[Mez]

4x4 works excellent on the trails, but once I hit the end of the trail and go onto the pavement the rear wheels lock up like I have my e-brake on. Im not trying to go cruise around on the pavement in 4wd or anything but I just want to know if this is normal.. I asked a friend w/ a tacoma if his locked up and he said no, his doesn't lock up.

Im not interested in driving around in 4wd on the streets, but Im going back up into the snow soon and there are always dry patches on the roads.. So it wouldn't be too fun to have to disengage 4wd every time I saw a dry spot.

If I spin the front diff by hand (with both man. hubs unlocked) one spins at normal speed, and the other just barely moves.

Thanks for any help

 

[Matt]

I can't help you out with this but it's cool to see other wheelers in Carlsbad!

 

[MyBlueTacoma]

My best guess is it sounds like you only regeared the rear differential instead of both- this would cause the rear tires to lock like that. If you were to continue to drive on dry pavement, your transfer case could blow up.

 

[boophoenix]

It almost sounds like a differant front and rear gear ratio, but this would most likely be noticable offroad as well.

If your tires are worn differantly ( differant tread depth between front and rear) it will produce some minor wheel hop or binding on hard sufaces. I have noticed this on my 96 running 31's with 3.58 gears. I would think the 33's with 4.46 gears would be a little worse.

 

[scottnmos]

4x4 works excellent on the trails, but once I hit the end of the trail and go onto the pavement the rear wheels lock up like I have my e-brake on. Im not trying to go cruise around on the pavement in 4wd or anything but I just want to know if this is normal.. I asked a friend w/ a tacoma if his locked up and he said no, his doesn't lock up.

Im not interested in driving around in 4wd on the streets, but Im going back up into the snow soon and there are always dry patches on the roads.. So it wouldn't be too fun to have to disengage 4wd every time I saw a dry spot.

If I spin the front diff by hand (with both man. hubs unlocked) one spins at normal speed, and the other just barely moves.

Thanks for any help

If it isnt a regear issue, could it be possible that you damaged the ebrake cable? or is this only 4wd and all the time?

 

[Mez]

If it isnt a regear issue, could it be possible that you damaged the ebrake cable? or is this only 4wd and all the time?

It's only in 4wd. Ebrake works fine.

It almost sounds like a differant front and rear gear ratio, but this would most likely be noticable offroad as well.

The truck works great offroad, up big hills, over rocks..

The previous owner put in 4.56 gears in the rear and thats the ONLY thing I know about the truck. Ive never talked to the previous owner (bought from a dealer).

I just dont get how it would seem to work so well offroad if I wasnt geared the same front and rear.

Maybe I should take it in to get regearded up front if thats the case.

 

[USAFTaco]

I would have the front regeared and that should solve your problem.

 

[Matt]

I just dont get how it would seem to work so well offroad if I wasnt geared the same front and rear.

Well, if the front isn't 4.56 also then when it's on pavement with little give for the tires it's going to be a problem. When you're offroading your tires have the ability to give up traction compensating for the different gearing between front and rear.

If the front isn't geared to 4.56 I would recommend doing so. That's an awful lot of stress on the drivetrain.

 

[Mez]

Thanks for the help guys. Would you guys recommend not off roading anymore til I get it regeared up front?

Also where's a good place to get it done down here, and what am I looking at price-wise to buy em and get installed?

 

[kalani00]

does it actauly locks up or does it just tightens up in the front steering and the wheels while chassis is rolling? cause it sounds like I have the same problem only its not locking up and was told from a freind that the front steering and wheels tend to have more tension when in 4WD for of roading (big rocks kicking steering back and forth). So I left it alone but I dont go offraoding much only like 5 times a year and nothing happened yet and I asked him like 4 years ago. But yet my friend could be wrong and my truck is just lucky hehehehe (knocks on wood).

 

[Mez]

The rear wheels skid on the ground, totally locks up. I know something would snap If I tried to go past a certain point (a few feet on pavement).

 

[ptrautne]

The rear wheels skid on the ground, totally locks up. I know something would snap If I tried to go past a certain point (a few feet on pavement).

A guy on Delphi said that the rear was only geared on your truck. So get the front re-geared and you should be good to go

 

[cbr900rr95]

4x4 works excellent on the trails, but once I hit the end of the trail and go onto the pavement the rear wheels lock up like I have my e-brake on. Im not trying to go cruise around on the pavement in 4wd or anything but I just want to know if this is normal.. I asked a friend w/ a tacoma if his locked up and he said no, his doesn't lock up.

Im not interested in driving around in 4wd on the streets, but Im going back up into the snow soon and there are always dry patches on the roads.. So it wouldn't be too fun to have to disengage 4wd every time I saw a dry spot.

If I spin the front diff by hand (with both man. hubs unlocked) one spins at normal speed, and the other just barely moves.

