Loud bang, then no power to rear wheels

[hoverfish]

1988 Bronco II XLT, 2.9L 5-speed 4x4. Starting from a stop today I let out the clutch, heard a loud bang, and the truck wouldn't move. There was a slight rattling noise with the truck in gear with the clutch out. I pushed it off to the side of the road and just for the hell of it I locked my front hubs and tried some FWD driving. I got it back to work which was a couple hundred yards away. What's the most common failure here? Do the ball and cage style driveshafts destroy themselves often?

 

[rochhound]

it could be anywhere from clutch to rear end jack your rear end up and start it put it in gear check the drive shaft if its turning its your rear end if its not its probably your trans
or maybe transfer case? your question on drive shaft that is junk they've always been a problem.

 

[adsm08]

1988 Bronco II XLT, 2.9L 5-speed 4x4. Starting from a stop today I let out the clutch, heard a loud bang, and the truck wouldn't move. There was a slight rattling noise with the truck in gear with the clutch out. I pushed it off to the side of the road and just for the hell of it I locked my front hubs and tried some FWD driving. I got it back to work which was a couple hundred yards away. What's the most common failure here? Do the ball and cage style driveshafts destroy themselves often?

Oh gosh, where to start...

it could be anywhere from clutch to rear end

No, it really couldn't. Not if I understand the end of his post correctly, in that he drove it back to work front-wheel style. That would mean the clutch, transmission internals, and the transfer case as far as the splines of the rear output shaft are all intact and functioning.

Yes, the CV-style drive shafts are kinda junky. I don't think they usually fail suddenly and spectacularly like that though.

With the trans in neutral hop under and spin the rear shaft by hand while holding the end cups. If the center section moves freely at either end you need a new drive shaft. If both feel solid and won't move, you need to pull the diff cover and take pics of the carnage.

 

[509lifted]

adsm i wouldnt doubt that it broke suddenly i mean i was going 15 and shifted to second and let the clutch out easily on mine and a then a big bang and my drive shaft was dragging on the ground haha. But yea like adsm said i bet ur drive shaft is the problem but maybe ur gears blew up but idk anything on gears but i doubt that would happen just by trying to go

 

[hoverfish]

It's the driveshaft. With the truck in gear the shaft spins up to the rear joint.

 

[shane96ranger]

It's the driveshaft. With the truck in gear the shaft spins up to the rear joint.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding.... the rear driveshaft is turning all the way down to the rear joint - as in the u-joint down on the rear axle? If so, it's in your differential.

 

[hoverfish]

Up to but not including the rear joint. CV style joints here. The shaft is rotating but the rear joint boot and everything beyond is not moving.

 

[shane96ranger]

Up to but not including the rear joint. CV style joints here. The shaft is rotating but the rear joint boot and everything beyond is not moving.

OK, thanks for the clarification.

 

[4.0B2]

I have one of those shafts with the same issue lol..
something about playing with 4.0 power to a worn out cv joint crap shaft... it doesn't hold up well. lol

 

[70roadrunner]

my opinion is that custom driveshafts are $ well spent, especially if you do any wheeling at all!

 

[Thed]

I was going to say blown re-tread... but I guess you guys already figured it out. :icon_thumby:

Word of the wise: Convert to one-piece.

 

[country0001]

Bronco graveyard has some affordable u joint style driveshafts. I built my own for around 150 bucks.

 

[hoverfish]

All I've found locally so far was $450 at Napa, I haven't got that kind of cash to drop. I've looked at broncograveyard.com, it looks like they charge $30 to even think about sending something to Canada, and who knows what the shipping will actually cost. I expect that to approach $400 total when all is said and done.

Checking around at the local wrecking yards, nobody has a BII. I suppose I'd be able to get a shaft from a Ranger shortened, wouldn't I?

 

[country0001]

Try this.....http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126558

 

[hoverfish]

I'll probably get things thrown at me for this, but... I found a freshly rebuilt CV style shaft locally for $125 so I jumped on it. I don't do any wheeling, the worst this truck will see while I own it is snow.

 

[adsm08]

I have no problems with that. I refreshed my CV shaft instead of replacing it. I'm going to hit it with a U-joint shaft at some point, but that is more for long-term reliability.

 

[4.0B2]

I'll probably get things thrown at me for this, but... I found a freshly rebuilt CV style shaft locally for $125 so I jumped on it. I don't do any wheeling, the worst this truck will see while I own it is snow.

I broke my first one with a 2.9 when accelerating from a red light. granted it was not a freshly rebuilt one... it was probably 15 years old.

personally, I think having an explorer u-joint shaft shortened and balanced would have been a better deal. With the price of the shaft from a JY, new joints, and the machine shop cost; I have about $70 in my rear shaft.

however, I'm not the type to beat you up over YOUR choice with YOUR money on YOUR rig. I hope it works great for ya. :icon_thumby:

 

[--weezl--]

where the hell is marwayne?

i'm in calgary, gauranteed i could find you a shaft in calgary for cheaper than any of those prices... IMO, i wouldn't bother going with a cv style again, if it goes again (i realize unlikely) you're stuck spending $xxx again, where as if you go with a u-joint, which should be around the same price, you'll spend $15 to fix it if a ujoint goes, not to mention they are stronger...

but as others say, your choice, your money, your truck

 

[hoverfish]

Marwayne is just to the North-West of Lloydminster.

I realize U-joint is the way to go for durability and ease of maintenance, but I had to get this thing back on the road or I'm not getting to and from work, and nobody around here had anything even close. Everyone has tons of Super Duty, Excursion and Expedition parts. Everyone around here drives the biggest truck they can. Welcome to the Lloyd area, where most people have way too much money and nothing better to do with it.

 

[--weezl--]

and it only gets worst the closer to the patch you get! lol

calgary's a nice mix, seen a few lambos, ferraris, and chicks in bikinis wandering around