What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

4x4 troubles

L

lobsterpimp

Registered Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Posts
15
Reaction score
0
Location
Chincoteague Virginia
Hey guys,
I've been having trouble with the 4x4 in my recent purchase. She's a 1989 Chevy k1500, 305, with a NP 241 transfer case. When I first purchased it, 4x4 didn't seem to work at all (including no lights on the shifter). After drain and fill on fluids, i did a little checking on it. First I checked to see if the 4x4 drive shaft was turning, and it was. Second I replaced the 4x4 actuator in the front differential and the fluid. Then the other night, I replaced the light bulbs in the shifter. After all that, I jacked the truck up (all four wheels) and put her in 4x4 and I got nothing from the front end. So when I finished, I just put it in 4 HI, and hoped that it might just "fix it's self". Well tonight it did, kinda. When I got in it tonight, I noticed that the 4x4 light was blinking, more off than on. So I left it in 4HI to see what happened. As I was getting ready to turn down my street to go home, it stopped blinking. She locked up like I had slammed on the breaks . I ended up disconnecting the actuator to get it out of traffic.

As it stands now, when I put it in 4x4 (HI or LO) it goes in and the light lights up. But then she won't go. It's like the front end gets locked up close to a full rotation of the wheel. I can go forward a couple feet, then the rear wheels start barking cause the front won't turn. I can back up that same few feet, and then get hung again. I was just wondering if anybody had any ideas about what could be up. I just changed the front differential fluid a few days ago.

I bought this rig for $400. Put a starter, rotors, calipers, pads and 4 new tires on it. My cheap $400 truck jumped to about $1100 fast. Along with the 4x4 probs, I've got what I believe is the beginning of a knock AND a spark knock. I'm too far in to quit now.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
lobsterpimp said:
As it stands now, when I put it in 4x4 (HI or LO) it goes in and the light lights up. But then she won't go. It's like the front end gets locked up close to a full rotation of the wheel. I can go forward a couple feet, then the rear wheels start barking cause the front won't turn. I can back up that same few feet, and then get hung again. I was just wondering if anybody had any ideas about what could be up. I just changed the front differential fluid a few days ago.
Click to expand...

If (when you have it in 4WD) the front tires won't spin but the rear will, you problem is in the front axle. Could be a broken axle shaft, ring and pinion or bearings.
 
Get the truck off the ground and put it in 4WD and see what happens. If something is bound up, put it back in 2WD and lock the hubs (do you have some kind of auto hubs?). With the truck off see if you can spin the pinion or the tires by hand.
 
I would start at the diff and work out. Pull the inspection cover off first.
When you changed the fluid did you look at all the gears? Sounds to me, you have a have a broken spider gear jamming things up. Might have been an easy cheap fix if they(spider gears) were replaced before the front locked up. But now that it is locked up the ring and pinnion are prolly trash.
 
Yeah she is auto locking hubs, and no I didn't take a peak inside when I changed the fluid. I just did a quick drain and fill. The front diff doesn't look like it comes apart like the rear diff. I'll jack her up this weekend and see what I can find. Thanx guys
 
If ur r&p is jackedup u my want to just swap in another complete frnt axle. Cheap n easy fix. Frm any local junk yard. Good luck.:D:D:D
 
If ur r&p is jackedup u my want to just swap in another complete frnt axle. Cheap n easy fix. Frm any local junk yard. Good luck.:D:D:D
 
lobsterpimp said:
Yeah she is auto locking hubs, and no I didn't take a peak inside when I changed the fluid. I just did a quick drain and fill. The front diff doesn't look like it comes apart like the rear diff. I'll jack her up this weekend and see what I can find. Thanx guys
Click to expand...
If your front axle turns up to be good, you might have a broken chain in the 241 that is jammed up in there.
Happened to me with my 203 and I forced it forward and the case blew up and the chain fell thru the hole :o
One way to find out is to remove the drive shaft in the front and try to put it in 4x4 if it still grabs you have a bad Tcase.
Also your sumptoms feel like non equal gear ratios in the diffs, could be the front or rear was changed or it could be the tcase is messed up and low range and hi range are ingaging at the same time, or you are in between so it's locking up. Could be as simple as adjustment of the linkage.
 
When I disconnect the thermal actuator, the front drive shaft spins fine. I assume that means that the problem is in the diff or the axle assembly, but I'm not that well versed in it.

This March I'm pulling out my engine and swapping it with a lower mileage 305 (50k). While it's out I'm hoping that will give me more room and easier access to check out the whole front axle assembly. I need to figure out what kind of diff I've got up there, it doesn't look like the "pumpkin" I have in the rear.
 
lobsterpimp said:
When I disconnect the thermal actuator, the front drive shaft spins fine. I assume that means that the problem is in the diff or the axle assembly, but I'm not that well versed in it.

This March I'm pulling out my engine and swapping it with a lower mileage 305 (50k). While it's out I'm hoping that will give me more room and easier access to check out the whole front axle assembly. I need to figure out what kind of diff I've got up there, it doesn't look like the "pumpkin" I have in the rear.
Click to expand...

Silly me, I read about you changing the actuator and saying it's an 89 K1500, for some reason in my mind I thought K5.
So you have the IFS and the thermal actuator you replaced is junk, in cold weather it takes too long to work and in warm weather it never diengages.
You need the aftermarket electric actuator that engages on demand no matter what the temp is outside.
 
lobsterpimp said:
I need to figure out what kind of diff I've got up there, it doesn't look like the "pumpkin" I have in the rear.
Click to expand...

Yeah You have IFS. I forgot they dont have an inspection cover like the rear pumpkin does. You have to disconnect the axles,drop out the diff, and split the diff case to have a look inside. You dont need to pull the engine to do it. You can get to everything from under the truck. kind of a PIA compaired to solid axles. Might want to start looking around at the local Slavage yards for a complete front diff replacement.
 
Thanx guys,
Any idea what type of front diff that is? From my researching thru old posts, I think it could be either a dana 60 or a 40. But I don't have a clue. The underneath is caked in mud and sand, so I'm gonna power wash it off good, and then look for numbers on the diff. As for the pulling of the motor, I'm swapping out a lower mileage 305 (50k vs. 255k) anyway, and figured I'd do it all at the same time. Was going to wait until March, but the building I'm going to work in is available now.

Now if I do need to replace my front diff, I'll need to match the gear ratio with the back, right? And I believe this can be figured out with a jack and some chalk (marking drive shaft and turning wheel, counting revolutions). Does that sound right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom