TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 This forum doesn't move that fast so I hope I don't get shunned for double posting this. I have another thread on this but it's full of information that has nothing to do with my current problem which I don't want someone offering to help to have to dig through. I'll sum it up all in one new post. I picked up an 86 GL wagon with d/r 5spd. The selector for 4 hi and 4 lo has nice feedback and clicks in like it should. The low gearing works great. My problem is that neither 4 high or 4 low is actually 4wd, it's just spinning the fronts. My drive shaft and both rear axles are in place and spinning a wheel spins the axle so both axles are definately hooked to both the diff and the wheel itself. When driving down the street my friend behind me can see both rear axles and the driveshaft spinning, they aren't bound up. What should I try next to rule out possible points of failure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Get a friend to move the 4wd selector, and you look under the hood, on the transmission. There is a lever that should be seen with the spare tire out. It is the 4Lo lever, if it moves with your buddy shifting the selector, check under the car at the point where the selector level goes into the tranny itself, this is the 4Hi lever. If both move like they should your problem is internal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeshoup Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Lift all four wheels, or just one side of the car off the ground. Keep it in first, and let the idling engine spin the one wheel with it in 2WD. Should just have the front wheel moving. Now stop it, put it in 4WD and do the same thing. Should get both wheels on the one side moving. This is just to verify that it is indeed not going into 4WD... Otherwise it sounds like something internal is damaged if its not engaging 4WD. If it was the lever and the rod going to the tranny, it wouldn't "click" into 4HI... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 The selector for low definitley moves and I have my low gears for sure. I'm at work now but tomorrow morning when I get off I'll try jacking up one side. Besides the actually tranny itself being shot, what else internal could be messed up? Something stripped somewhere besides the tranny? The problem I had that I recently fixed was the hub on the back rear was completely stripped out where the axle usually mates up to it. I replaced everything back there and verefied that it was hooked up and that spinning the wheel once again actually spun the axle. If I had stripped it again could that be causing this problem? My thought is that because it's an open diff, if it has nothing to grip in there it's spinning like crazy making the other side stand still. If I jack up all 4 tires and put it in 2wd the drive shaft from the tranny to rear diff shouldn't spin right? If it does than does that mean my tranny is okay but it's something past that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Leave the fronts on the ground. Shift into 4WD, then lift the rear end and try to turn the driveshaft. It should not move if the 4wd is engaging. If it spins then the problem is in the trans. I'd pull the cover off the top of the transfer section of the Trans. See if the shift fork for the 4wd is still connected. If the Driveshaft doesn't move, it means the 4wd is working in the trans and you have a rear diff problem. I'd pull the cover off the rear diff and see if the pinion shaft for the spiders is busted. Look for any other busted parts too. And are you certain that you're CVs on both axles are good. Is it possible one of them is trashed and the axle is spinning in the cup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Woot, Gloyale wins again. So I jack up the rear and in 2wd the driveshaft spins freely. In 4wd it's locked up tight. So 4wd and the tranny are fine. HOWEVER, in 2wd when I spin that driveshaft, my passenger side axle stands still. The stub is definately spinning but everything passed the cv is standing still. On the drivers side everything spins together. I'm using an axle out of a loyale on the passenger side, were they shorter? It looks like it's taking a lot more out of it to stretch that far and the boot as slid up the axle about an inch and a half. Oh well I've got the original axle that was on here before I swapped all that crap out so that should still be good. The only problem with it is that I took it completely out of the hub instead of off the stub on the back of the hub so now the stub is stuck in it even when I take out the pin :S. Oh well I'll figure it out. Thanks a bunch Gloyale and everyone else, you've been a huge help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Woot, Gloyale wins again. So I jack up the rear and in 2wd the driveshaft spins freely. In 4wd it's locked up tight. So 4wd and the tranny are fine. HOWEVER, in 2wd when I spin that driveshaft, my passenger side axle stands still. The stub is definately spinning but everything passed the cv is standing still. On the drivers side everything spins together. I'm using an axle out of a loyale on the passenger side, were they shorter? It looks like it's taking a lot more out of it to stretch that far and the boot as slid up the axle about an inch and a half. Oh well I've got the original axle that was on here before I swapped all that crap out so that should still be good. The only problem with it is that I took it completely out of the hub instead of off the stub on the back of the hub so now the stub is stuck in it even when I take out the pin :S. Oh well I'll figure it out. Thanks a bunch Gloyale and everyone else, you've been a huge help. That passenger side axle is shot, or improperly connected. There were changes in the specific joint used for the rear axles over the years, but the geometry and length should be the same. I believe the inboard joint of the early type is a DOJ and later ones are "bell" style like the outers. This may be why they don't look the same. But if the stub spins and the axle don't then that axle has a bad or disconnected CV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Time for that to come off . I'm going to go knock it off of there and throw the old one on and see what happens. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Yeah that axle was totally screwed. I can't get the damn stub off this other axle. I might just have to go get another, they're pretty fused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Acetelyle torch. Heat up the stub/joint, and go to town with a hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 My old 84 GL wagon that I had, I ended up having to drop the diff with both axles still attached to get the pins out (I didn't yet have the cool axle pin tool) and one side came out fine, but the other side was so rusted that I had to cut the joint in a few pieces with a side cutter to get it off :-P That was a PITA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Fortunately mine is off the car. It's the side from the hub that's stuck in there. The stub is out of the hub but it won't come off the end of the axle :S. I'll try heating it in a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMeatWagon Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Leh woooooot. I ended up taking the axle to my buddies and we used an air chisel to get the stub off. Threw it back in the subie and went to the pit. 4wd makes a biiig difference. Yesterday I got so stuck in this little pit, today I crawled through it like nothing. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.