I just bought a 2006 Ranger, automatic, with 113k. All’s well in rwd, but when in 4wd I get a loud sound and jumping as if the rear wheels are locking when I try to back up. Am I supposed to follow some procedure tc go from rwd to 4wd? I’m not quite sure. Thanks.

 

Are you on dry pavement? Does the rear axle or front axle look like they have been replaced? Does the truck do this moving forward and reverse in 4WD?

 

+1 ^^^

2006 Ranger will have locked front axles, called "Live axles"
You can shift from 2WD to 4high at any speed below, say 45MPH, but NOT on dry paved roads
The Rangers are true 4WD not AWD
This means the front and rear drive shafts are LOCKED together when in 4WD, AWD uses a fluid coupler so front drive shaft can slip, this sends less power to the front wheels, 4WD is an equal power split front and rear

4WD means all 4 tires must be the same diameter, same size, you can run a smaller(or larger) spare on ONE corner and use 4WD but just until you can replace with correct tire size, make sure tires all have the same pressure
In 4WD the front wheels are now Powered so you will feel a difference when turning, especially on DRY ground, the sharper the turn the more you feel the steering pulling through the turn

There should be no difference in 4WD for forward or reverse
1998 - 2011 Rangers used a propeller joint(like CV joint) on the front drive shaft that will wear out and needs to be replaced
But these usually make a "click, tick" noise even in 2WD when they are worn out, because they are always turning even in 2WD

 

Thanks for your reply. I was on a dry pavement when making the shift from rwd to 4wd. So, I shouldn’t try to engage 4wd unless on slippery surfaces?

 

You can use 4WD on dry paved roads it will just feel odd when steering and can cause transfer case damage since the axles don't always turn at the EXACT same speed
Its NOT an AWD its a 4WD, big difference

Go to a gravel or dirt road to test 4WD

 

The mechanic working on it said it needs a transfer case, and that they are expensive new, and hard to find used with low miles. This is for my 2006 automatic transmission. I’m in Westchester County, NY. Thanks for any feedback.

 

I think the fronts are locking. The cv joints are good.

 

2001-2011 Rangers have Live Axles, so front hubs are bolted to the axles, always locked