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Front wheels locked up!


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I was driving home from Longview washington Thursday night and while on a 2 lane country road going about 35 mph, I heard a clunk and my tires suddenly locked up, briefly released then locked up again. The car wouldn't move at all. The gears shifted fine and when I let the clutch out, the engine bogged down (and burned the clutch), but it wouldn't move at all. I removed the rear driveshaft thinking that one of the u-joints might have bound up, but it still wouldn't move in front wheel drive. By this time, a deputy sheriff, a little old lady and one of the people who lived nearby were all there trying to help me move the car with no luck. We put it in neutral and tried pushing it to get it off the road, but the front tires wouldn't turn at all. I ended up calling a tow truck to tow me 1/4 mile to a place I could leave the car. When he started winching the car onto the flatbed, the front tires turned freely. The next day, I rented a tow dolly from u-haul and towed my car to my mechanic to start diagnosing the problem. While loading the car onto the tow dolly, I discovered that when the car is running and in neutral, the front tires are locked in place, but when the car is off and in neutral, the tires turn fine. What does this sound like to you guys (I haven't heard from my mechanic yet) and is there something else I could have done to limp my car 1/4 mile (I had to pay $175 for a 1/4 mile tow!) Thanks, Tom

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my guess is broken teeth on the front pinion/ring gear. If it's an auto it could be jamming itself in park or something. either way i think its the tranny. The brakes are dual diagonal so the probability that both fronts would lock up is small, plus the fact that the engine makes a difference goes against brakes. If it was just one wheel it could be a broken cv joint, but it's both wheels and its unlikely that both would go at the same time.

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I would check the brake booster I had one on my gm truck do something similar. It locked up the brakes with the engine running. This is not likely the problem but I hope its not the trans(most likely its the trans)

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welcome back Tom call me at 971-506-7203 sometime

 

and as for the mystery jack it up and try to rotate one of the front tires if it rotates smoothly and the other one rotates the other way it isn't the spiders but also put it in neutral and try rotating it and hear for any popping, grinding or anything else cause it sounds like the diff is gone

 

another thing to look at is the hill holder if it has it and check the cable that goes to the clutch if it's busted then realease the spring on the hill holder and zip tie, wire tie, or string tie the holder open and see if it works now

 

but to me it sounds like front diff is shot

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I think the hill holder operates the rear brakes only...but its still something to check. Id also unplug the vac brake booster and block off the intake port (big vac leak if not!) and see if the car moves then. Sounds like something like what Earl has experienced.

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I just heard from my mechanic...He said the transmission is toast (no specifics, he talked to my wife and she called me with the info). He said he will put in a used transmission for $855 parts and labor. After thinking for a long time thinking about it (the repair is probably more money than the car is worth), I authorized the repair. After all, the alternative is buying another car with who knows what problems. At least with this one, I already know what is wrong with it. Should I try to get the old transmission from him? Does anyone here have a use for a trashed d/r 5 speed with locking differential?

Thanks everybody!

Tom

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I had the EXACT same problem as you when I got my GL-10 Front Diff Locked and Unlocked at times (scary) Then finally it blew up :)

 

 

Had to replace tranny since the diff and trans are together, allthough they can be seperated but it wont work out since the gears are meshed together and introducing new gears wont work out :P

 

It cost me $650 for a new 3AT w/60k on it and $200 for labor from a ASE Tech at my work.

 

 

Lession you now should learn is to CHECK AND CHANGE YOUR FLUIDS!!! The DIFF/Trans Fluid is allways forgotten about yet damn near the most important. Mine was black :(

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ok since i live in longview i must ask wtf where you doing in this boring place???

and i assume this happened on highway 30? i drive it every night to ge to work

 

and well yeha i suspect the front diff it toasted as well

if it does have diff lock and nifty stuff..

and if your really in a jam

you could pull apart the tranny case remove the differential

plug up the output holes<to keep crap from getting in>

and run it with the center diff locked,

 

has anyone thought it may actually be the center diff?? thats fubar?

 

<note i have not read all of the messages>

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