popping and grinding from front end, 94 2dr need help asap

[R3dAlert]

My 1994 explorer 2 dr( eddie bauer edt.) is starting to scare me. I put it on 4 wheel drive today and when i got stuck in some sand. The front left wheel wasnt turning while all the other wheels were, but there was a noise similar to when you put a card in a bicycle tire, except more high pitched coming from it, that increased with the amount of throttle i gave it. This noise also happens randomly while driving, mostly while turning though. When it happens and doesnt go away i put it in reverse and go a few feet and go forward again and its gone. The steering also makes a loud popping noise that you can feel in the steering wheel when turning in parking lots and such. I checked the axle splines and the hub splines and they look fine, same goes for the steering components. It also pulls to the right hard whenever i let the wheel go, but im pretty sure that its a tight caliper. Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated, i have to drive to maine 4 days from now and really dont want this thing dropping a rod or something on the freeway.

 

[MrShorty]

Front differential is an open differential, so it's not too surprising that one wheel wouldn't be spinning while the others were. The noises aren't normal, however. Card-in-bicycle-spoke noise is often associated with failing auto hubs. That's what I'd check first. 1st thing I'd do to check them is to grab the front differential by hand (t-case in 2H) and spin it to see if both hubs catch and lock.

 

[Blee1099]

Is it making a ratcheting sound? If so, its more than likely your auto hubs if you still have them.

 

[exploded99]

I think as long as you stay in 2 wheel and there are no noises, you are good to go for your trip, but if that is a sticking caliper, you definitely got to fix that before a long trip.