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Front driveshaft behavior(is this normal)

iwannadie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Gilbert, Az
I was replacing the front brake pads and noticed something and just was trying to make sure it's proper behavior or if I have a problem developing.

[conditions: in Park, 2hi, both front wheels lifted, rear on the ground]
I was working on the driver side and turned the wheel by hand and noticed the driveshaft was not moving. I remember reading and seeing before that the front driveshaft always turns. I rotated the tire back and forth about 1/8 of a turn and noticed the driveshaft would move slightly with the motion of the tire but not spin freely. If I wiggled the tire back and forth and driveshaft would wiggle with it. If I spun the tire the driveshaft would stay motionless.

I threw it into 4hi and noticed then the driveshaft spun continuously with the wheel rotation. I put it back in 2hi and again the driveshaft was spinning with the tire again. I couldn't get it to repeat the original behavior but I didn't spend a lot of time. I didn't think much of it at the time but now I am thinking back about it and am a little curious/concerned.

Is there any cause for concern when the driveshaft is Not turning with the front tires? I haven't used 4wd in a while actually and haven't noticed any signs of a problem.

97 country, at, command trac, stock height
 
When in 2wd with both front wheels off the ground, and you spinning one wheel, the torque will go wherever it feels like it, either the driveshaft, the other wheel, or both. A better test would have been to try and turn the driveshaft by hand, with a strap wrench or something, to check for binding, noises, etc. Or put one of the front wheels on the ground, then turning the other wheel absolutely should cause the driveshaft to turn.

What I want to know is for test number two, in 4hi, if the rear wheels were still on the ground, how did you get the front driveshaft to turn at all? It should be positively coupled to the rear driveshaft. Are you sure you weren't in tcase neutral?
 
When in 2wd with both front wheels off the ground, and you spinning one wheel, the torque will go wherever it feels like it, either the driveshaft, the other wheel, or both. A better test would have been to try and turn the driveshaft by hand, with a strap wrench or something, to check for binding, noises, etc. Or put one of the front wheels on the ground, then turning the other wheel absolutely should cause the driveshaft to turn.

What I want to know is for test number two, in 4hi, if the rear wheels were still on the ground, how did you get the front driveshaft to turn at all? It should be positively coupled to the rear driveshaft. Are you sure you weren't in tcase neutral?

Thanks for the info, I'm going to double check later today. It may have popped up into 4N, I never shift the Tcase while on jacks like that and it didn't feel like a solid engagement.

I also forgot to mention, I did turn the driveshaft by hand(test 1) and it was smooth as could be, no binding or any signs of problems. The way you explain that the power goes where it likes makes sense to me though. I just remembered reading threads saying the front driveshaft should always turn. I didn't think to check the opposite wheel for spinning(the tire was off so it most likely was turning the hub).

Just to be sure, I'll lift one wheel and check for driveshaft rotation and also once positively in 4hi I'll check for no driveshaft rotation there too.
 
When you spin a wheel something else should be spinning, the drive shaft or the wheel on the other side.

Also, you tried to put your transfer case in 4 high or 4 low while the rear wheels were on the ground and the front was on jack stands? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen there.
 
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