4wd works?

im sure this has been asked before, but i was having trouble searching for it, so here goes. Im looking to buy a fullsize bronco (85). How do I tell if the 4wd works? thx! Also, is there anything else I should look out for in that year?

well if it has manual locking hubs, like mine, go and lock them, shift it into 4low, and go, you should be able to hear the gears same with 4hi, it will just be harder to hear, if there auto just press the buttom :)

you WILL feel the difference.

<--just sold '94 Bronco XLT due to need for better mileage

Jackup the front of the car and lock in 4*4. put it in gear and you will see the front wheels turn.

For just a second, after it comes off the jack and runs over you. Just kidding, replying to the above post.

Check to see if it has a trac-loc in it first. If it does not, jack up the entire side (your choice). Lock the transfer case in high lock, lock the front hubs and put the tranny in neutral. Manually spin one of the tires, it should spin the other.

If it has a rear trac-loc, just do the same thing, but only jack up one front wheel. With the transfer case in high lock, you should not be able to turn the tire.

put it in 4wd, then drive forward, reverse, or whatever and have someone else see if the front driveshaft is spinning.

Please don't do what thunderbird muscle said to do. That would only work if you were testing the front wheel drive on a front wheel drive vehicle!!!!!

thx!

It is as simple as locking it in 4x4 and cutting the wheels all the way one direction. You will feel it bind up if it works. If no change something is wrong. Try this on hard ground. Make sure to straighten the truck back out before shifting back to 2 wheel drive.

It is as simple as locking it in 4x4 and cutting the wheels all the way one direction. You will feel it bind up if it works. If no change something is wrong. Try this on hard ground. Make sure to straighten the truck back out before shifting back to 2 wheel drive.


Umm, well at least your smart enough to realize that it is binding up :uhoh: . But do you really think that is a good thing? I would not do that :nono: . I've seen way too many people say that it's fine for it, but they pay for it later on!!

Unless it was going to break anyways this is not going to hurt the drive train to check it out. If the drive train can not handle this test there "aint" no way it could handle rock climbing, sand running, or mud bogging. Much more stress is on the drive train when the pedal is to the floor and your bouncing up a rocky hill or climbing out of a muddy creek.
Now I wouldnt suggest locking it in and going on a trip but just to check it out, you bet.

Well, in the sand there is no way it would bind up. When climbing rocks, it is allowed to give a little. When in the mud, it is definatly allowed to give.

On pavement, it will simply bind up, cause stress that it doesn't appreciate having, and is certainly not neccesary. Just do what I said originally, have someone watch to see if the front driveshaft is rotating equally to the rear driveshaft.

Testing the 4wd like you wrote is great unless you have a broken axle, spider gears or side gears. The drive shaft will turn if the transfer case is good but this does nothing to let you know if the fronted is good. I have tested hundreds of vehicles like this and showed customers how to do the same.
By the way I have repaired more 4x4's from the end result of wheeling in the sand and rocks than anything else.

Cool