Driveline Question.... Front Wheel Drive only..

[BluuesMan]

I have a situation I would like to like someone to explain...
I broke a rear U-joint last night... That's what I get for being lazy..
The U-joint broke only 2 blocks from home so it wasn't so bad.
I went over this morning and removed the 4 bolts from the Transfer case
u-joint, removed the entire drive shaft and figured I could drive it home in front wheel drive only.
Wrong.......
My rig is an 83 Wagoneer LTD with factory driveline components.
Why wouldn't the front wheels pull me?
I know the 4wd works and I heard the familiar hiss switching from 2wd to 4wd selection.
I figured that as usual I would have to get it rolling to get the front drive to "kick in". Wrong.....
It wouldn't allow me to change to 4 low and 4 hi was definitely engaged.
I even heard the unpleasant clicking when I tried to put the tranny in park.
Obviously something was spinning up front.
I shut her off and then put her in park.
Home safe after a little pushing...
I'm too old to push a 2 ton vehicle by myself.. even if it was mostly downhill. I though I was gonna die.
Shouldn't the front wheel drive work even if the rear driveshaft is not hooked up?
I don't believe I did any damage when it broke cause I was only going 10 mph and felt something before the drive shaft started bouncing and stopped immediately.
Any thoughts ?

[Artisan]

Do you have manual lockers up front?

[gotmike]

if it has a quadratrac then the transfer case is much like a differential... when one side doesn't have traction all the power is sent to that side... so your rear driveline was probably spinning furiously... if you had engaged the E-drive then it would have made it home... if i'm thinking correctly...

[mattmopar440]

No Q/T it's an 83 do you know if its an 228/229/208 case ?????

[Jim Blair]

It's a 229 case with the vacuum front axle (likely the hoses aren't working) try engaging 4x4 with the trans in park, then move the tcase shifter to low range. The viscous coupler was trying to move the rig which is BAAAAAAD for it! Excessive slipping will melt it's casing and let the special gooey oil out.

[FSJ Guy]

It's a 229 case with the vacuum front axle (likely the hoses aren't working) try engaging 4x4 with the trans in park, then move the tcase shifter to low range. The viscous coupler was trying to move the rig which is BAAAAAAD for it! Excessive slipping will melt it's casing and let the special gooey oil out.

Jim's got it right. An 83 will most likely have the NP229 transfer case.

It's a FULL-TIME case which means it allows the front and rear driveshafts to slip in relation to each other. Thus, with one shaft missing, it will not move well because it will slip from the missing driveline.

If you were able to put it into low range, the viscous coupling (which allows the slip in 4 high) is locked out and you would have made it home fine. At 25 mph. But that sure beats pushing these rigs.

Where you already in 4WD when the rear shaft let go? If not, the actual shift motor on the transfer case may not have shifted, even though you heard the hiss. With your truck, the front axle disconnect MUST shift first before the transfer case can shift. Yes, you have to stop like the shifter knob tells you. But then you have to be rolling a bit before it finally engages. You may not have rolled enough for it to engage. Just because it hisses doesn't mean it actually shifted into 4WD.

Oh, and pop over to wwwcfsja.org to get on the local FSJ list. There are lot of members in your area.

[lkmarsh]

With a D20 this would have worked. My rear driveline went into the shop so for a week my Wagoneer was front drive only. Steered funny but got me to work and around town just fine!

[Chevelleguy]

Jim's got it right. An 83 will most likely have the NP229 transfer case.

It's a FULL-TIME case which means it allows the front and rear driveshafts to slip in relation to each other. Thus, with one shaft missing, it will not move well because it will slip from the missing driveline.

If you were able to put it into low range, the viscous coupling (which allows the slip in 4 high) is locked out and you would have made it home fine. At 25 mph. But that sure beats pushing these rigs.

Where you already in 4WD when the rear shaft let go? If not, the actual shift motor on the transfer case may not have shifted, even though you heard the hiss. With your truck, the front axle disconnect MUST shift first before the transfer case can shift. Yes, you have to stop like the shifter knob tells you. But then you have to be rolling a bit before it finally engages. You may not have rolled enough for it to engage. Just because it hisses doesn't mean it actually shifted into 4WD.

Oh, and pop over to wwwcfsja.org to get on the local FSJ list. There are lot of members in your area.

X2. Put it in low range to run front wheel drive.

[BluuesMan]

Thanks for the replies...

I guess a little more info would have been helpful.
It is a NP case... Don't know what number...
No lockers.. I thought the answer would be someting like I got.
Without the resistance of the rear wheels the power was going all to the least resistance.. None....
I was just puzzled why I couldn't select 4 lo..
It's always been a process.. 4wd....stop...neutral, sometimes reverse to get the lo / hi to release..
I got her home so it was more of a "things that make you go Huh ??"

[mattmopar440]

I would check you fuild in the Tcase make sure you didnt due any damage to the coupler and then change the fuild

[Chevelleguy]

The '83-'84's are kinda difficult to get 4wd when you can't move the vehicle because the front axle has to engage first before the t-case will shift. If the splines aren't lined up in the front axle, it won't engage.

[thechier86]

i've done the front wheel drive thing tons of times in my xj, but i haven't tried it in my waggy. i have the np229, but i don't have the disconnect on my axle, so is my tcase any different from his? would mine cruise in front wheel drive in high range?

[Chevelleguy]

No. You still have to use Low range. Yours has an open differential in the transfer case. You won't damage your case if you try it in 4HI, but you won't move an inch. It would be like jacking up one rear wheel in a 2wd truck and trying to drive off, it will only spin the tire that is in the air. 4LO locks the center diff so that you get equal power to both front and rear.

[Jim Blair]

The problem is the viscous coupler is like a liquid filled clutch. One tire in the air and it spins the fluid through the vanes and makes it hot FAST! The plastic cover melts and the oil comes out, allowing the rig to go nowhere unless in low range until the rear driveshaft is in, and if the coupler was popped, it won't even drive except in low range. The oil will chew everything up in the tcase (because it's like a sandy oil)