noticable right pull while in 4wd

the great him

the great him

Elite Member
so i first noticed this a couple of weeks ago on a snow wheeling trip, a significant and constant pull to the right when in 4wd. its not torque steer or anything like that, i have driven enough 4x4/4wd vehicles to know what 4wd should feel like, and i have driven this particular vehicle to know this is not right. it also has a significant drag while in 4wd. like im pulling a trailer or a load while in 4wd. i do not hear a noise associated with this, nor a vibration ect. the only thing i have noticed with this is that when i try to steer and let go of the wheel, i get a jerking back and forth/rocking/pulling side to side in the steering wheel and vehicle as the wheel attempts to return to straight ahead -normally the wheeling will just pull back to the 12 o'clock position as the drive shafts will pull into the direction of least resistance for the power train.

-im have a feeling the two are related as they came to light at the same time.

any input you guys may have on this will be greatly helpful. i have discussed this with my father inlaw and we are both stumped...
 
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yes, both are 285/70/17s, from the same manufacture, same load rating, same amount of miles, same air pressure (40psi) ect.

this is only an issue when in 4wd. which leads me to believe that its either something in one of the axles or in the diff, like maybe a bad bearing or something.... i do not notice this at all in 2wd.
 
sounds like a bad cv axle. the joint is worn.

jack up one side in the front, and both rear, then run it in gear. turning the wheel all the way, each direction. you should be able to islolate which side axle is bad.
 
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...and still even if one axle was bad, it would still pull during normal 2wd driving, as the hubs are not locking hubs so the axle turns if the wheels turn, the disconnect is in the tube to the diff.
 
Do you have regular wear in the front tires? I think castor or camber may be out. When the front wheels are pulling the car the castor or camber off may be severe?
 
I have a feeling this is going to be an issue within the 3rd member. I could see Alignment being a possible issue to this, so I'm not ruling it out. Without being able to test drive your vehicle I can only do so much diagnostically.

But I think that something has become a bit wonky in the way the pinion shaft and ring gear are interacting. The reason I think this is because if it were an issue with the side gears, you'd have this complaint regardless of 4WD being engaged or disengaged. But when the 4WD is not engaged the driveshaft doesn't turn and the gears spin freely inside. When 4WD is engaged, the pinion shaft now transfers power to the ring gear and somewhere in the differential is a slight binding that is causing a bias toward the passenger side.

This is just my crazy theory based on late night cola drinking and tiredness. LoL :)
 
If it was an alignment issue, this would be a problem in 2wd as well. THIS IS ONLY HAPPENING IN 4WD. 2wd at 60mph(or any speed) I let go of the wheel and the truck tracks perfectly straight
 
I said that I wasn't ruling it out, not that I thought it was the culprit. I am more interested in the 3rd member as its one of the only components that could affect your wheels and not occur in 2WD.
 
the kid said:
...and still even if one axle was bad, it would still pull during normal 2wd driving, as the hubs are not locking hubs so the axle turns if the wheels turn, the disconnect is in the tube to the diff.
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yes, but they arent under torque, there is no pressure being applied.



ive seen it many times in FWD cars. the balls wear a groove into the cup, and under torque, in just the right postion causes a problem. sometimes pulling, or shaking. sometimes just a noise. its fairly easy to diagnose, just have to isolate one tire/axle at a time.

it may not be the problem, but its worth checking out.
 
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nevada said:
yes, but they arent under torque, there is no pressure being applied.



ive seen it many times in FWD cars. the balls wear a groove into the cup, and under torque, in just the right postion causes a problem. sometimes pulling, or shaking. sometimes just a noise. its fairly easy to diagnose, just have to isolated one tire/axle at a time.

it may not be the problem, but its worth checking out.
Click to expand...

The logic makes sense and so does the reasoning, and if you're gonna be checking the front axle you might as well check the axle shafts also.
 
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