After replacing the 3rd front passenger axle and getting the 4X4 to work, I am running in to another problem. It is a long story on why it took 3 axles to finally get a good one.

Two different times when pulling the axle out, it also pulled the half shaft out of the diff. Both times it leaked about a 6 inch puddle. In between the 2nd and 3rd axles I had the alignment checked and they said the checked the diff and it had plenty of fluid.

When in 2wd the front diff does not make any noise. When I drove it around the neighborhood today, and put it in 4 hi it appears to be louder than it should be. When the wheel is turned all the way left or right it feels like it is binding up. It does have the t-bars cranked.

Should I do a flush and fill or should I check something else first?

 

I don't know how but it sounds almost like the gears aren't meshing right if they're howling and seem to be binding when power is applied. I'd open it up and check everything out and put in some more lube.

 

Wheel bearings are fine. Which side is the carrier bearing on? I think part of the problem is when my caliper bolt backed out and the caliper backed off and eneded up punching a hole in the wheel when I came to a stop. Not knowing what had happened I thought I had a fast flat like when you hit a pot hole. I thought the resistence was the tire being flat and put it in 4x4 to get it across the intersection. Could I have stressed the gears? While waiting for a new wheel I drove it in 4x4 for about 10 miles with the spare and it did not like this, since I am running a larger than stock tire. After that I got a full size spare to match.

 

The owners manual says not to travel in 4x4 on a spare . If you must use 4x4 do not go over 10 mph and not more then 50 miles.

I would imagine it depends how much traction the surface has too . less traction less damage .

I traveled on the stock tire with the 1" smaller spare approximately 12 miles in 4x4. I didn't know about not going over 10 mph so i had it to 25 a few times .the roads surface had moderately low traction.

i'm going to have to start bringing the hi-lift everywhere cuz the stock jack is too short ,sucks cuz its so heavy.

 

I have added some pics. The passenger axle feels like it is seated but the gap on each side is considerably different. It is now leaking and you can see it in the picture. Any thoughts?


PASS SIDE


DRIVER SIDE

 

the reason it felt like it was binding when you turn is because when you make a turn you front tires have to travel further than the rear tire,(they are making a wider turn) but the front and rear tires have to spin the same speed cause they are locked together the to if the pinion has slop it will make a howl all you got to do is take the drive shaft down and crank down the nut , not to tight or youll kill your bearings

 

I was kind of planning on having to drop it and pull it apart and inspect and repair. I was just getting wishful that it might be something easy. It does not look like a very hard job to drop the diff. Can the diff and the axles be pulled/dropped out from the inside, not having to pull all the stuff off if I take off the axle nuts?