cant steer in 4wheel drive

[davidrodriguez6769]

Hello I,m new to the jeep community. I just got to purchase a 1980 j10 from a family friend . The owner was killed in a construction accident. I purchased it from his son for $ 500.00. I dont have much history on this truck but it does have some well done mods,[lift,oil trans cooler,ect.] when i lock the hubs ,in 4wheel or 2wheel, steering is impossible. what could be the cause of this? someone told me that he welded the front diff. for use in mudd is this possible and can it be undone?:banghead:

[addicted]

Welcome to the site!

You can undo the welded front diff by cutting out the side and spider gears and replacing them with new ones, if the gear carrier hasn't been damaged.

[TJDukit]

If the front diff is in fact welded it will make it near impossible to steer on anything that provides good traction. If you get it into loose dirt or mud you will have some steering but it will still be difficult.

When the front diff is welded and you lock in the hubs in four wheel drive the tires fight each other. Say you want to turn left...you turn the wheel left but both front tires are rotating at the same speed. The outside tire in this case the right tire will pull the vehicle away from the turn.

In order for you to be able to turn effectively the tires need to be able to rotate at different speeds, this is the action that a normal open differential gives the axles. In this case that ability has been completely lost.

It's pretty easy to fix this by replacing the spider gears...which if you plan on driving this thing I would do right away.

With that front end welded don't ever lock those hubs in a high traction situation or you will break something and if you are in the loose stuff stay out of the throttle if the tires are turned at all or you will break stuff.

I would also bet the rear has been welded as well. Do you have a rear tire "chirpping" when you turn the truck on the street? This isn't the worst thing you could have. A bunch of people do this and drive all this time but your tires will wear out very fast on pavement.

[jaber]

Welcome to the land of empty pockets and unfinished projects....

I would be on the look out for another axle to swap it with. You have to set up the shims on the 44 to get the right pattern on the gears, or you will be eating gears. An axle swap will only take a few hours, and you wont need special tools.
Check the for sale forum here and your local craigslist, they pop up from time to time.

And we LOVE pics, so get a Photobucket account....:thumbsup:

[Daddio]

Rule number 1 is don't lock into 4x4 on dry hard surfaces. Things can break quickly.

See what happens on loose dirt or mud.

I suppose that's true whether its welded or not.

[davidrodriguez6769]

thanks for the help guys I,m going to open the front diff and check for welds now that I know it can be undone,it will be. I really am enjoying this truck. always wanted one. thanks for your support.

[TJDukit]

Make sure you check the carrier really well for damage. Like it was said earlier it could be cheaper and easier to swap in a different axle, if your carrier and gears are in good shape I would say go for it.

[jeepjseries]

Don't lock in 4x4 on hard surfaces. I have been told you can lock just one hub and it makes it easier to turn, if in fact the diff is welded. Someone will correct me if im wrong.

[bufurd]

I wouldn't go thru the trouble of changing it myself, only lock your hubs when you NEED 4wd, of coarse it depends on how you use it, but for wheeling it's tuff to beat all the wheels pulling. I run lincoln lockers for years without issue, made a hose with the ends that latch onto the valve stems to equalize the air in the tires, helps alot with the tire wear, also carry a plug kit and you can fix most flats with the air from your other tires or spare. My 2 cents. Enjoy

[davidrodriguez6769]

So as long as I dont lock the hubs it will be safe on the highway? And while on a soft or muddy situation only locking one hub wont damage anything?:confused:

[KJ Ryu]

I wouldn't lock the front hubs at all until you know your going to need the extra traction and/or you're stuck already and need the front tires to pull out.