Dana 35 IFS Question- Troubleshooting Help Needed

[reginald fairfield]

Hey guys,

I have a 1999 Ranger with the Dana 35 IFS up front. Vacuum Hubs too, but permanently locked(which incidentally I do not reccomend. pinion seal had to be replaced 15,000 miles later). Here is the big question.

Which part of a Dana 35 IFS would be most likely to slip under mid-high rpm or when turning, or when otherwise under load (like climbing a hill...) Something in my front axle seems to clunk and then slip, then grab again. This all happens withing a second, but it keeps doing it every few seconds. It never gets worse either, that is what has astounded me. This slipping has already fried my transfercase once, I had it rebuilt. I am confident that it is not the transfer-case now, though that is what I originally suspected. Could this be a partially stripped hub? A missing tooth on my ring gear? Or maybe the splines on the CV (or whatever) shaft?

If you have had any experience with this, or otherwise have any suggestions, let me know. Thanks in advance fellows.

P.S. This slipping started occuring after a very heavy load was put on the axle at high rpm in four low. Stupid I know, but what is done is done. I just want to be able to use 4-low again.

 

[Bent Bolt]

Sounds very much like a stretched chain in the t-case. Or miss-matched tire diameters. Use a tape measure to confirm all tires are within 1/4"

 

[c_note]

id say start by poping off the diff cover and make sure your carrier straps arent cracked or broke. they are made out of aluminum.

i broke a carrier strap when i 4 lo, hi rpms while recovering a dodge ram when a z71 couldnt get the job done.

 

[reginald fairfield]

Sounds very much like a stretched chain in the t-case. Or miss-matched tire diameters. Use a tape measure to confirm all tires are within 1/4"

All tires are same, bfg at's 30 inch. As to chain, has brand new one, has already gone through two, so it must be something else causing it...

id say start by poping off the diff cover and make sure your carrier straps arent cracked or broke. they are made out of aluminum.

i broke a carrier strap when i 4 lo, hi rpms while recovering a dodge ram when a z71 couldnt get the job done.

Carrier straps? Can you elaborate a bit please? Sounds like you did the same thing as me. Did your front axle completely stop working or what were your symptoms? Was it just popping?

 

[cappin90]

it could be your front drive shaft, i had a similar problem with mine and thats what it was. and im fairly positive they stopped putting Dana 35's in rangers in 97.... you should have torsion bar ifs if its a 99 but i could be wrong

 

[reginald fairfield]

it could be your front drive shaft, i had a similar problem with mine and thats what it was. and im fairly positive they stopped putting Dana 35's in rangers in 97.... you should have torsion bar ifs if its a 99 but i could be wrong

Yeah, it is ifs but the pumpkin is still the dana 35 isn't it?

 

[c_note]

its still a dana 35. what else would it be?

well anyway, the carrier strap is the piece that holds the carrier in the housing by strapig over the carrier bearings.

it only was noisy in my case. its possible that you have another issue but id start by checking the cv joint, driveshaft and popping the diff cover

 

[racinranger]

also in the case of my 98 with ifs before i got the 08 fx4. it has pvh hubs and would make the click pop grab jump type thing. i had already at that time modified them to be fulltime using the cut the cap twist the plunger and lock method. i found that after awhile the hubs would "back off" and start to pop. i'd have to go turn em again. i gave up and bought the avm manual conversion hubs

 

[Bent Bolt]

Have a look at the Reppeza joint on the front driveshaft closest to the transfercase. Have seen it strip out before.

 

[c_note]

also in the case of my 98 with ifs before i got the 08 fx4. it has pvh hubs and would make the click pop grab jump type thing. i had already at that time modified them to be fulltime using the cut the cap twist the plunger and lock method. i found that after awhile the hubs would "back off" and start to pop. i'd have to go turn em again. i gave up and bought the avm manual conversion hubs

this actually makes the most sense of all imho.