Ok guys so I am pretty pissed at myself and a little stumped. I have a 2008 FX4 Ranger with a superlift 4in. lift kit and 33in. tires. Here's the story... So I noticed a clicking sound in my driveline one day after shifting into 4H. As I was in a hurry I didn't do anything about it. I was going out of town and had more worries on my plate. When I got back I noticed the truck was shaking very bad even at relatively low speed. I had to have a way to work and short of borrowing a vehicle (hate doing this) I had to drive my baby. Anyway I was heading home from work and decided to disconnect the front driveshaft to minimize problems until I could find the issue. On that ride home (on the highway) my truck starts shaking like the road is a washboard. About this time I hear a loud bang, metal is flying out behind me and it sounds like someone is taking a jackhammer to my underbody. I pull over and check things out and my transfer case is in two pieces and the jackhammer was the piece of said transfer case that was still attached to my front driveshaft spinning around my undercarriage. I already have a new t-case and am getting ready to put it on but I am not connecting the front shaft until I can figure out what happened. My dad says that my lockouts are stuck in and I tended to believe him until I read that my truck has a live front axle. I removed my superlift front drive shaft today and it looks like a plate of metal is wedged between the T-case U-joint. As there are grease fitting I assume it used to be a bearing. Is this what caused my problem? I don't really understand how everything works in the front drivetrain so a guess from me is not educated. Any help and some enlightenment would be great.

 

the transfer in 4 high is only rated for 54 kilometers per hour speed

on dirt or snow covered roads , you drove your vehicle at a higher speed on bare asphalt roads

the the internal drive chain cannot compensate for the driveshaft rpm`s between both the front and rear drive shafts

the loud bang was the drive chain exploding inside

 

So an update for everyone, THe 2008 FX4 definitely has a live front axle, so I have found that my issue was to the superlift front axle bearing. It has a double sided u-joint to help with lifted vehicles and the bearing inside that keeps them aligned flattened like a pancake. Once my axle locked up the power from the front wheels at 70 mph transferred to my transfer case and ripped it in half. So for all those guys out there with aftermarket axles make sure to lube that joint so you don't end up like me.

 

ripped the u-joint or transfer case in half ???

 

now you can upgrade to a more stronger gear driven transfer case

like a dana 300 or atlas II transfer case

 

The U-joint locked up, pretty much jack-knifed itself as far as I can tell. The ripped the transfer case in half.

 

they are called double cardigan joints

and yes they require constant lubrication

 

Thanks for the info.

 

no problemo