colton

the other day i got stuck down in some sand, because i thought that when i put it in 4x4, that meant it would be. but it wasnt. so i figured it was just an actuator or something that could easily be cleaned or replaced, since thats usually what it is with my friends. i climbed under today to take a look and noticed this! (pics of shaft between front differential and cv shaft)

BigIrish

Wow! I don't think I've ever heard or seen that failure before. That sucks feces through rusty sewer pipe. Sorry to see that, let us know how it turns out.

colton

i guess its alright to drive around like that isnt it? this is my daily driver and i dont see what it would hurt. i do plan on seeing this fixed soon. im curious as to what could of even happened, for well over a year i havent used my 4x4 for anything but occasional light mud and turning around on the sand by my deer stand. it is definitely put to use, but im never rough on it, and its never "put to the test" or anything. just doesnt make sense to me.

BigIrish

I wouldn't drive it like that without removing the front CV shafts. As far as I know, they turn all the time and could be spinning the remnants of your front drive line around and adding extra insult to injury.

colton

yeah right after i said that i was thinking, if fliud can leak out of the crack, dirt could also get inside, couldnt it. and id assume most components are fine, its just the shaft thats cracked. so i wouldnt want dirt in there. ill probably just leave it in the driveway and hopefully get it fixed quick. i guess my best bet for a replacement would be a junkyard? and if not there a dealership(which i will be doing my best to avoid due to $)

dy85merc

Makes no sense why those aren't welded from the factory!

BigIrish

Scratch that, removing the CV shaft might cause instant bearing failure when loaded. Like you said , park and fix. For parts, try junk yard, Napa or maybe ford racing.

colton

alright, so im pretty sure that the shaft inside is broken, not just the case. that would be a reason why my 4x4 wouldnt engage. but, i have had a cv shaft on the opposite side going out for a long time, and im gonna check it and make sure it is still functional tonight. there is a tiny chance that that cv shaft is broken, and thatd also be a reason for my 4x4 not work. im gonna jack my truck up later and check it. if it is broke, then that would mean that the shaft with the cracked case could still be okay, and just have a cracked case. does that sound right?

i was thinking, and there is just no way that ive done anything to crack this shaft, and if i did ever put my truck through anything deserving of that, it was over a year ago. and my 4x4 has definitely worked since then. my cv shaft also used to grind and i could feel it as it got worse, but it actually hasnt given me any problems lately and been completely silent? doubtful but i might as well give it a shot and see. id much rather replace just the casing than the entire shaft.

sorry bout the huge post, but does all this sound right to you guys? no expert, so id like to know if im thinkin this through right.

bones2o21

hmm thats strange i put my 97 out on the off road trails often enough and have no problems at all that looks like the results of runin it hard over the rocks or some kind of accident. also too me ur first pics show a non factory weld on it kinda sloppy lookin. are u the 1st owner of the truck or has it been around for a while. also any accidents u know of involving the truck.

colton

im the third owner, dont know of any accidents its been in in the past. i hit a ditch and bent the skid plate up, broke a tranny line, and pushed the bumper/valance down, but i know for a fact that wasnt damaged that long ago.

i just jacked it up, and the passenger side(cracked side) spins freely, but the drivers side(bad cv shaft side) spins a little less than a foot front and back, but wont spin past that. i dont think this is because of the bad cv shaft. could the shaft be broken on the left, and its stuck in 4wd on the right? just trying to come up with some ideas here.