need some 4wd help
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 5
From: Near St. Joseph,MO
need some 4wd help
Ok, truck is a 78 f150 4x4 4spd. Was great, then after an hour long trip it developed a whine through the shifter. It is mainly in 3rd/4th that I really hear it. It's been that way for months with no other issues. I was told it may be the rearend, but I have my doubts,, especially after my new issue.
We just got a snowstorm, so I tried out my 4wd. It engages and works, but if I get up to 20mph it starts bucking WILDLY, even when I push in the clutch and shift to neutral. My first thought was mismatched gear ratios, but I just got done verifying that they are both 3.50.
So, would these be signs of a bad transfer case? Tranny shifts and acts fine, all gears work in transfer case though it's tough to get it back out of them.
Any thoughts? A 4x4 is worthless if you can't drive it.
We just got a snowstorm, so I tried out my 4wd. It engages and works, but if I get up to 20mph it starts bucking WILDLY, even when I push in the clutch and shift to neutral. My first thought was mismatched gear ratios, but I just got done verifying that they are both 3.50.
So, would these be signs of a bad transfer case? Tranny shifts and acts fine, all gears work in transfer case though it's tough to get it back out of them.
Any thoughts? A 4x4 is worthless if you can't drive it.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 990
Likes: 4
From: Tamaroa, IL
It could be any number of things. It could be a CV centering yoke that's blown and letting the front drive shaft bind. If your front drive shaft is loose at all, then the yoke is probably bad. Its kinda rare for a np205 to go out, but it does happen.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 5
From: Near St. Joseph,MO
YES, there is plenty of oil in everything. 
I topped off everything soon after buying it.
I'm so glad you mentioned that, the slip yoke on my driveshaft is crazy loose, I picked up a spare to swap but haven't done it yet. I didn't even think about that. I'll see what that changes.
tbear,
I'm no noob, I know how to use 4wd.
Like I said, we just got a snowstorm, our roads are pure ice right now. I used 4wd because I couldn't even pull away from stop signs without just spinning. Hubs were locked in before I left the house and I put it in 4wd as I would need it.
As for the Dana 44 NOT having a 3.50 gear, well the tag says otherwise;
I topped off everything soon after buying it. tbear,
I'm no noob, I know how to use 4wd.
Like I said, we just got a snowstorm, our roads are pure ice right now. I used 4wd because I couldn't even pull away from stop signs without just spinning. Hubs were locked in before I left the house and I put it in 4wd as I would need it.As for the Dana 44 NOT having a 3.50 gear, well the tag says otherwise;
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 6,938
Likes: 13
Weird... until now when people said 3.50 gears i always thought they meant 3.54 or 3.55.. never actually seen 3.50s before.. I wonder if yours origionally had a fulltime t-case.
T-bear, if the front was 3.50 and the rear 3.54 the front would be pulling the rear, not the rear pushing the front. Every rig ive ever seen with 4x is this way, to help it track straighter in low traction conditions.. has a front wheel drive effect if you will.
To OP: Sadly, its hard to tell if the gears have been changed. Someone might have swapped diffs or axles and just stuck the old tag on there. The only sure way to check is to count the teeth on the ring and pinion, divide the ring teeth by the pinion teeth. I would definitely check your driveline problems and fix them before going further.
T-bear, if the front was 3.50 and the rear 3.54 the front would be pulling the rear, not the rear pushing the front. Every rig ive ever seen with 4x is this way, to help it track straighter in low traction conditions.. has a front wheel drive effect if you will.
To OP: Sadly, its hard to tell if the gears have been changed. Someone might have swapped diffs or axles and just stuck the old tag on there. The only sure way to check is to count the teeth on the ring and pinion, divide the ring teeth by the pinion teeth. I would definitely check your driveline problems and fix them before going further.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 842
Likes: 0
From: Palmyra
Atleast you got to take yours out in he snow. We only got like 2 inchs out of our "blizzard" last nite so I didn't even bother pulling my truck out of the shed
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 8,261
Likes: 15
From: Big Sky Country
Pull the diff covers and start counting teeth, axle ID tags are pretty meaningless on a 35yr old vehicle.
Sometimes PO's will only swap out a rear gear set and leave the fronts stock, they do this because a) they're too cheap to replace both gear sets and/or b) they rarely use 4x4 anyway.
Sometimes PO's will only swap out a rear gear set and leave the fronts stock, they do this because a) they're too cheap to replace both gear sets and/or b) they rarely use 4x4 anyway.
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Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,752
Likes: 2,587
From: The Shenandoah Valley
Nothing personal, I was just replying based on your post as quoted .... I don't have everyone's experience or prior posts memorized. I'll go back and just edit it.
As to the tag .... yeah, I know it says same as what's in rear axle, says what's coded on the door tag, but I'll almost bet it's got a 3.54 gear set in there.
If used in low traction places, 3.50 and 3.54 are likely as good a match as most people have their tires inflated to.
As to the tag .... yeah, I know it says same as what's in rear axle, says what's coded on the door tag, but I'll almost bet it's got a 3.54 gear set in there.
If used in low traction places, 3.50 and 3.54 are likely as good a match as most people have their tires inflated to.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,742
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From: Near St. Joseph,MO
nothing personal taken, just catching you up. You could have left it, I wasn't offended. You don't know me and there do seem to be a lot of "idiots" out there, lol.
As for counting the teeth, I don't feel i need to. I checked via the rotation test and whether they are both 3.50 or 3.73/etc, they both match rotationwise, so they are at least close enough not to be the issue. I'm getting new ujoints tomorrow to put the spare front shaft in, then I'll report any changes.
Thanks for all the input.
You could have left it, I wasn't offended. You don't know me and there do seem to be a lot of "idiots" out there, lol.As for counting the teeth, I don't feel i need to. I checked via the rotation test and whether they are both 3.50 or 3.73/etc, they both match rotationwise, so they are at least close enough not to be the issue. I'm getting new ujoints tomorrow to put the spare front shaft in, then I'll report any changes.
Thanks for all the input.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,752
Likes: 2,587
From: The Shenandoah Valley
Brian .... all is 
But it is the Ford 9" rear that often had 3.50 gearing and the Dana 44 that often had 3.54 gearing .... and they are close enough for use part time on low traction surfaces. I don't think I've ever heard of a 9" having 3.54s. Only about 1% difference, or when one goes 100 inches, the other wants to go 101 inches.
Maybe there are some few Dana 44s that got 3.50 gearing, maybe something developed with full time 4X4 on the horizon?
Maybe there are some few Dana 44s that got 3.50 gearing, maybe something developed with full time 4X4 on the horizon?
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 106
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As for the gear ratio reference I just looked at a Randy's Differential book and they do not show a 3.50 ratio for a front dana 44. I also noted a ford part# and a dana# on that tag but not enough of it to see the whole thing. Maybe Number dummy can decipher those# and come to a conclution,just sayin.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 117
From: starship enterprise
I would look at the front end. I had spindle bearings go on a front 60 and it made a racket beyond belief. rattled the whole cab. Another thing to check is the u joints in the axles, are they good? 205s have that linkage that slides in and out to shift them. I have seen that stick and they try to go into like 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive all at once, you don't get 3 wheel drive out of this but you do get a lot of noise. Usually on the half tons the bucking was the front end bushings in the suspunsion bad. My brother had a f150 short bed that the rear drive line was bent and it would run you into the ditch at speeds over 30. Hope this helps.
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