Seeing if you guys can help pin point my problem. last weekend i went out wheeling. got a little stuck. did a little wheel hopping then nice little pop from the front end came about and i lost 4wd.

did the usual. checked to make sure all the joints where there along with my cv joints intact. grabbed and shook everything seemed very solid.

i still had rwd so i had to spend the next 2 hours and some personal time with the come along. eventually got it out and inspected it again then i saw that the driver side drive shaft bearing from the housing to the transfer case was sticking out about a good inch or so. so i just assumed i snapped the axle from the inside of the housing. eventually i took it apart this weekend to see the drive shaft still in once piece. i was kinda bummed. lol hoping it would be an easy fix.

i looked into the diff a little from the outside of the hole and i could not see anything out of the ordinary. on the passenger side i could move that up and down a fair amount against the diff but it was like that before this even happen.

where else would a guy look/test to see what exactly broke? all my manual hubs are fine. everything is there. locks up as should i can engage 4wd and the power from the transfer case locks up the shaft to the front diff. but what i felt was odd is that when i free balled the shaft when it was in 2wd it would turn but when i turn it counter clock wise it would snag here and there. kinda bind up but then free up. sounds like the diff is done.

i haven't pulled it apart yet and will if i cant test anything else here's a couple pics of the shaft that i pulled. im kinda wondering if the bearing is supposed to be a press fit inside the housing?

 

I'm guessing that the outer bearing of the inner shafts failed due to wear. The rear does this if not checked and replace. Semi floater design. Pull the front cover of the dif inspect gears and bearing there. Sounds like truck was 4wd alot. Cost me 120 to 150 for new bearing and to have them pressed on rear shafts. That bearing said you may want to look for another front dif. May be cheaper in long run. I tried to sale my old stock IFS dif for $50 eventually scrapped it. My regeared and locked IFS dif sold for a desent price but thats a different story.

Do you know that you can remove the front IFS axle and driveshaft tie the CV shafts up so they do not rest on the A arms and drive it in 2wd with hubs unlocked without problem. Helps if its your only means of transpo and I wouldn't do it for a long time.

 

i don't think the bearing failed. the bearing is fine. but your on the right track. im pretty sure its supposed to be a press fit like you stated and i think thats my issues. is that the bearing was on the loose side and worked its way out. rounding off the shaft at the very end.

what im going to do now is try to find a number on the bearing or an exploded diagram and get a part number that way. cross a bearing and see if i can slide it in with out pressing it in. if i have to press it in then GREAT! if not then i'll have to use some retainer compound and get a little tricky with it.

this truck hasn't been driven in 4wd very often before i got it. it was my step dads and he got it in like 1989 and its an 87. as his dd and the only wheeling its seen is what i've done to it. not alot but some rugged stuff then what its used to. sucker sat in the back yard for 5 years before we put the rebuilt tranny back in it.

but thats where im at on what happened. any other suggestions? im going to drain the fluid out of the front diff and change it out. i'll see if i can get any metal chunks out. (if there are any)

 

Good luck sliding that bearing on, get an extra can of elbow grease.

If it was not run much in 4wd, I'd check the hubs as they may not be unlocking. The wear on that bearing came from someplace.

 

so what your saying is that the bearing is supposed to be a press fit?