Is my 4x4 Working right ???
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 594
Likes: 5
From: Wetumpka, Alabama
Is my 4x4 Working right ???
I just picked up an 85 F150 w/manual lockout hubs.
I had my first chance to "really" use the 4 wheel drive tonight during this heavy snow we just got.
Anyways, when I locked in the hubs and engauged the transfer case to 4 wheel High, everything "seems" to feel/sound OK.
However, when I went into an unplowed parking lot to test it, the rear wheels spun and the truck fish-tailed like it was still in 2WD mode. It DID kinda "feel" like the front wheels were pulling, but I'm NOT certain.
How can I verify if my front axle/hubs/transfer case ARE WORKING right while in 4WD mode ??
TIA!
ERIC
I had my first chance to "really" use the 4 wheel drive tonight during this heavy snow we just got.
Anyways, when I locked in the hubs and engauged the transfer case to 4 wheel High, everything "seems" to feel/sound OK.
However, when I went into an unplowed parking lot to test it, the rear wheels spun and the truck fish-tailed like it was still in 2WD mode. It DID kinda "feel" like the front wheels were pulling, but I'm NOT certain.
How can I verify if my front axle/hubs/transfer case ARE WORKING right while in 4WD mode ??
TIA!
ERIC
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 235
Likes: 0
From: Mobile, Alabama
Your 4x4, when engaged, is probably working just fine, but if you don't have a limited slip rear axle, the rear wheel with the least traction will "spin" and the truck will fish tail if you accelerate to quickly.
Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 556
Likes: 0
From: Dixon, Il
This is a sure fire way to find out but has its disadvantages. Go to a place with deep snow. Turn the wheel to the right, stick your head out the window and stomp on the gas. If you get a face full of snow, its working. I'm sure almost everyone has done something like this to make sure.
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 594
Likes: 5
From: Wetumpka, Alabama
Originally Posted by Oval_obsessed
This is a sure fire way to find out but has its disadvantages. Go to a place with deep snow. Turn the wheel to the right, stick your head out the window and stomp on the gas. If you get a face full of snow, its working.
Does this mean the hubs are shot ?? If so, wouldn't there be some kind of noise(s) if they were bad ??
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,402
Likes: 38
From: Bonita Springs FL
It could be the hubs or the transfer case. The hubs are easiest to check, just pull them out. If there's a lot of fine metal particles in there, they're dead. You can also manually actuate them and see if they lock.
Another way to check is to put the rear on jackstands and put it 4x4. If it drives off the jackstands, it works fine.
Another way to check is to put the rear on jackstands and put it 4x4. If it drives off the jackstands, it works fine.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,609
Likes: 18
From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Since you just picked up this truck, maybe you should take a look underneath to make sure it has a front driveshaft.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 594
Likes: 5
From: Wetumpka, Alabama
Originally Posted by Bdox
Since you just picked up this truck, maybe you should take a look underneath to make sure it has a front driveshaft.
How does one check out the front hubs to see if they are good or not ??
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,609
Likes: 18
From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Hey, no offense. I didn't look to see if my truck had a front driveshaft before I bought it. (There were plenty of other problems to look at.)
If you don't like the other suggestions, you could drop the rear driveshaft and see if it drives in 4H.
If you don't like the other suggestions, you could drop the rear driveshaft and see if it drives in 4H.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
From: Maple Ridge B.C. Canada
you check the t case the same general way as ryanmiller said to check the hubs.with the hubs on free,and t case in 2wd,try to turn the front driveshaft,it should turn by hand.then with the hubs still on free,shift the t case into 4 high and try to turn the front drive shaft,it should not spin by hand.do it again but shift the t case to 4 low,the front shaft should not spin by hand.-billy
New User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
If all else fails as has been suggested by our Forum colleagues, if you have a T/C with a chain drive it may be either broken or not there at all.
That means a reno of the doings in the T/C.
Les Bryant, Brisbane, Australia
That means a reno of the doings in the T/C.
Les Bryant, Brisbane, Australia
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 733
Likes: 2
i have to agree with trying to spin the front driveshaft with the axles locked in, the hubs have an aluminum gear that is designed to be the weak point and break before anything else, i've blown out dozens, you can normally find spare ones at the junk yard for a dollar or two
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 0
If it turns out to be the hubs, but nothing looks wrong with them, make sure there isn't too much grease, and make sure everything moves ok.Cold weather will make things stick. The hubs on my 85 worked fine until I decided to regrease them, then the next time i went out they would disengage and start popping when they had any load on them. I bought new Warn premium hubs anyways.
