Today I was driving and a sudden clunk arose such a clatter from the front left end. Then It knocked for a bit and I pulled over to inspect and didn't really see anything, cv boot stil intact. When I tried to go on again my left tire didnt move and the axle made the worst noise I think an axle can make and just spun. So I tried reverse and It did the same.

 

I tried 4 hi and It didn't make noise so I drove back to my house, so I'm pretty that the suby is RWD right now and was wondering If this has happend to anyone else?

Can you drive like that?

Will the transfercase blow?

i bet it broke at the doj end. if so yo can get away with leaving it in, because you cant take out the axle if you dont have a stub outer or a new axle, to fox the wheel to!

 

if it broke on the outer cv end, take it out right away. i drove around with a broken axle, till it popped out and tore up the caliper slide pin, brake line, and bent a tierod.

 

just pop the axle pin out, turn the wheel althe way, and use a crowbar to pop it out of the outer end, remove axle

 

the reason the noise went away in 4wd is the dead axle is turning at the same rate as the rear wheel(s). if you do a rwd burnout you will hear it chunking, because the rear wheels are spinning faster than the front

 

as far as driving with no axle, i got at least 2500 miles on mine and still going. right now my only option for front axle replacement is the full xt6 suspension for the front, and the whole rear to fix a bent trailing arm. good thing i have tha parts already. just need to put them on!!

so your driving around with rear wheel drive now with no front?

the outer you mean from the boot to the wheel.

you're fine driving around in 4wd the brat i bought this fall was this way and the kid had been driving it that way for almost 10,000 miles he didn't know how to fixs any thing one end of the cv joint had ripped so they had rapped a zip lock baggy around it and that was'nt even the end that went

well I snooped around and the outer axle seems fine, on the inside of the boot towards the engines is where it moves. My right axle is torn bad like yours was.

if you put it back in 2wd put in gear and set the e brake with it running you'll be able to tell which one it is and you want to make sure it wasn't a hub that stripped out

You mean set the e brake and try to go forward, how can you tell its the hub and not the axle?

Because if everything is normal the wheel shouldn't turn at all. The parking brake applies pressure to the front wheels.

 

I wouldn't worry about driving it in RWD for a while. Moosens must have about 3K on a bad axle by now...my mom's GLF has had a bad one since we got it at 144K, it now has 151K on it and it's still complaining royally but hasn't given in yet. (It's only 2WD though--when it pops it's done for.)

So If its the axle and I try the e-brake It should't be turning.

If its the hub?

 

It seemed to me when it first messed up the axle was turning but the wheel wasn't

i doubt it would have strupped the hub, because if it did, it would have started to act up miles ago, vibrating and pulling and all crazy junk

 

i bet before your axle went, you would get a slight tug on the steering wheel that would oscillate in proportion to speed.

 

as far as driving goes, it wont hurt anything if you must drive, as long as the harsh sound of clunking metal bits dont drive you nuts!! remember that you cant take the axle out unless you have a stub outer end or a new axle

 

i took my axle out because the OUTER end busted, thus allowing me to remove the axle, but the spindle end is still there for the wheel.

 

i got almost 3,000 miles and still going, donuting doesnt make the diff or driveshaft complain about torque.

Right now there is no sound really, a little high scraping If I turn, but not much

cool. you are definately good to go until you find a replacement axle. happy donuting!!!