Front Drive Shaft missing

[neokhz]

So I bought a 97 limited 4x4 from auction, got it home and found that the front drive shaft is missing. Any specific reason that someone would remove it?

Thanks in advance..

 

[amalik]

It's missing because someone just f&$$&%# you over

You'll need that for 4wd

Have you tried driving it yet?

 

[my92t4r]

So I bought a 97 limited 4x4 from auction, got it home and found that the front drive shaft is missing. Any specific reason that someone would remove it?

Thanks in advance..

maybe something wrong with front diff? I would test it all out and goto the junky and pick up another shaft.

 

[neokhz]

Yes I have driven it and no issues, besides the 4wd doesn't work. I bought it super cheap so I have no problem buying the drive shaft. I was just wondering why someone would remove it.

 

[wc11]

Transfer case likely pooched so it probably easier and cheaper just to remove the drive shaft.

 

[neokhz]

If it is toast, would you be able to notice it with out the drive shaft hooked up, would it be noticed if it were in drive?

 

[Troybylt]

If it has the E-locker it's possible it wasn't installed from factory and the front is geared 4.10 and rear is geared 4.30.

This only occurred to me as I will be pulling the front shaft for such reason until I rebuild the 4.30 front diff to match my new rear end.

 

[neokhz]

It does not have an E-Locker

 

[JohnMc]

It does not have an E-Locker

There's no theoretical MPG gain from taking it off, but maybe some shadetree mechanic thought there would be?

Unfortunately, the most likely scenario is that something is wrong with either the front diff or the transfer case.

 

[IsaiahC]

You could get lucky and it was/is a grinding/broken cv axle ray2:

 

[snivilous]

My bet is someone removed it and ****ed it up so left it off. OR the ADD is stuck engaged, and they don't want the tcase in 4WD all the time, so they removed it so the tcase wouldn't get possibly messed up/oil starved from being in 2WD but having the front output shaft being forced to spin from the stuck ADD.

 

[JohnMc]

You could get lucky and it was/is a grinding/broken cv axle ray2:

Both CV's still rotate with the driveshaft removed. When the ADD disconnects and the transfer case goes to 2WD the front driveshaft and pinion/ring gear is all that stops turning. Both CV shafts still turn, and the spider gears in the front diff turn as well.

 

[Harleydoc]

I bet they removed if because of the gear miss match

 

[Bad_Vision]

My guess would be the transmission or transfer case was worked on then forgot to hook up shaft.

It is possible it was damaged and removed.

Post some pictures of the underbody so we can see if anything looks out of place

 

[neokhz]

Thanks, I will take some pictures when I get home from work tonight. Thank you guys.