locked the front hubs, feels really slow

[tomtoc]

we're supposed to get a good amount of ice today. last night while i was in the driveway and thinking about it, i went ahead and locked the hubs.

this morning as i turned out of the driveway it felt really slow and "draggy". it felt like i had to push harder all the way to work.

turning around in the work parking lot i knew i shouldn't take a sharp turn on dry pavement, so i swung really wide. even doing that i could feel it binding/jumping a little.

i've locked both before and driven on basically dry pavement and it's seemed relatively normal. sound normal to you guys or is something up?

 

[LEB Ben]

Binding/jumping sounds normal to me on dry pavement.


Also, I have to ask, what does this mean:

this morning as i turned out of the driveway it felt really slow and "draggy". it felt like i had to push harder all the way to work.

 

[tomtoc]

Also, I have to ask, what does this mean:

i assume you mean "draggy"

draggy - adv. To not move in usual fluid motion. The feeling of having 1,000 pounds of grape jelly in a container behind you.

"This morning as I got out of bed, I could feel the rest of my day was going to be very draggy"

Any other questions?

EDIT: real word apparently http://www.thefreedictionary.com/draggy

 

[conanski]

Sounds like your front U-joints have siezed up.

 

[tomtoc]

Sounds like your front U-joints have siezed up.

how can i tell if that's the case, and is there an easy fix, or do they have to be replaced?

also, not sure if it's related....
my truck usually pulls to the right, but this morning with both hubs locked it seemed to be going perfectly straight. could have been coincidence/my head

 

[Fellro]

With the hubs locked in, but still in 2 HI, you shouldn't get a the hop, as it will just spin the driveshaft to make up for it, unless you have a limited slip axle. I know my 86 is the same with the hubs locked in in 2 HI as it is with them out, but engaged in 4 HI it will do the mentioned hop. If you do have a u-joint seizing,t he only fix is replace the joint. Not an overly big deal, but it has to be done. If it were to totally seize like one did on my dad's truck, it can get nasty. It actually turned purple before it blew, then the drive shaft twisted in half, launching part of it through the shifter boot, hitting a friend in the leg who was sitting there (had two others along, so don't worry, he wasn't getting cozy with me !!!) I had just come off a snowy road where we were plowing through hood high snow drifts (soft of course) and I had shifted into 2 HI but had the hubs still locked when the u-joint must have seized, tore the drive shaft, then launched it.

 

[LEB Ben]

Actually I knew what draggy meant. I was just saying the statement I quoted was kinda vague and didn't know what you meant...I wanted a little more detail. I agree though, if you were only in 2wd, then you a u-joint going bad. I assumed you were in 4wd, in which case what you described, to me is normal.

 

[Truckin4life]

u joint in the axle or the driveshaft?

 

[SuperCab]

Driveshaft. There's probably two ujoints, but don't quote me on that, I'm not a 4x4 guy. There's a front and a back one and they, depending on the quality, will be about $10 - $20 each.

And do replace them. If you don't, the driveshaft will eventually fall out on the ground. It's happened to me before, and trust me, it's no fun.

 

[Truckin4life]

Yea well with the ttb there are also u joints in the front axle, but the drive shaft ones are one front and back easy to change to mine cost like 14 each. i got the sealed ones.

 

[tomtoc]

1) so front driveshaft or rear?

2) how easy are they to change? can i do it with a $10 basic tool set while it's sleeting out, or do i need to take it somewhere.

3) if it's the front, if i unlock the hubs and don't use 4x4, can i leave it how it is for the time being, or does it need replaced ASAP?

 

[Truckin4life]

1. Front
2. You need 1/2" wrench i believe and a big socket and a hammer, and some needle nose pliers.
3. Yes. But i would replace it as soon as you can, would suck to break when you need it most, and murphy's law thats when it will break.

 

[LEB Ben]

1) I'd say the front, but get under the truck, and check for play by manipulating the d-shafts, if you have any 'play' you know which one is giving you problems...you could have more than one going bad, I usually change all mine at the same time.

2) Pretty easy, can be done in less than an hour and it depends on what your $10 tool set has in it, but if it has basic hand tools, then yes it can be done. As Don said, it's either a 1/2" or 9/16" wrench you'll need, socket, and I use a dead blow hammer.

3) I'd say yes, you could leave it if you don't use it. However, these kinds of things have a tendancy to bite you in azz when you do have to engage the 4x4, at which point the dshaft will decide to break loose. If it were me, and I know I have a problem, I'd fix it ASAP, but it's not necessary.

 

[tomtoc]

k, thanks guys. i'll unlock the hubs for the time being. i'll jiggle the shafts to make sure it's the front one. either way, i'll make sure to get into a shop ASAP as it's too cold for my fragile self outside.

i only drive 6 miles to/from work at relatively low speeds, so i don't expect any major headaches (crosses fingers for a few days)

 

[conanski]

The other guys are pointing you to the front driveshaft, but seized joints there won't make the truck jump or even cause much drag. I bet your problem is in the front axle joints, and it's easy to find out. Park in 2wd with the wheels turned a little less than full lock, jack up 1 front tire and lock the hub(leave the other one unlocked). Now rotate the tire by hand and watch the joint just behind the spindle, I bet you'll find it doesn't rotate smoothly and there is resistance to the wheel movement, that means the joint is dry and siezed.

 

[tomtoc]

FWIW it WAS in 4x4 yesterday. on the way home, i looked down and thought the stick looked a little far towards me. the next light, i pushed on it and it went into 2wd. oops.

not sure when it was put into 4HI, but it was. must have kicked it some day

 

[Truckin4life]

paul that was more along the lines of my thinking, but i really was unsure.
So i gave info on how to fix what everybody else suggested...

 

[NeXtras]

even if the front dif was a LS unit, you still wouldnt get the hop when the hubs were engauged.. the clutch plate allows someamount of slip to allow cornering with no wheel drag.. when the u-joints are going, yuo'll know it, the steering becomes sloppy and you get a nasty vibration in the steering wheel, hapened to me lol.

 

[tomtoc]

even if the front dif was a LS unit, you still wouldnt get the hop when the hubs were engauged.. the clutch plate allows someamount of slip to allow cornering with no wheel drag.. when the u-joints are going, yuo'll know it, the steering becomes sloppy and you get a nasty vibration in the steering wheel, hapened to me lol.

i've got a little bit of a vibration, but it feels like it's in the back. i feel it more in the seat than in the wheel

 

[Truckin4life]

There not wearing out, they are just siezeing up do to lack of use?
But to fully check do as Paul described, and also, unlock the hubs and transfer case and see if you can turn the front driveshaft..