BIG PROBLEM! Please Help

[Expeditionary]

I'll try to make this short... I drove out to my friends house this afternoon about 20miles out, the left there to go to his brothers house. Another 10 miles or so away but on the way there we noticed a clicking sound coming from the front of the truck I thought it was a CV going out since i had experienced this before with a previous truck. So we drove it slowly to a persons hose where we were dropping off a 4wheeler to get fixed. When I backed out of the driveway she wouldnt move... gave it some gas and she drug the front wheels and BAM! something broke loose and then locked up again so i wiggled my way around in drive since going forward it worked fine. Drove down the street and called AAA after waiting 2:30 hours truck finally got there and loaded it up. Front end was clicking when he pulled it up but not bad. When we dropped it off at my shop 30+ miles away now it wouldnt roll of the back of the truck even on the steepest setting of the ramp. I had to give it gas and listen to what i thought sounded like the end of my truck Bam BAm BAM BAM and finally it got the front wheels off.

The tow truck drive said "thats no CV thats for sure" i said "i know sh*ts F*cked" and he said "nahhh your transfercase is whats F*cked"

That just put a huge pit in the bottom of my stomach. This is immediately after I got home that I am posting this. The Expy needs help and I need yalls help too.

Anyone with any ideas PLEASE chime in with whatever you think could be wrong with her

 

[Big Red Monster]

my dad says it could be the transfer case or the ring gear and pinion have went out. time to upgrade the gears lol

 

[Expeditionary]

so it could just be Sh*t effing up in the front differential? that aint horribly bad but I got a feeling its the transfer case cuz of how it sounded and how it wouldnt move going backward. dragging the front wheels and all

I found transfer cases online for like $500 but I only have like 4-500 on me, and I aint selling my $700 worth of brand new BFG mud terrains lol.

 

[99 Expy]

I would say pull the front driveshaft and try jack the front end off the ground and try spinning the wheels and inspect everything, and the same for the rear. That could help to eliminate certain parts. Is there anything you've done lately to suspect any problems?

 

[Expeditionary]

nope just frove it down the road. Havent even been offroad lately. I had it in 4low a little 2weeks ago when I was pulling out a e250 van (chalk one up for the Expy BTW) other than that nothing offroad nothing with 4wd nothing at all. I took out my spring spacers in the back a few days ago though idk if that would have dont anything though. Its Def. not the rear I had my head next to the tire on driver's side and the noisse came from there. Far upfront I thought too far up to make it be Tcase but thats what the driver suspected

 

[dcarr]

I would inspect the front diff. If there is no doubt that you heard the clicking there it would be where I would start. No offense to most tow operators but some of them dont know a transfer case from a muffler bearing. And im in no way starting an argument with anyone that does tow. It could be something in the center section that is binding on the backwards turning during reverse.

 

[Expeditionary]

good idea ill check it out.... he tried to set me up with his daughter. So idk about him lol. I def wouldnt do that with someone whos car I just picked up on the side of the road lol

 

[SourMashII]

Unless I wanted a lot of grandkids, and i saw your 8 seatbelts.. and went Hmmm.

 

[Expeditionary]

Unless I wanted a lot of grandkids, and i saw your 8 seatbelts.. and went Hmmm.

you say some funny ass sh*t clyde (or should I call you dale?)

I thought that was kinda sketchy though for him to be like "so yeah what were you doing when it messed up... you know you should go out with my daughter"

(yeah baby I got 2 back seats which one?)

 

[alaskanexpy]

t-case or tranny thats my .02 cents.

 

[panda24619]

take off the d-shafts. front first. DO NOT DROP THEM!!! unless you want to buy new shafts. spin the tires, if grinding then its the ring and pinion. take it in and get fixed. you would have to tow it there. get a truck that can jack up the front of your truck. youll be better off that way. if i were you i would take it to an off road shop. just my .02. it might cost a little more, but they deal with gears every day. so theyll be able to switch them out for you no problem.

 

[BakerEdition]

good idea ill check it out.... he tried to set me up with his daughter. So idk about him lol. I def wouldnt do that with someone whos car I just picked up on the side of the road lol

Yeah but you havent seen his daughter yet either....may be a reason he setting her up with a guy who has a big truck!!....she wont fit in a Festiva....LMAO

 

[Thermo]

Expeditionary, like others have mentioned, drop the front driveshaft out and see what the front end is doing. Then take things from there. Pretty much, at this point, all you can say is that it is something in the drivetrain. Granted, I would suspect something in the front end since you mentioned dragging the front tires (assuming you were not in any sort of 4x4 mode). So, really based on those loads, you are looking most likely at a failed ring and pinion. If it was the transfer case, your rear tires would have bound up too. If it was the driveshaft, it would only be an issue when in a 4WD mode. So, I wish you luck.

Fortunately, dropping the front differential isn't too bad. The hardest part will be probably getting the bolts off from the half shafts. Just a note, lots of PB Blaster and make sure you have a good set of 12 point sockets. The bolts on the half shafts are 12 point bolts for high torquing.

 

[dcarr]

nevermind two back seat. Two back seats that lay flat for a big cargo area

 

[Expeditionary]

nevermind two back seat. Two back seats that lay flat for a big cargo area

damn straight. Can fit a twin matress back there and spray paint "rape van" on the side of it.

I'm going to drop the front driveshaft and check the ring and pinion. If Its the transfercase can i just take out the front drive shaft and drive it that way?

 

[Expeditionary]

Yeah but you havent seen his daughter yet either....may be a reason he setting her up with a guy who has a big truck!!....she wont fit in a Festiva....LMAO

oh yeah she would fit in a festiva. Idk about how tall she is but you could fit 3 of her in a miata as far as thin goes

 

[99 Expy]

If Its the transfercase can i just take out the front drive shaft and drive it that way?

Pull the front and rear driveshaft, wiring harness that connects to the shifter motor and there are 6 bolts that connect the T-case to the tranny. You will also need to pull one of the cross members that are in the way and then the T-case will slide out. Its not too heavy, but kind of awkward. I pulled mine earlier this summer in a couple of hours.

 

[rburch]

Expeditionary, look at your post count!

 

[dcarr]

I wouldn't risk that in case the rear decides to suddenly lock too while your driving down the road

 

[Big Red Monster]

dude expeditionary you have 666 posts thats.....awesome lmao