I've had this truck for just a few weeks and it's breaking me already. I guess I should have checked it over a little better before I bought it. Anyway what is, is.

On another thread I started I talked about a vibration and some other issues. It turned out a couple of the U-joints where tight. Figuring it was lack of grease and just poor service the dealer ordered new ones. Well they came in and when they went to change them it turns out the moron that owned the truck before beat on the ends of the drive shaft and ruined the all ends and to top it off they most have used the splined end as a hammer. The driveshaft is shot. We had to order a new one.

Know it turns out there may be a problem as thers no 4 wheel drive. First a question. with the rear drive shaft removed would the truck be able to move in 4wheel dirve? if so then we have a problem. Again if this is a problem are there any common things that go wrong?

Oh and the brakes pull to one side. Any ideas?

It's at a local Ford dealer but I like to know whats going on besides what they tell me.

Thanks for the input

 

What is the problem? Will the transfer case not engage? It should engage and move whether there is a rear driveshaft or not. If the previous owner "wheeled" the crap out of the truck, it is possible to break the transfer case. On the brakes, I would start by lubing the caliper pins, change the brake fluid and bleed the brakes.

 

We don't know what the problem with the transfer case is yet. When they found the problem with the driveshaft they put it in 4 wheel to move it out of the way but there was nothing happening. It has the manual 4 wheel lever. When it is put in 4 wheel no lights come on to indicate it's in and there is no movement at all so at this point I don't know. Since you say it should move that means we may have serious issues.

The brakes will have to be after they find the 4wheel problem.

As of right now I've put 15 miles on it and I've had to:

new spark plugs and boots
new driveshaft and u-joints
transfer case problem (problem unknown right now)
brakes (problem unknown right now)
mirrors need to be fixed

Oh I forgot to say the truck is a 2000 F350 4x4 XLT Stake rake dually with 63,000 miles.

I can't wait until they call tomorrow with the next problem. I guess I'm a little frustrated right now. The cab is in mint shape I can't image how badly it must have been beat by the previous owner.

 

Brakes - Most likely a piston is hung-up on a front caliper. Same thing happened to me, test drove it great. On the way home she started pulling to the right. Front left caliper wasn't giving enough force and she pulled to the right. Since I did the brake job myself, to total cost came to around $325.00 (I did both front brakes: calipers and pads)

DC-9

 

4x4 problem: Could be that the front hubs are not locking in. This is common with higher mileage SD trucks. I should know...just got the word that mine are totally stripped. Only difference...I have the "Auto" hubs...and yours are the "manual". If the hubs are found to be the problem...I would strongly suggest that you go with WARN premium hubs...as replacements.

Also...just never know...but do you have a front drive shaft? Sorry...have to ask.

With the brakes issue...I agree with others that it might be the caliper. If so...not that big a deal.

nasdaqsam -- I feel your pain. I am in the same boat...literally. I just got the dreaded call from my dealer...and the bill is in the range of $2500+
I will be creating a thread here...stay tuned.

 

Lock in your hubs,,put in FWD,,put in gear and see if the front driveshaft is turning or not ? If driveshaft is turning, problem with hubs or front diff,,,driveshaft not turning, problem in transfere case I would say. Umm like someone else said see if front driveshaft is there !

 

Thanks for the input. It's at a local dealership (I just don't have the time to fix myself these days) I would think they would check for a driveshaft.....hmmmm, ya I better ask.

The hubs sound like the likely problem. From my limited work on older trucks (not Ford but Chevy) tranfer cases are fairly tough to destroy. It can be done but usually the condition of the truck shows signs of abuse long before transfer case damage occurs.

The truck came out of Mass. and it has a plow but the plow has hardly been used, still has most if not all of the original paint on it and the controllers for the fisher plows usually show signs of wear if used at all. I also see from the title the truck sat for a year and wasn't even registered until early 2002 so this seems to be a lot of problems for the condition. Probably poor maintenance schedule if it had one at all.

The driveshaft problem seems to have been caused by poor maintenance and is just bad mechanics putting u-joints in and can not be blaimed on the truck. The transfer case may be just a case of lack of use on the front hubs (time will tell), the mirrors sound like a common issue. From what I am hearing the boots are fairly common also. It's just a lot to deal with all at one shot.

I'll keep you all posted as the progress or lack there of continues......

 

Quick question:

First: front driveshaft is there.

I talked to the mechanic this morning. At this point he is thinking it is something simple. Maybe in the electrical (fuse, switch on top of the transfer case). Does that sound right? He said none of the lights are coming on to show it's in 4wheel drive and nothing shows up on the computer as being wrong. He also said the truck really doesn't show signs of abuse underneath.

So can this be electrical in nature?

 

Its not clear in your post.Is this truck ESOF(electric shift on the fly (4x4knob on dash) or complete manual lever ,manual hubs)?

If you have a lever its in your hubs or something is broken in the transfercase.

If you have a esof it could be the hubs or vacuum to the hubs or the tranfercase or the electrical circuits used to shift the transfercase motoror provide the vacuum.

If its just the lights that are not working in the dash in a manual setup.Then there is a switch on the transfercase that signals the instrument cluster whether your in 4hi or 4lo

Rich

 

There is no switch on the dash it has the lever on the floor and the hubs have there own locks. Hmmm I wonder if this guy even knows what he's talking about. He said when he puts the lever in 4wheel the indicator light does not come on and nothing happens. I asked a couple of times if that was even neccessary with a manual transfer case and said it was.

Maybe he never even locked the hubs in. I have a call into him.

 

i edited my post above thers a switch on the transfercase
Rich

 

Rich, I may be confused here. Can that switch cause it to not go into 4wheel or is that strictly to tell you what your in?

 

Just to tell you what your in
Sorry for the confusion
Rich

 

Thanks, so it still boils down to whether it's in the hubs or the case itself. Either way it's not a fuse.

 

Did you check the 4WD to ensure it worked before you purchased the vehicle?

I'm wondering if this 4WD problem existed when you pruchased the truck or if they have disonnected something while doing other work at the dealer and forgot to plug it back in.