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3WD, issues with my front drive.


Meatsac
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Hi people, having a bit of a nightmare.

Went out to a few tracks a weekend or two ago only to find out, some way in, that the front half of my 4wd is not working properly.

Managed to get about with only the occasional tow out, but obviously this has to change. Was hoping someone could give me a worse case scenario based on my limited troubleshooting ability.

So here is what I think I know:

 

Front auto hubs don't seem to be either engaging or disengaging (not 100% which but assuming disengaging. Opened them, cleaned them, they seem In working order.

 

Drive shaft from transfer case to front differential spins in 4wd.

 

Left front CV spins in 4wd.

 

Right front CV does not spin in 4wd.

 

Now I'm assuming that i will need to replace the diff, or at least something inside of it.

Any tips on what I should do to further diagnose and if I do need a new front diff then are they interchangeable between the 1991 terrano/pathfinders or would I need a Z24 one specifically?


Truck is 1991 Nissan Pathfinder Z24 further than that i know not.

 

Cheers in advance for knowledge.

 

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Your rear has a locker... The front is open diff... Whichever front tire has the least traction is the one that's gna turn.

 

You need a locker in the front to have true 4wd. Most open diff (4wd's) spin the right rear and the front left. Doesn't sound broken, sounds open as in unlocked.

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neither front wheels are spinning at all when on grass, wet mud etc. My auto hubs no longer make a disengage click like they used to when i did have all wheel drive. What i mean by the cv axles are spinning is that when i get someone to drive back and forwards while i look under, i can see the front left CV spins, and the front drive shaft, but not the right. If power is going to one side but not the other, wouldnt the open diff mean that i get zero power at either wheels?

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Open diff transfers power to the wheel with the least resistance. Sounds like your driver's side hub is shot. Pick up some mile marker hubs for it. Yes you wouldn't get power to the front, your driver's CV isn't locked into the hub to make the wheel turn.

Edited by PathyAndTheJets
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That's what I've been hoping. I just thought that CV axle would be spinning inside the unlocked free hub. Is there a way to test this before i go and get some new hubs?

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Can I force the hubs to stay locked or something? They both looked the same when I opened them up, but they could easily have both been screwed.

wben you took it out (autohub) were you able to assembled it right?

 

i damaged 2 sets of Autohubs before thus i shifted to manual

Edited by dirtbike23
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Can I force the hubs to stay locked or something? They both looked the same when I opened them up, but they could easily have both been screwed.

you can lock it permanently by removing some internal parts...brake, washers, spring but it will continously spin your cvs and front diff..

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Auto hubs are a pain. I took mine apart and found that the clutches were worn out (way thinner than the minimum spec in the service manual). I was able to dig out a big snap ring that holds the actual engaging bits in, and it looked like if you slid one onto a CV shaft and turned the outer part with channel locks, it should extend the engagement spline bits into the locked position. Put it back together without the clutches and I'll bet it would stay locked. If it rattles out, a little JB weld or a couple tack welds should fix that.

 

I put my malfunctioning hub back together with new grease and it went from sketchy to entirely useless--clearly the nasty old grease was the only thing making it sorta work. I replaced them with manuals and haven't had an issue since.

 

If you want to be sure it's not the diff before you replace or jerry-rig the hubs, put the truck in 4x (or otherwise lock the front driveshaft), jack up the front, and spin one side's CV by hand. If the driveshaft is held stationary, spinning one CV (by spinning a wheel locked to it or just spinning the shaft by hand if the hub won't play ball) should make the shaft on the other side spin the other way. Or don't bother, it would be the first front diff failure I've heard of from one of these.

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Generally when differentials go out they're pretty noisy. I'm 100% that your hubs are bad.

 

Z24 would be 27 spline axles, IIRC, so you should be able to pull some manual lockers off an 80s D21 truck in a boneyard. Double check your spline count before you go hunting though.

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14570334_10154459693202184_5441431316938

 

So I did it and bought some new hubs and, surprise surprise, it was them all down to them. Really appreciate the help of the community, feel like i understand differentials a bit more now. I realise this question crops up a fair bit, having found a couple of other similar threads after posting, but if we all went around only asking original questions then the world would be pretty quiet right? Now all I have to do is get the fuel pump to shut off with the ignition and she'll be ruinning as good as new.

 

Thanks again Pathfamily

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