Posted by Joe Lorenzino on Saturday, August 02, 2003 at 2:43PM :
In Reply to: More info posted by Dan Northcraft on Saturday, August 02, 2003 at 1:16AM :
I would say that the splines on the front driveshaft slip yoke are worn out. We see a lot of this at the machine shop I work in. It is most common on part-time 4X4,s that don't get used much in 4 wheel drive, but see a lot of 2WD use with the same "load conditions" (ie. running empty all the time as a commuter vehicle). From repeated suspension movement, the slip yoke splines wear out a section that is maybe 1/4" longer than the male spline stub. When you go to use it in 4WD, the area where the splines normally contact is GONE, so the transfer turns the driveshaft, but no power gets to the dif. If the vehicle is loaded differently, or the suspension is not in an "at rest" position, the splines may engage, but will spin again when the suspension returns to the "at rest" position. We cure this by replacing the fine tooth gm spline/yoke with the coarser DODGE pattern parts. If you do not find some other obvious problem with your truck, I would disconnect the front driveshaft at the dif. and check the front slip yoke for this worn condition by applying a "twist" to the yoke while sliding it along the length of splines. Who knows, someone may have replaced the front shaft with a gm pattern one at some time. *Note, it is always the female part of the spline that gives out, and the teeth at the end will look OK because they only wear at the spot where they normally rest. Good Luck J.V.L.
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