HELP need truck to get to work and can't drive it ... is there some kind of ( admittedly hack / patch job ) to get my truck " on the road " until i have time to fix it properly ..... i have NO idea what it might be .... had to get it towed home could not drive more than 5 miles an hour becuz of vibration and howling, didnt want to turn a relatively cheap fix into a major repair, it was NOT in 4x4 mode @ the time, free wheeling, i was 10 miles from home and all of a sudden this loud howling noise and vibration came from front end, it was " as if " you were driving on one of those rumble strips permanently ..... it's a 97 f250 diesel 4x4 8800 gvw, i suspect something packed up in front diff.... nothing visually or obviously broken, dangling, or leaking badly .... i was " thinking " if there was a " simple " ( i know that is a relative term ) way to remove the drive shafts in the front so when front wheels are turning it wont " engage" the front diff " that may be packed up / broken ....

i appreciate any help / insight ....

Scott

 

If your transfer case is in 2WD and your hubs are unlocked, then the front differential should not be spinning.

 

thanks anyway but i did state it was already in 2wd freewheeling....

 

Exactly my point. I don't think the front diff is the issue.

 

get down below and start shaking everything.. listen for pops and pings.. somethings broke...

 

it's raining like crazy today so have not had chance to try that .... i was thinking of jacking the front wheels off ground and try spinning it .... see what i come up with ..... i did try spinning the shafts and things " seemed" tight ( maybe tooooo tight ) doing anything on the front power train is a huge job ... so i dont want to start taking things apart "just for fun " know what i mean .... ummmmmmmmmm i hope i'm wrong.... could it possibly be the transfer case ..... ugh!!! hope not ...becuz you can't ( for lack of a better word ) bypass it can you ....

i was driving along @ 45 mph coming into town, no load, empty truck and all of a sudden that feeling your driving on those rumbles strips on side of road ...

 

dooooooooh , silly me, i shoulda known that, kinda obvious, what was i thinking, it should not be turning seeing the hubs were free wheeling ... somehow got the idea in my mind of the front diff was turning by front wheels dooooh ....

 

thanks for all the help but i figured it out ..... u-joint on front axle let go ...fell apart and rattling around go figure ....

thanks anyway

 

SSdiesel,
Good to hear you found what the problem was.
Thanks for letting us all know . If you need any help
just ask and we will try.

Sean