I have a 06 F-350 two weeks ago i was in some mud put in 4x4 and wow, the binding and thumping that came from the front end. so later that day i put it in 4x4 and it did it again.I was 200 miles from home so i just didnt mess with it. Yesterday i needed it again and man makes me want to cry hearing the noise of binding thumping and feeling it in the steering. So my question is, is it the hub, is it the u joint or is this a common vacume problem i use 4x4 about once a month and plow with the truck in the winter. I was just looking for direction before i start looking in the wrong area. Thanks

 

IS the truck new to you?

If there is binding in the driveline, you can probably jack the axle up and spin the tires to find it. If it's the hubs aren't fully engaging, then they could be popping out, but I wouldn't suspect in and out.

 

I have had the truck for a year my buddy and i had the truck up in the air if you lock the hub indiviually it will turn the front drive shaft with no binding. now my new thought was lock the hubs and drive down the road well that lasted 50 ft when the hubs are looked in 2wd it does it just as bad as if i shift it in 4x4. I really dont want to have a shop diagnose the problem when my friend and i can fix it i trhink. i hope that helps out.

 

If it's binding without the transfercase engage, the axle has to be getting hung up on something. Leave the hubs unlocked and try spinning the driveshaft and watching the ujoints for deflection. If the DS spins freely and the axles don't bind, then it might be time to look through the hubs and bearings.

 

How many miles on this truck? Also,, I would look at the axel u-joints,,,see if they look ok,,check them for play/binding,,,,,I had a 76' F-250,,one of the axel u-joints caps came off somehow,,,that made for some slop/play,,for sure,,,,may need to drain the front diff,,look for signs of failure,,,metal fragments,,etc in the oil.

 

The Truck has 38,xxx miles. I just tried to turn the front driveshaft and it spins but not freely it spins roughly a quarter turn then binds but can turn compleatly thats with the wheels straght no noises from the pig other then normal backlash. This past winter i greased the axle u joints like twice a month since i drive alot in 4wd due to plowing. now I just remembered that after the first time i noticed the problem the ABS lite flickered a couple times but have not seen it since. I really think the problem is between the axle u joints or the hub my mechinic friend is stuck on vacume lines but to me it cant be if i just drive with the hubs locked and it does it, could it be the whole bearing assembly? But why is it, it goes good with no noises out in plan 2wd?

 

Ok after 4 hours of messing with the truck with my mechinic friend heres how it went. We jacked the front end up and messed with everying and then we decided the vacume and the hubs were mint. we compleatly jacked it up and was runing in 4wd and the driveshaft kept binding in 2wd with the hubs locked and was binding in 4hi and just as bad in 4lo now we put it on the ground and was still just as bad so i was convinced i needed a front end rebuild he thought it was the transfer but not convinced because of no issues in 2wd we checked every vacume line double checked the hubs with everything we both knew and gave up and started drinking and after 3-4 beers i was convinced i was going to find the problem i got under the truck and started to turn the drivshaft and i said to him i think the shaft is warped and he said there is no way it was. so i talked him into pulling the drive shaft off the diff side to see if its the axle or transfer case we well he did and it came off the front axle moved slick lock the hubs everything checked out and he said man you have two ujoints compleatly seized we took that side off and sure enough the transfer case worked slick so tomarrow he is going to press new ujoints on it and hopefully it will be good to go.

 

thanks for reporting back.

 

always nice when its an easy fix.

 

I maybe did not use 4x4 for maybe 6-7 weeks from plowing till i used it again. been going over and over of when i used 4x4 he thinks the u joint closest to the transfer has been seized since ive owned if not longer and the middle ujoint was seized on two caps.