you put it in 4 low and stop you can feel it trying to pull and have to press the brakes harder to keep it still ... and it would lunge while doing this ... as if I were fanning the throttle while it was in gear with the brakes held firmly ... however the RPMs were steady ... it hasn't done this in a while, but it did this fairly often for the first couple of months I drove it. I am unsure exactly what is going on ... doesn't the 4wd work on vacuum ? ... is there anyway that it could have a little low vacuum pressure and be trying to engage ? the 4wd has never given me any problems when i try to engage/disengage it though ... there is also a rattle that sounds like its coming from the drivers side caliper ... all the time a constant really minor rattle, but I am unsure if this would have anything to do with my problem ... well enough of the novel ... lol ... theres some more info if that helps and thank you for your time ... RSM

 

[mccoyxx]

OK its finally getting worse and I have read more on it and I believe with a 99% certainty that its the transfer case, so tom. I am gonna call some salvage yards and try to do a swap ... wish me luck !!