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Front axle won't engage

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bulllhaulr

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Ok, I'm at a loss. Just getting around to fixing up our 90 k5.
Problem is the front axle will not engage. It has a new set of hubs installed.
Here's what I've done to try to figure out what maybe wrong, but now I'm stuck.

With the front on the ground, hubs in lock position, I rotate the front driveshaft and the passenger side hub will rotate. Driver's side does not.
Jacked it off the ground, rotate the driveshaft and driver's side still won't rotate the knuckle, passenger side will.
Grabbed passenger side tire and rotate knuckle is not turning.
Driver's side tire rotating and knuckle will rotate.
When turning the tires by hand, the opposite side tire doesn't move?

Where do I start?
 
Open the cover and see if the spider gears are in it/intact.

Also just because.... Are there axle shafts on both sides :whistle:
 
Re read it. When you say knuckle turning... What are you referring to? The axle shafts spinning?

The knuckle is not something that spins. It is the cast steel part that the ball joints fit into that turn left to right with your steering. Hub spindle bolts to the knuckle.
 
If the hubs are locked and it's on the ground, NOTHING should rotate. Like Deuling said, spider gears maybe, but I'm adding that you should pull the passenger side hub apart. Also, with hubs locked, on the ground, try rotating the axles @ the u-joints. By not using the driveshaft, you effectively bypss the differential.

EDIT: That's all I can guess, I never did much mechanical work on my front end before my locker install, so I wouldn't really know if this is normal for an open diff. Mine would never move, period.
 
Sorry, for any confusion.
When I am referring to the knuckle, your are correct that I am meaning the axle shaft joints that extrude form the axle, go through the knuckle/spindle area and thus has the hub on the end of it.
A little background. When I purchased the K5 a year back, I had to trailer it home. The seller had blown the drivers side hub out, spindle was bad and the rotor had to be replaced from the damage he had done to it. He had planned on fixing it, but purchased another Blazer that was “new to him”. So I picked it up and wanted to get it back on the road again. Replaced the spindle, rotors on both sides of the front axle; with new shoes both sides, and then put a new hub on the drivers side where there was no hub from being I guess overheated and blew the cap off??
I thought that with limited slip, if the front was off the ground and I grabbed 1 tire at a time and turned it then it would rotate the other opposite direction thus turning the gears in the housing?
Also, with limited slip and vehicle on the ground I was told that if I lock the hubs in and turn the front driveshaft look to see if the axle shafts moved?? If it did then that would be the bad hub?? Not sure. I was thinking broken axle shaft? Turn each front tire while in the air and if it broken in the axle tube or gear set wouldn’t it clunk or something? Sorry, if I am talking in circles. I am just stumped with this and am probably just getting myself confused on steps.
Thank you all for assisting and not giving up on me.
Sorry, for any confusion.
 
How is the hub rotating with the tires on the ground and you spin the front driveshaft with the hubs locked?

Sounds like a broken driver side outer shaft.
 
pblaze725 said:
How is the hub rotating with the tires on the ground and you spin the front driveshaft with the hubs locked?

Sounds like a broken driver side outer shaft.
Click to expand...

I don't know what to check. That is why I came to the site. Get help, suggestions and educated on what and how to do things with the K5. I am not a mechanic, have basic knowledge. However, things that go boom, I am very familiar with, lol.

When I had the drivers side pulled apart, the outer shaft was in one piece.
 
This clearly cant be with the 4wd engaged right?

Both tires are never going to spin FYI. Which ever had the least resistance should spin. Holding the tire on one side should make the other spin.
 
You have an awesome support group here. You're going to have to start somewhere.

With both tires off the ground and secured on Jackstands and the hubs locked, with the transfer case in 2wd you should be able to spin one tire and the other should spin too.
With an open differential the other tire would spin in the opposite direction, with a positive locking differential it would spin in the same direction.

If one tire spins and the other doesn't there is something in between that is broken.

Like Deuling said you can take off the diff cover and check the spider gears. With the cover open you can see if everything is spinning properly.
I'm not sure if you changed the gear oil when you serviced it, if not you should because of the overhearing from the damage.

If everything looks ok there, you will need to check the shafts. The reason I thought it would be the outer on the driver side is. I thought you said you can spin the tires and you could see the axle shaft U joints moving but the tire was not.
You're going to need a few special tools to service the shaft. I assume you have them if you changed the spindle.
One you get the spindle off you can pull the shafts out and inspect them.

I hope this helps. I've been through this several times myself.
 
Tear it down. Only requires a handfull of tools to break the entire axle down. I've done mine at least half a dozen times now.

This is the place to be if you want I help. Some pictures once your inside would help us too.
 
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On my truck,if I spin one front tire with both jacked up off the ground,hubs locked in,transfer case in 2wd,the front driveshaft will spin instead of the other tire ,in the opposite direction...the spider gears transfer power to whatever has the least resistance,so the front shaft spins...not the other tire..I suppose not every diff will act that way..
 
