Hello gentlemen........ladies.....heathens....

Well, the front end started making a thumping noise last night and I found a big hole in the pass. side CV boot. Okay........I get to fix that. Yay! Pfft! The other thing is, though, is the 4wd doesn't appear to be working. (Bear in mind, I wrecked the vehicle over a year ago and it's been mobile only very little off and on since due to other issues.) This evening, I jacked the front end up to take a look a it.....wherein I found the busted boot. The vehicle goes into a lower gear when shifted into 4wd.....H or L.....and you can definitely feel that. But, the front DS still spins freely and the two front wheels move indepently of one another. The latter I can probably trace to either the vac lines to the ADD actuator being backwards or the VSV's not working....or the switch at the TC not working. But, the DS issue still has me a bit baffled. Don't know where to begin with that.

Please don't mention switching to manual hubs. Ain't happenin'. The wife likes the ADD and so do I for the purpose of the vehicle. However, I would certainly appreciate any insight and save me the time researching this.

Pretty please.......

 

switch to manual hubs...
anyways maybe busted something in the front dif like the pinion or the spider gears... maybe busted the actuator for the ADD?
and the ripped boot is prolly just a coincidence...

 

/me smacks space-junk......over and over.....and over again.

Umm....I had the front diff plate off shortly after the wreck to replace the diff cover. Also the actuator. Both appeared to be unharmed and I looked carefully.

I did have a small problem with not reassembling the actuator fork to the sleeve correctly at first, but fixed that a long time ago.

Seems to me, even if the diff were busted the DS should still lock in at the TC, though, and make a horrible racket at the diff.??? I'm just hoping for all that I'm worth (shut up...) that it's not a problem with the TC.????

BTW, the 4rnr is an auto with the 340H unit.

 

If the front drive shaft turns freely while the transfer case is engaged, it sure sounds like there is a problem in the transfer case (though, from the fact that it turns independently of the front wheels too, there must be a problem at the front diff as well.)

 

Shush!.........yer scarin' me!

Yeah, it kinda does. Guess I'll have to actually find some time to do some research into this.

Now, where's that manual?..........

Anymore feedback mucho appreciated.

 

Wait....like I said, the TC goes into lower gears. Also, it makes no noise when doing so. Seems to me if something internal were screwed up, that would also make noise. No? Maybe there is a shifter linkage and it's not moving all the way to lock the front DS?

 

When I got my truck last year it wouldn't go into 4wd. Took the actuator off of the front diff. and noticed the previous mechanic didn't put it back together properly. The actuator fork was on the wrong side of the collar - don't remember the technical term. But you get the point. When I took it out I also made sure it worked by starting the truck and switching from 2wd to 4wd.
Did you try to see if the propeller shaft rotates freely between the diff and tc when in 4wd?
Hopefully you'll luck out with an easy fix.

 

The collar is the sleeve I was referring to in an earlier post. I fixed that a while ago.

Yeah, I checked to see if the propeller shaft/DS/driveshaft/part in question/source of major headache and doubt was spinning freely in 4wd. See earlier posting............and it does........and that's the problem.....I think.

Thanks.

 

this thread has me confused as !

place x-fer case in 4wd.... does front DS move using your hand?
if you can do this then your x-fer case is dicked up.

when in 2wd.... if you move the DS by hand do the axle shafts to each wheel rotate? if you do this and they dont rotate then there is something dicked up in your Dif.

that should be enough to isolate where something is broken.... and maybe if you awnser these questions it will atleast clear things up for some of us slower folk.

 

First question..........

Answer: Yes. The DS moves by hand. However, one mechanic (supposedly familiar with Toyotas) says with the ADD setup that's normal. Since I'm a little baffled (and more familiar with my '86/manual locking hubs/gear driven t-case), I called the dealership and talked to a friend in parts to check that info. Have to wait until later today for an answer after he's spoken with the head technician.

Second question.......

Answer: The axle shafts rotate freely w/wheels............furthermore, independently of front DS. So, that's normal. But, it also does the same if shifted into 4wd. So, I know the actuator is not doing it's job, i.e. locking up the frontend when it's supposed to. I'll be looking into that today.

 

guess i should have asked if it was in first gear as well when in 4wd and trying to rotate the DS by hand. its a manual transfer case right? if so when put in 4wd and left in 1st gear the drive shaft shouldnt move. because it should be locked into the transfer case just like the rear one is. if its moving then its broken.

as for there being something wrong with the dif and hear noise thats not entirely true. if a gear stripped off entirely.. i know unlikely but in an accident unlikely things happen it could be the case. only way to tell for sure is pull the cover and take a look see. i hope this turns out to be an inexpensive fix for you but i dont get that feeling

 

No.....the diff (and actuator) are all unharmed. No broken teeth on the ring gear and no signs of a broken pinion. As well, no shrapnel in the diff housing when I had the diff cover off a while back to replace the cover. I really think the front end issue is just that the actuator is not engaging. I'm going to swap the vac lines to actuator around and see if the diff will then engage. If not, I'll start tracing it back to the VSV's or possibly the switch at the t-case.

The t-case is a manual shifted unit. But, there's a switch at the shifter side that sends a signal to the VSV's to operate the actuator, of course. But, you're saying that when in 4wd the front DS should NOT move independently of the rear.........right? Being a chain driven unit it still works the same as a gear driven unit? So, if it's broken, how so if the t-case will actually still drop in gear ratio and also not produce any auditory signs of breakage when doing so or when being mobile? Not questioning your statements per se.......just curious as to what could be gone wrong.

The trans. is an automatic. So, no first gear....just D/N/P, etc....all that.

 

I think something is messed up with the t-case and thus it isn't sending out the electrical signal to the VSV, which is why the ADD isn't working.

I'd start with trying to fix the t-case. Have you checked your fluid level in it and your tranny?

 

im not exactly possitive on how the inner workings of the t case go. im kind of thinking aloud here as i work thru it in my head. i just know that when i did my clutch a couple weeks ago i was trying to drop the front drive shaft off the t case and couldnt turn the bolts because it was free spinning so i put it in 4wd and the shaft locked up tight so i could break the bolts free. but i dont have ADD or any of that other fun stuff i got a shifter and hubs

 

Upon closer inspection, I found that the ADD vac lines were drooping down out of the retainer clip on the frame and the CV axle was rubbing it. Nice hole. The funny thing is what actually got my attention. The axle flange and nuts were all nice and polished where they'd been rubbing....hehe. Stark contrast the rest of the muck and grease covering most everything else....including the nice hole that had escaped me before. Dern...........

Needless to say, the 4wd is working again. I suppose I'll have to give some details of things I'd noticed. Later........I gotta go split some wood. Ta!

 

glad it was something easy to fix. i hate those nagging things that turn out to be something retarded.

 

Yeah, it was easy enough. One thing I noticed was the body mounts were gone, shot, kaplooey. Probably from the wreck.

 

Did you get that wood split yet? If not....GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!!!

 

Haha........yah mon. I've got a cord and half split just waiting to be burned. A nice, HUGE, seasoned Cedar Elm........as locals call it. Burns really nice and warm. I can put an 8" log unsplit on a light bed of coals and it will still catch and burn a good while. Very dense wood, it is.

Oh.....thanks for asking, zlathim. And, where the hell were you when I was ready to split it? HA!!!