Riddle me this boy wonder...

[wilk1]

Everytime I put my Explorer into 4x4 I can drive about a mile then I hear a loud pop from the front end, and the SUV goes in to 2wd. This happens no matter what the terrain. My mechanic thinks it may be the U-Joint, is this a possibility? I have checked the hubs and the bearing are in excellent shape, further I can hear the 4x4 engage... so I am pretty much stumped as to why it slips out. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Brian1]

U-joints wont cause it to pop back into 2 wheel drive unless they flat break into 2 pieces. It sounds to me like it is either 1 of 2 things. It could be your auto hubs(if you still have them) or your transfer case. If it is the transfer case, it could either be the shift motor or some internal parts making it pop out of 4wd and back into 2wd. Maybe others will be able to expand more on these problems.

 

[CoryL]

I think Brian pretty much nailed it.

I'd venture to guess its the Autohubs before the t-case.

My question is is this a mile of driving on or off the road? If it is on the road, why are you in 4wd? The earlier model Ranger/Explorer/BII t-cases aren't meant to be used in 4wd on pavement for a period of time.

 

[SWLathrop]

Are all 4 tires the same? Not just the same size, but the same exact tires? We had several BII's (company vehicles) that people complained about the same problem you're having. Problem for every one of them was same size, but different tires in the front and rear. They were running summer tread in the front and snows in the rear. Come winter time, they were always popping out of 4X4 into 4X2. Cure was 4 new tires.

 

[wilk1]

Hmmm... I think you might be on to something, the tires are different manufacturers (although the tire type is the same). But I will try to get four equal tires to see if this remedies the problem! Thanks Guys!