Front 4x4 doesn't seem to be working, Help !
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
Front 4x4 doesn't seem to be working, Help !
Just bought a '79 Bronco w/ NP203 that the owner had a w/ part-time kit (expensive one) installed (saw invoice) with Warn lockout hubs, all about 40,000 miles ago.
We got in some loose gravel today to determine what we had - put in 4-Hi & 4Lo, but we never could get the front wheels to spin. The shaft to the front Dana44 HP turns but not very fast, slow in fact.
We even put the truck in the ditch, spinning the rear wheels and the front wheels never did spin. Although when you turn you can feel the front wheels grabbing, ever so slightly, or mayby it's just my imagination.
When locking the hubs - from Free to Lock, it feels way too loose and there is no "engagement" feeling in the Lock position. But there is a "detent" feeling when placed in Free.
I would appreciate any and all helpful comments. This all seemed to work fine during the test drive (of course).
We got in some loose gravel today to determine what we had - put in 4-Hi & 4Lo, but we never could get the front wheels to spin. The shaft to the front Dana44 HP turns but not very fast, slow in fact.
We even put the truck in the ditch, spinning the rear wheels and the front wheels never did spin. Although when you turn you can feel the front wheels grabbing, ever so slightly, or mayby it's just my imagination.
When locking the hubs - from Free to Lock, it feels way too loose and there is no "engagement" feeling in the Lock position. But there is a "detent" feeling when placed in Free.
I would appreciate any and all helpful comments. This all seemed to work fine during the test drive (of course).
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
From: N. Gwinnett Co. Georgia
Get it to a garage with a lift and take it up until the tires clear the ground by 12" or so. That way you can safely observe what parts of your front end are operating when you select 4wd or 2wd. If the front axle is not limited slip, only one wheel will pull and you could be looking at the other one. You could also have some transfer case issues as well.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
From: So Cal
I am not an expert on 4x4 drive trains, but a wild guess based upon your comment...
The shaft to the front Dana44 HP turns but not very fast, slow in fact.
Is that it is not necessarily your hubs that are the problem but more likely something in the transfer case is not working right. It sounds like the vehicle is not going into 4WD drive and not supplying power to the front drive shaft and differential.
I would check to see if the control system to the transfer case is actually working.
That is my slightly educated guess.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
The shaft to the front Dana44 HP turns but not very fast, slow in fact.
Is that it is not necessarily your hubs that are the problem but more likely something in the transfer case is not working right. It sounds like the vehicle is not going into 4WD drive and not supplying power to the front drive shaft and differential.
I would check to see if the control system to the transfer case is actually working.
That is my slightly educated guess.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
