I realize I am a noob and I hate to come on here bugging for answers but I've checked my service manual and my haynes and google for some sort of write up but no luck. Could just be Im asking the wrong question but IDK. So I'm going to swallow my pride and bug yall. I recently acquired an 82 Toyota 4wd Longbed and trailered her home after having to pick her up on to the trailer with a forklift due to a frozen parking brake. when I arrived home I jacked the rear up and freed the parking brake. I got her running and with just enough clutch left I put it in 4Lo to get her off the trailer and I felt/heard a wheel pulling as if it were locked up like a parking brake, so I jacked up each side to check for sticky brakes or warped rotors/drums etc and all hubs turned freely. So I jumped back in and attempted again to back off the trailer, in 4lo again it felt locked up in the front end. Finally after lots of jerking and pulling I managed to get her off the trailer. Checked under the front end, no leaks, no obstructions, front hubs would turn freely. I rolled her forward clutch in and no pulling or jerking or frozen or locked up just normal but as I backed her in to garage in 4lo the front end was fighting me again. So Im wondering if this could be something up in the t-case or maybe in the front axle? maybe reverse is grenading? I couldn't imagine it being the front inner or outer bearings right? any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Heres a quick pic of my new $300 toy

 

sounds to me like the front wheel bearings are frozen. A friend of mine had a similar issue in his 84 SA. I swore at the time it was the tranny. I jacked up the front end and put it in neutral and started to mess around with the front end and came to find out the passenger side wheel bearings were completely frozen and NOTHING was moving. I bought a front end service kit with bearings from Brian and fixed it right up.

 

If all of the wheels turned freely when you checked them all, then i would check the gears in the front and rear third members to make sure there both the same. If there not then that could be your problem, one axle fighting against the other because of different gearing.

 

excellent, I appreciate the advice. I will get under there tomorrow morning and pull the hubs and check the bearings.
thanks again

 

I thought about the gearing being different but honestly these axles look like theyve never even been opened or swapped...and all the hubs turn freely so Im still pondering if its reverse or t-case related

 

why are you putting it in 4lo to back it off the trailer (no driveline?)it could be broken birfs locking the wheels in front or a grenaded 3rd

 

I put it in 4lo because it didnt have enough clutch for 2hi to back off the trailer and park into my barn. Could it be the third member if the front hubs are disengaged and its still locking up? maybe the birfs are grenaded Ill have to pull the hubs (i wouldn't mind upgrading the birfs). Im going to take the front driveshaft off tomorrow and see if it is the t case or trans.

 

pull the front DS, that will tell you if it in the front end.

like mentioned before sounds like mismatched gears

 

Great answer... Totally saves him the labor of unlocking the hubs...


And furthermore, he can put the TC in H2 and manually rotate the front shaft with the hubs un locked and feel for binding or broken parts... You can also lock one side at a time and check each side for problems.


Lock the hubs and TC in H2, spin the tire and count how many rotations the shaft makes...

http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/#ratios

 

did you read the part about him using 4Lo because his clutch is about to go out? sure he can unlock the hubs but 4 hi is a no go

 

unlocking the hubs has the same effect, no pulling the shaft required...

I must be missing something... b/c that's not good advise.

 

ok so Ive got another clutch in and tried in 2hi with hubs unlocked...no problems, 4hi with hubs locked same pull and knocking, unfortunately I work night shift so I didnt get much done except for clutch but I will check the front DS and lock each hub individually.
Thanks again for all the valuable advice.

 

To check a 4WD, the engine doesn't even need to be running...

1st: TC in H2, Hubs un locked. Get under the truck and manually turn the shaft. It should turn free.

1a: Now you can take turns locking one hub at a time. Free movement means no bind. And an open front diff. If it does not it could be b/c somethings broke or it has a locker or limited slip in it.

1b: Locking both hubs, the shaft should not turn at all. If it did, it'd pull the truck.

2nd: TC 4H and 4L. They serve the same purpose. They close the open loop and make the front shaft turn (hubs close the next one). Now get under the truck and try and turn the shaft. It should not... B/c the TC locked in gear.


Remember, it takes two things to get the front axle to pull. Hubs and a transfer case.
No switches or motors and all that other junk!

 

Check your front diff and your bir-fields. If you have no problems spinning the wheels in 2wd, but it locks up in 4wd, then your problem is most likely there. Downey offroad had a nice rebuild kit for the front end till they went out of of buisness. LC engineering might have one (anyone else know). the kit gives all the bearings you will need. You sound mechanically inclined so it isn't hard to check your front diff. first check the drain plug to see if there is any gear oil at all/metal shavings. but i bet you need a new front 3rd member.

All-pro offroad had the front end rebuild kit. it is like 100 bucks.

 

wow downey went out?.... they made decent products. Just got off work about to run out there and go down on her' I let you all know what happen. thanks again for all the advice