4wd diagnostic proceedure
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,403
Likes: 872
From: Mi'kma'ki
thats what i think too.if you know of truck that doesnt do what yours does locked in 4 wheel drive on pavement then something is wrong.in fact i always check to see if i can get what your describing while on dry pavement when inspecting to see if everything's ok.
exactly what i did when i test drove my new truck to actually make sure she "clunked"
lots of clunking and wheel hopping on pavement locked in 4x4 = a good thing.
(try it on any known working 4x4 truck and see.just dont go driving around like this though of course lol)
exactly what i did when i test drove my new truck to actually make sure she "clunked"
lots of clunking and wheel hopping on pavement locked in 4x4 = a good thing.
(try it on any known working 4x4 truck and see.just dont go driving around like this though of course lol)
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 283
Likes: 0
I haven't made a thread of my own yet, because I came across this thread. I just made a video of a 1985 f250 beater truck we just picked up. The video shows what happened when we went out to the mountain after some rain. Lots of nasty sounding noises to our virgin ears, I thought the truck was going to blowup We we also went up a fireroad where there was allot of sliding and surface slippery goop. All sorts of these noises still persisted, mostly in turns.
Does yours sound like ours? We don't get any of these noises in 2 wheel drive.
YouTube - 1985 f250 diesel 6.9 4x4 test
We we also went up a fireroad where there was allot of sliding and surface slippery goop. All sorts of these noises still persisted, mostly in turns.Does yours sound like ours? We don't get any of these noises in 2 wheel drive.
YouTube - 1985 f250 diesel 6.9 4x4 test
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,403
Likes: 872
From: Mi'kma'ki
you got some bad front wheel U-joints there id say damac.
have fun.i just replaced mine couple weeks ago.it sucks.but hopefully wont have to worry about 'em again.
(you have the classic "squeak" and "grinding" noises when u-joints are shot.)
you can tell easy enough just by looking at them when their this bad.grab the shafts and move them back and forth.
check both front and rear shafts and inner(pass side) and outer u-joints on the front axle.
have fun.i just replaced mine couple weeks ago.it sucks.but hopefully wont have to worry about 'em again.
(you have the classic "squeak" and "grinding" noises when u-joints are shot.)
you can tell easy enough just by looking at them when their this bad.grab the shafts and move them back and forth.
check both front and rear shafts and inner(pass side) and outer u-joints on the front axle.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
Nope, doesn't sound like that. Mine is a solid CLUNK (move a little forward) CLUNK (move a little forward) CLUNK. It's almost like it loads up and then BANG when it (whatever IT is) releases, you hear the noise.
Almost sounds like a someone is using a solid metal pipe and hitting the undercarriage of the vehicle. Sound is so loud you can feel it.
Bottom line is that it never happened before, so i can't image it's normal. I know what you're talking about with the wheel hop, no hopping here, just a noise you can hear from a block away.
Almost sounds like a someone is using a solid metal pipe and hitting the undercarriage of the vehicle. Sound is so loud you can feel it.
Bottom line is that it never happened before, so i can't image it's normal. I know what you're talking about with the wheel hop, no hopping here, just a noise you can hear from a block away.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
damac,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.
That surely sounds like some bad U joints, could be axle or driveshaft.
chewy, have you pulled the locking hubs out?
You could have a hub that is not going all the way into locked or about to strip out.
That would take some doing on a 60, but they all do wear out though.
The bad thing about a noise like that, when it unloads, the sound is transmitted through everything else, so where it sounds liek it is, may not be the true location.
The hub slips, but you hear the ring/pinion backlash.
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.
That surely sounds like some bad U joints, could be axle or driveshaft.
chewy, have you pulled the locking hubs out?
You could have a hub that is not going all the way into locked or about to strip out.
That would take some doing on a 60, but they all do wear out though.
The bad thing about a noise like that, when it unloads, the sound is transmitted through everything else, so where it sounds liek it is, may not be the true location.
The hub slips, but you hear the ring/pinion backlash.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 5
From: Faibanks Ak.
It is possible it is the chain in your transfercase. When you turn on hard ground it is also putting more stress on the chain and if it it slips it will be a loud clunk and kind of timed too.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I haven't made a thread of my own yet, because I came across this thread. I just made a video of a 1985 f250 beater truck we just picked up. The video shows what happened when we went out to the mountain after some rain. Lots of nasty sounding noises to our virgin ears, I thought the truck was going to blowup We we also went up a fireroad where there was allot of sliding and surface slippery goop. All sorts of these noises still persisted, mostly in turns.
Does yours sound like ours? We don't get any of these noises in 2 wheel drive.
YouTube - 1985 f250 diesel 6.9 4x4 test
We we also went up a fireroad where there was allot of sliding and surface slippery goop. All sorts of these noises still persisted, mostly in turns.Does yours sound like ours? We don't get any of these noises in 2 wheel drive.
YouTube - 1985 f250 diesel 6.9 4x4 test
That spot sure looks like the bottom of Cow Mountain, just up out of Scotts Creek right where everyone goes shooting...
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 283
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We ride dirtbikes up there and got this beater truck to haul the bikes in the bed, while pulling a 24 ft. travel trailer.
We took the truck up that first stretch until we could turn the truck around. It was not fun being in the snot and NOT in the drivers seat
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Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I wheel up there a lot, it wasn't too bad after that first good rain a month or so back but I was up there in May with a group and we got caught in a good-sized storm...it was really nasty. I'm still finding chunks of dried mud from that weekend under my truck...
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 319
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From: Western Australia
If i drive mine on hard going with the hubs locked I dont get to much noise but i can feel the extra rolling resistance and lack of take off speed which tells me I forgot to unlock the hubs even if its not in 4wd.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Leaving the hubs locked does add a lot of extra turning parts and will drop the MPG slightly.
Since I added limited slip in the front axle, it will also give the steering that 4x4 feel when making hard turns even though the transfer case is in 2 wheel drive.
But it sure does shine when you get off road in the nasty stuff.
The extra capability it added makes it worth the extra effort turning the hubs in and out whe you go from hard roads to off road conditions.
I think the only thing better would be air lockers in both axles so you could increase the off road traction even more and still have good driving manners when you were on road or hauling weight.
Since I added limited slip in the front axle, it will also give the steering that 4x4 feel when making hard turns even though the transfer case is in 2 wheel drive.
But it sure does shine when you get off road in the nasty stuff.
The extra capability it added makes it worth the extra effort turning the hubs in and out whe you go from hard roads to off road conditions.
I think the only thing better would be air lockers in both axles so you could increase the off road traction even more and still have good driving manners when you were on road or hauling weight.
5th Wheeling
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 38
Likes: 3
chewyjackson, did you ever get this figured out? we have this happening on our 1996 F350 4X4 crewcab. It is going into the shop this week but would like to know what you found and give that info to the mechanic to help diagnose.
Thanks
Thanks
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
I actually sold it to a friend who had someone look at it. Never put it in 4WD so I just never went any further with it. It's actually in his shop now. They think it is something internal to the transfer case. We'll see. I put a used one in, and had the same noise I started with, what are the chances of the used one having the same issue as the old one? I guess we'll find out.
I did take it back last month to have the front driveline looked at, and that was fine. So it's got to be the case or maybe the front diff.
As far as the darkside...2004 Chevrolet Duramax 1 ton ext. cab. As much as I loved my Ford, this new one is in a different class.