Interesting reading about all these Exploder 4x4 auto hub problems! Now I know I'm not alone.
I inherited my '91 Exploder and use it as a bang around town vehicle - and in the snow. Since I've just moved to between Oswego and Syracuse NY - I'll be needing it in the winter as my other car is a 2K2 Maxima with low profile, high performance, super wham-o-dyne tires and rims - that aren't worth a sh@t in the snow. At $600-$700 for 4 good snows for the Max, I decided to keep the Exploder running.
Of course, the tranny on the Exploder - exploded - on the move here. Just got done replacing it with a rebuild ($1100) and did the removal & installation from vehicle myself (well my retired father-in-law did most of it). Snow tires woulda been cheaper, but I'm a little leery driving the maxima with all the snow we get up here.
I've been dealing with the 4x4 auto hub issue for a while and am quite interested in the manual hub option. Doesn't sound like there's much success in rebuilding these things, although I might give some thought to doing it, as my father-in-law has a Ford Ranger (same engine, tranny and 4x4), and he's just starting to get some of these issues with the 4x4.
I would agree with the auto mechanic that recommends shifting into 4x4 while stopped. I've had a lot of issues with grinding and whatnot and I've managed to improve performance by using 4x4 (esp. low range) once in a while to keep the parts engaging better. Curious though that the grinding can start/stop while turning. There was another thread that spoke to this and recommended that the upper and lower ball joints be greased religiously...
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