Front Driveshaft Removal to bypass A4wd

[hullman8]

Scenario: Mechanic has verified that the clutch pack in my t-case are seized. He recommends a new t-case, but I only want to get a couple more years out of the vehicle (a daily drivere these days) without getting the "Bravada Bind" again. In a nutshell, I was wondering if anybody has simply removed the front drive shaft from the vehicle and ran it that way before. Seems like a plausible idea, but I wanted to see if anybody could think of any pitfalls I missed - other than never having 4wd again. I'm just looking to spend as little $$$ as possible to get on the road again.

2002 Olds Bravada; 143,000 miles

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[The_Roadie]

People have done that. Make sure your front differential is full of fluid, since your wheels will be spinning internal parts of the differential unless you also remove the two CV shafts from the front wheels.

Did your mechanic remove the encoder motor and turn the transfer case shaft to try to release the clutches? It could have been a simple $150 encoder motor, and not the guts of the transfer case.

Is the transfer case full of the proper fluid even if your clutches are fried? There are a lot of bearings and seals that still need to function, or else you'll be in a world of hurt of the transfer case decides to die more.

Any idea how the clutches fried? Was the fluid not changed every 50K miles?

 

[hullman8]

I still have the vehicle at the mechanic and will ask him to try turning the t-case shaft for me before I pick it up this evening. If he can do that, I'll just leave the encoder motor off and be on my merry way.

I changed the fluid with the ATII fluid regularly, so I don't see an issue there. Not that I put a lot of miles on it (driven for 9 years with less than 82,000 miles added). Not sure how the clutches went out though. Maybe it should be changed more frequently since I am in stop and go traffic all the time? I'll see what the mechanic thinks and post an update once this all falls out.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I think Regulator's Bravy is running without the front, but not sure what he all did when unhooking it

 

[jrSS]

I think Regulator's Bravy is running without the front, but not sure what he all did when unhooking it

Half shafts and that was it.

 

[hullman8]

Since I'm not sitting at home in front of the vehicle, does anyone know off hand if the output shaft to the front has a yoke i can just disconnect or is there a spline where I will have to worry about junk getting into the t-case and/or diff? I've never worked on a drive shaft before, (wait for the famous last words........) but how hard can it be?

Thanks for the input fellas!

 

[tblazerdude]

i think you're safe with 2 sets of u-joints on the front drive shaft. drive shaft will come right out. before you can drive it, you will have to plug the driver side CV shaft with something where it comes out. a gatorade cap may be a temporary solution (credit: roadie). The passenger side CV hole will have to be addressed immediately following, however you can drive short distances with no plug on the passenger side cv hole.

 

[hullman8]

"before you can drive it, you will have to plug the driver side CV shaft with something where it comes out. a gatorade cap may be a temporary solution (credit: roadie). The passenger side CV hole will have to be addressed immediately following, however you can drive short distances with no plug on the passenger side cv hole."

I was planning to leave the CV shafts in...sounds like that would be a crummy idea. What problems would I get in the front differential if I left them in? It seems like it would just turn the remainder of the U joint on the back of the differential.

 

[hullman8]

Well, the mechanic said he couldn't get the transfer case shaft turned. So it looks like I'll be popping the front drive shaft off this weekend. I was supposed to be camping this weekend, but that's life.

 

[hullman8]

The mechanic also said that there is a pump that is turned by the drive shaft, and that without the drive shaft it would eventually overheat. Now I'm not sure if he meant the differential or the transfer case.

 

[TollKeeper]

Pump? Turned by the front drive shaft? Sounds like he is making up excuses to make you buy a new TC. Remove the drive shaft. Drive it. Profit?

While you are under there, I would change out the TC fluid again. Maybe some couple thousand miles without any front drive shaft binding will cause the clutchs to loosen up? Just an idea anyways.

 

[The_Roadie]

Differentials just splash their oil around, so he must have meant the transfer case. I have to look at some exploded parts diagrams, because I'm not remembering a pump. Even if it had one, it would be turned by the main rear driveshaft, not the front one, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[hullman8]

I will take it off this afternoon. Just crawled under there. Looks like 4 bolts to separate it from the yoke near the front diff. When I remove the shaft from the t-case will I have a hole to plug?

Step 3 is always profit. Just haven't figured out step 1 or 2 yet.

 

[hullman8]

Got the yoke disconnected so I can swing the front of it around. I just can't push it back far enough to clear the frame brace that is right below it.

 

[hullman8]

Done! :wootwoot: Had to pull the shaft up and forward to remove it from the t-case spindle before I could drop it down. Thanks for the help, and encouragement that I wasn't doing anything really stupid. Sometimes I get a really good idea, only to have dire, unintended consequences.