Thanks for any help

Just put the truck on 4 jack stand in 4 wheel drive, spin the rear tire with your hand and see if frt and rear are spinning same. Also spin the rear and look at the drive shaft to see what ratio gear you have on the rear.

 

[Mez]

Would it be smart for me not to offroad until I get it regeared up front?

Also what kind of price range am I looking at for gears + labor

 

[rojodiablo]

Offroading will be fine... just keep it in 2wd. You will mess things up FAST if you go offroad with different gears. Hell, I mess things up fast, and my rig is geared the same.Sorry, but save you from yourself. The way to see if the f/r are geared the same is: Lift the whole truck, while it has 4wd engaged. This means runnung, in neutral, for ADD units. Next, Mark both front and rear wheels with a LEVEL, straight up, and down. Use an arrow on your level line, so you know where UP is!! Next. Rotate rear wheel SLOWLY around 1 full revolution, without backing up. Land it to level. This is IMPORTANT, as you may find super bad lash in one or the other axle!!!!! Measure the difference. If there is any perceptible difference, slowly go around 5 times. It will exacerbate the problem immediately. Somewhere, lost in my brain, was the trail formula to tell the approx. difference. That was a lot of beers ago... IF THERE WAS NO PERCEPTIBLE DIFFERENCE, EVEN AFTER 5 REVOLUTIONS, TRY THIS!!! Have a friend grab a front wheel, and hold that thing. YOU DO HAVE THIS TRUCK SECURELY ON STANDS, RIGHT???? You bear hug a rear, and bounce it around, while he holds the front. If there is a lot of slop, figure where it is. If in front, left wheel to right, it is in the fr. diff, or fr. cv's. (Highly unlikely. They just break!) Or, the front U joints need service of some kind. If it is in the rear, the rear needs service, or the rear U joints are due for the parts bin.Worst case scenario, your u joints seem fine, you tested everything, and you then check the T- case. Steel rod into the rear U joint, held solid or braced against a frame rail, and you rock the front wheels back and fro. If the front u-joints have no slop, but the transfer case clunks and gives, you have your answer. CHA-CHING!!!!!

 

[zszac111]

4x4 works excellent on the trails, but once I hit the end of the trail and go onto the pavement the rear wheels lock up like I have my e-brake on. Im not trying to go cruise around on the pavement in 4wd or anything but I just want to know if this is normal.. I asked a friend w/ a tacoma if his locked up and he said no, his doesn't lock up.

Im not interested in driving around in 4wd on the streets, but Im going back up into the snow soon and there are always dry patches on the roads.. So it wouldn't be too fun to have to disengage 4wd every time I saw a dry spot.

If I spin the front diff by hand (with both man. hubs unlocked) one spins at normal speed, and the other just barely moves.

Thanks for any help

Re-gear the front, cost to regear if you pull the 3rd is probably around 150 for the gears, 150 for the master install kit, 100-150 for the install. these are just mid range est. add 50-100 bucks if you just take the truck to them..
Dont drive it in 4 wheel untill you get it fixed, it will bind the transfer case to hell and back especially on the road where you have traction, offroad its probably not noticable to you but the x-case is probably cussing ya.

 

[Burby]

Would it be smart for me not to offroad until I get it regeared up front?

Also what kind of price range am I looking at for gears + labor

It would be EXTREMELY smart not to engage 4WD until your truck is geared the same in both ends. I can't imagine the amount of stress you're putting on your T-Case with un-equally geared diffs!


As a side note, I see this is my "first" post and that I'm a newbie? I imagine I'm not the first person to notice that they're 6+ yrs in the club has been downgraded to a noob! Just an observation...

 

[zszac111]

It would be EXTREMELY smart not to engage 4WD until your truck is geared the same in both ends. I can't imagine the amount of stress you're putting on your T-Case with un-equally geared diffs!


As a side note, I see this is my "first" post and that I'm a newbie? I imagine I'm not the first person to notice that they're 6+ yrs in the club has been downgraded to a noob! Just an observation...

:newbie: yeah i know it sucks doesnt it. ive been around since 00 and became a newbie reciently, now im just a member

 

[adamusmcguy]

The best way to check this with out ripping the front end apart is to jack up the truck front and rear(use stands) and put the truck into 4wd and in nuetral(NOT RUNNING WITH THE ENGINE OFF!) put a mark on the front tire at the twelve o'clock position and put a mark on the front drive shaft...count the number of times that the drive shaft turns for one complete tire rotation. Make a note of it and do the exact same thing with the rear tire/drive shaft these numbers should be the same....
If not you need to regear, my guess around $600.00 if you take it to a shop. And I would not engage the 4wd until you fix the gearing if that is the problem.
Hope this helps good luck.

Adam