Yet another 4 x 4 question / Auto Hubs

[walterd140]

Snowing like crazy here in Mass & the x is all over the road. I had it in 4wd, & had the wife drive backwards while I looked underneath at the front u-joints near the wheels. Passanger side turns, but not the driver side. Then she drove forward & same thing.

I recently had ball joint work done on the driver side & just want to verify the hub is not working before I head out in the snow to pull the tire & hub off. I suspect the garage either packed it with grease or something.

I believe that I currently have 3x4, with the driver wheel being the missing one.

Walter

 

[Tbars4]

...Click the "How to" in my signature and you will find all kinds of 4wd troubleshoot info including hub info...

 

[walterd140]

I have & it did not address the issue I have, or maybe I missed it. Either way.... why would 1 side turn & not the other???? Am I ripping a hub off tonight or not?

 

[Tbars4]

...:scratch:...You read the "..How to Troubleshoot 4x4 problems..." found in that link??
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202166

 

[walterd140]

Yes I did. Nothing says anything about it being in 4wd & only 1 shaft rotating. The only thing I got out of the link was switching back to 2wd & turning the individual shafts.

Please trust me. I am not new here & have looked at every 4wd issue on the board (just about). I never saw a post about somebody actually going out of the truck to look at the shafts turning while the truck goes forward or back.

Now my question again.... If, when in 4wd, only 1 shaft is turning, do I have a hub issue or something deeper?

 

[Tbars4]

...Ok, I'll play...What happened after you dd the Auto hub test???

...This might better help test it..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206722

 

[walterd140]

Ummm, I didn't do the test. It's snowing & cold as hell here. I just did a visual of the 2 shafts & nothing else besides shovel snow all day. Just want to QUICKY comfirm what is going on with the front end.

BTW.... Happy New Year

 

[Tbars4]

...Happy New Year to you too...

...But no excuses tomorrow...:

BTW, that last link I posted should better help with your testing...Until we have a couple answers, we are only guessing but, auto hubs are notorious for failing when you need them...Good Luck..:biggthump

 

[walterd140]

I'll have to go out today some time & try that test. sounds like it will be easy to do in 1 degree weather

BTW.... if the hub is bad, am I doing any damage by driving in 4w high? In this case 3w high.

 

[Tbars4]

..:scratch:..You could just pull the hubs off and work in the warmth of the house...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1800456&postcount=1

 

[MrShorty]

If, when in 4wd, only 1 shaft is turning, do I have a hub issue or something deeper?

May not indicate that you have a problem at all. You have an open diff in the front (unless someone's put in an aftermarket locker/limited slip), so there are any number of conditions that would result in only one axle spinning. I think sometimes we assume people know about open diffs and forget to explicitly state it. Part of the reason we steer people to those test steps is that, by rotating axleshafts by hand, you take the differential out of the equation and can see if the hubs are working or not.

I would guess one of the hubs is bad.

 

[walterd140]

Well guys, it's still freezing here. So without doing any troubleshooting, I went & took the driver side autohub off. I put a plastic bag over the shaft for now & put the tire back on. The hub was full of grease. Must have been from the ball joint repair the garage did.

I have the hub soaking in ATF on the kitchen counter. Anything out of the ordinary I should be looking for while it is apart?

Also, one of the posts said something about pushing a spring in & out with a screwdriver. I have no spring in the part that came off.

 

[DeRocha]

Hi Walter,
Unless you have a locking differential or front limited slip then if one hub is broken you have 4x2 not 4x3 (as the wheel with least resistance {the one with the broken hub} will get all the power).

You will not damage anything driving in 4x4 with a broken hub, but as mentioned above driving in 4x4 with a broken hub is not going to give you any additional traction).


For an easier blown hub test you could:

1. Engage 4x4 for @ least 20' to give the hubs time to lock.
2. Jack up the Left (driver's side) front tire and try and rotate the whole wheel (counter clockwise).
3. If the hub has locked it should be impossible to move.
4. Jack up the Right (passenger side) and try and rotate the whole wheel (Clockwise).
5. If the hub has locked it should be impossible to move.
6. Disengage 4x4

 

[walterd140]

Hey DeRocha, How have you been?

So are you saying the driver side, the side without the differential shaft turning, is OK & I should be yanking the passenger side?

I am not sure about the front end. It's stock as far as I know.

When I get the driver side done, I will try your trouble shoot method. Sounds easy enough.

 

[DeRocha]

I've been ok.. just been hammered with snow and single digit temps like you. I would perform the test on both sides just to see how they are. Jacking up a vehicle and spinning the wheel should be easy even in this weather.. If any side still allows you to move the wheel/tire then its HUB isn't doing its job and locking.

 

[walterd140]

Yeah, to darn cold out here today. Should of seen the wife's face when I sat at the kitchen table & started to clean the hub. I think she thinks I'm insane when I was heating up the tranny fluid....

If I don't report back, then she had me comitted. But I will put the drivers side together tomorrow when it warms up to 20, then take a look. Don't want to rip the passenger side apart if it's OK.

Later

 

[walterd140]

Well, I got it back together without any problems, but it still doesn't work. I drove around the block in 4wd, then parked it & jacked up the driver side. Spun the tire counter clockwise & it spins. Tried it clockwise & it spins.

Then did the same on the passenger side with the same results. Both tires can turn by hand when the 4wd is engaged.

So off the jacks & lowered the front end. I turned the passenger side shaft & it only goes so far. I can see the driver side trying to turn in the opposite direction. I can also see the shaft from the gearbox turning a little bit as well.

Now I'm stumped.

 

[MrShorty]

I turned the passenger side shaft & it only goes so far. I can see the driver side trying to turn in the opposite direction. I can also see the shaft from the gearbox turning a little bit as well.

That sounds like the passenger hub locked, so maybe the passenger side is working. What happens if you try to turn the driver's side axleshaft?

 

[walterd140]

Found some nasty stuff when I yanked the passenger side hub. Take a look & let me know if you think I found the issue.

I did not see this kind of damage on the driver side. Driver side is nice & crisp. Well formed edges & hooks (for a better term). This side is all rounded. Would 1 side not activating make the whole front not work??

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w254/whatadog/Auto hub/

 

[mikeinri]

Yes, I think that's what DeRocha was saying (you either have 4x4 or 4x2)...

Anyway, I would clean that hub (as well as the cam mechanism) and reinstall. All that grease is most likely your issue.

I would think that the cam would go before the hub (seems like the weaker of the parts), but I could be wrong.

As you know from the other side, cleaning and reinstalling is cheap and (relatively) quick.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you make out.

Mike