Stomis said:
This clearly cant be with the 4wd engaged right?

Both tires are never going to spin FYI. Which ever had the least resistance should spin. Holding the tire on one side should make the other spin.
Click to expand...

No, transfer case in not in the 4wd position.
 
Ok. So do what I said then. Put it on jackstands a few inches off the ground, chock one tire at a time and spin the driveshaft. Which ever tire is not chocked should spin. If at any point you chock a tire and the opposite tire isnt whats spinning, something is broke.


Ive had broken stub shafts on my buddies buggy that you would swear were fine looking at them assembled. Tear it down and the thing was sheared perfectly in the wheel hub behind the ujoint ear.
 
pblaze725 said:
You have an awesome support group here. You're going to have to start somewhere.
I agree with the awesome support group on here. I was thinking to myself when I put the post up, after searching over 300 of the 1 thousand post on here and still could not find an answer, that I was ask my question and it would be days before I heard anything. WOW, I had a couple in less than 1/4 of a day and several thus far. THANK YOU ALL.

With both tires off the ground and secured on Jackstands and the hubs locked, with the transfer case in 2wd you should be able to spin one tire and the other should spin too. Tried this, as I tried to explain horribly earlier and when I turn 1 tire it would not spin the other tire at all, but noticed that the "knuckle" (as incorrectly identified earlier) and should be called the half shaft, was turning on the drivers side of the vehicle...however when I went to the passenger side of the unit and turned its tire, the half shaft u-joint was not turning, but it did turn when I rotated the driveshaft??? Balding quickly (lol) here as I'm ripping my hair out :laugh:

With an open differential the other tire would spin in the opposite direction, with a positive locking differential it would spin in the same direction.
Correct, that is the way I understood it. That is why I tried the whole off the ground thing and turn tire by hand....

If one tire spins and the other doesn't there is something in between that is broken.
I agree and understand that. ??? question... If tires are off the ground, hubs locked, and I turn a tire by hand the other (being this is a limited slip diff) the other tire "should" rotate but the opposite direction of the tire I'm turning?? Correct?? and if that is true and the principal that something is broken, if the passenger side or drivers side hubs and not in good working order and not allowing it the lock the hub in correctly, then the other tire would not rotate?? Would that less than a watt light bulb moment be correct? and or yes, the gears inside the housing or broken half shaft.

Like Deuling said you can take off the diff cover and check the spider gears. With the cover open you can see if everything is spinning properly.
I'm not sure if you changed the gear oil when you serviced it, if not you should because of the overhearing from the damage.
Will do this when there is no snow on the ground, so I don't freeze.

If everything looks ok there, you will need to check the shafts. The reason I thought it would be the outer on the driver side is. I thought you said you can spin the tires and you could see the axle shaft U joints moving but the tire was not.
You're going to need a few special tools to service the shaft. I assume you have them if you changed the spindle.
One you get the spindle off you can pull the shafts out and inspect them.

I hope this helps. I've been through this several times myself.
Click to expand...

I replied to each thing above in your statements. I hope I did it correctly and it comes out.
 
diesel4me said:
On my truck,if I spin one front tire with both jacked up off the ground,hubs locked in,transfer case in 2wd,the front driveshaft will spin instead of the other tire ,in the opposite direction...the spider gears transfer power to whatever has the least resistance,so the front shaft spins...not the other tire..I suppose not every diff will act that way..
Click to expand...

Didn't even think to look at that. :thinking:
I will have to get it back in the air and look at it again. I was so flustered I walked away before something or someone (self-inflicted) got hurt. I/E kicking it, punching the darn thing.
 
To clarify a little bit.

If the differential has a spool, meaning the 2 axle shafts are completely
Locked all the time the 2 tires would spin in the same direction.

If you have a selectable locker weather it be limited slip, an automatic, or even an E locker. If the locker is engaged it will act like a spool and they will spin in the same direction.

If the locker is disengaged it will act like an open differential.

The open differential, the spider gears make the tires spin in oppisite direction when it's up on Jackstands.
This allows the power to go to the path of least resistance, like when that one tire is up in the air spinning and the one on the ground won't move.
 
pblaze725 said:
To clarify a little bit.

If the differential has a spool, meaning the 2 axle shafts are completely
Locked all the time the 2 tires would spin in the same direction.

If you have a selectable locker weather it be limited slip, an automatic, or even an E locker. If the locker is engaged it will act like a spool and they will spin in the same direction.

If the locker is disengaged it will act like an open differential.

The open differential, the spider gears make the tires spin in oppisite direction when it's up on Jackstands.
This allows the power to go to the path of least resistance, like when that one tire is up in the air spinning and the one on the ground won't move.
Click to expand...

Yes. To add, all my comments are based on a stock open diff.
 
Yes, this is a stock open diff. from what I understand from previous owner.
 
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