drive line noise

[ca1rangers]

I have 2000 Ranger. About 2 months ago when comming to a stop the truck started to make a popping noise then the vibration started. I thought my dash was gonna fall off. then it stopped. Off and on it would come back. Felt like the transfer case was locking up. Then I thought it was the hubs not releasing. tried the test jacking up one side and turning wheel. it does not seem to be the hubs(not vacume) but I can hear a clang and pop where the front shaft goes into the transfercase. Again this does not happen all the time. Any ideas? is my transfer case shot?

 

[Harris]

The only thing I can think to ask, and there are people on here much more skilled and qualified than I, is when was the last time you had any brake work done? The reason I ask is because I have seen this problem before but it had nothing to do with a transfer case. It was a combination of a worn rotor and a brake caliper and ABS system on the fritz. (I instantly remembered that incident when you said you thought your dash was going to fall off. It got rough with us, too.)

"but I can hear a clang and pop where the front shaft goes into the transfercase."
Is this with the truck jacked up and you turning the wheel or is this when you are in the cab?

I may be way off the mark but I hope it's a brake caliper as opposed to a transfer case.

 

[ca1rangers]

No its not the brakes. That was my first thought also. I have the truck jacked up and I spin the wheel by hand. It will spin free a couple of rotations but then tighten up then "Bang"! I here that sound. and wheel spins free again.

 

[Harris]

OK. I sure was hoping it was the brakes and not the transfer case. You will have to wait for some of the big dawgs on here to help because it's way out of my league.

 

[ttfiveohranger]

Can you remove the front drive shaft and see if it completely goes away.. it so its the most likely the T-case or axle.. have you been offroading and damaged/bent linkages? it might be out of a adjustment and partially engaged still. if your lucky its toasted ujoints binding up try moving them around under there .. not sure how accessible under that year ranger... either way removing the shaft might keep things from being damaged worse until you get it fixed right...

 

[ca1rangers]

Well That was my next question. Can I saftly remove the shaft and drive. I work just about every day and do not really have the time to work on it now, but I do not want to destroy anything else. I guess with 234,000 miles things will start to go wrong

 

[Kdawg532]

find wicked_sludge and pm him he will probubly now

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

you can safely remove the front driveline and drive without it.

are you 100% sure you do not have vacuum operated hubs on your truck? they ran from 98-00.

it sure sounds like a bad/partially engaged hub to me.

 

[ca1rangers]

Yes I have no vacume lines and when I turn the wheels by hand the drive shaft turns. If I put it in 4x4 the wheels will not turn

 

[Jspafford]

Yes I have no vacume lines and when I turn the wheels by hand the drive shaft turns. If I put it in 4x4 the wheels will not turn

Pull the chrome center cap off your front wheel and see if you see a black round plastic cover or a big nut. If it's the round cover you have PVH hubs, if you see a threaded shaft and a big nut, you have a live axle.

Yes, you can take the front driveshaft out and drive it on the road just fine.

I am moving this to the proper forum.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the vacuum lines are tiny and bundled with the wheel speed sensor wires....so they are hard to spot.

Jspafford's discription is probably the best way to check if your truck truely has a live axle. it should have vacuum hubs. if not then its weird.

it sure sounds like a bad hub to me....and hubs go out much more frequently than t-cases (which rarely fail).

following your previous test, jack the front wheels up, unbolt the front driveline from the differential, and spin a wheel. if it doesnt pop, then spin the t-case front output and see if it pops/grabs/binds (you should be able to spin it freely with the truck in 2wd).

 

[ca1rangers]

well its wierd, I have a live axel. I see a threaded nut. I am going to take the front shaft off today and see what I find out. This thing really clangs hard when I back up now..
I took the shaft off. the pully/wheel st the front of the t-case turns freely and I here no noise. My drive shaft has the a bowl at the t-case end. is the a ujoit inside there that could be bad? I also fliped my swith to 4x4 high and I can hear the moter(there is a slight popsound) and my light turns on. When I go to 4x4 low I here nothing and the light does not turn on. Is there a way to rule out the motor.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the 1354 t-case does not have a u-joint in it...but it has plenty of other parts that can fail.

to shift into 4-low you need to be in nuetral and have the brake pedal depressed. if it doesnt shift when you do this, then it could be a sticky shift motor or mechanical damage inside the case.

another possibility is a grenaded ring and pinion. i think my next test would be to unhook the front drive line, jack the front end up, and turn the front yoke.

 

[ca1rangers]

another possibility is a grenaded ring and pinion. i think my next test would be to unhook the front drive line, jack the front end up, and turn the front yoke.

where is the ring and pinion you are talking about. The front yoke is that where the drive shaft hooks to the front Diff. Of coarse we just got 12 inches of snow. 2 wheel drive sucks

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the ring and pinion are the gears inside the differential. yes the front yoke is where the front drive shaft connects to the differential. there are 4 bolts holding the drive shaft to the yoke...pull those bolts and flop the drive shaft off to the side. then with the front end jacked up, turn thast front yoke. if your R&P is shot, the yoke wont spin smoothly and youll feel/hear grinding/popping noises.