The other night I was doing some wheeling. I have a 89 bronco 4"lift ARB air lockers front and rear 33x12,5 bfgoodrich all terains. I had my rear lockers on and the truck was in 4 wheel drive. I was driving on the side of a creek when I hit a slipery spot and slid into the creek. This is in Houston Tx, so the creek bottom was mud not rocks. Well I had water coming into my cab and I could move forward about 30 ft and backwards about the same but I could not get enough traction to get out. I could not get my front lockers turned on because I didnt have enought space to get them to kick in. All of the suddon I couldn't move at all. After geting it reckered out and got it home. I realized the my front 4x4 was not working. When I climb under the truck and can spin the drive saft to the front and it will turn the dif's to the wheels. When I put it in 4x4 from the cab the transfer case locks in and I can not spin the drive shaft anymore. I have not had it up on a rack or stands and I have not removed the manual locking hubs. What do you guys think I have broke? I am guessing the manual locking hubs. Can one strip out the axels that go into you manual hubs? What would break first? What is the weekest piece to a 4x4 drive train?

 

hands down the weakest link in any 4x4 system (even with alloy shafts and all) is u-joints and selectable hubs. thats why rear axles dont explode as often.

it doesn't sound like you broke anything. if you go out right now and lock the hubs and you cannot turn the driveshaft then everything is fine. it may have just been a fluke. i am not trying to degrade your intelligence or anything bu are you sure you had your hubs locked? just a thought

-cutts-

 

have you tried leaving it in 2x4, locking the hubs and trying to spin the front d-shaft?? if so, what happens, did you pop one of the 3 u joints on the front shafts???

 

Curious, what t-case do you have by chance (i'm iassuming th bw-1356 or whatever the 1/2 one is)