... and i cannot shift between 2 and 4wd whilst rolling anymore. If i try, this nasty crunching sound comes from the stick.

#1, I never see a need to shift from 2wd to 4wd whilst rolling ... I ALWAYS stop, and then go from 2hi to 4lo, but that's me.

Would this very brief description explain a common problem to you guys? Its too dark now to take a photo / look properly underneath. But from what i can see the transfer box (i think) has moved forward a cm, as i see a slight gap between my rear propshaft and the box (again, i think i'm naming these parts correctly) that wasnt there before. I'll grab a photo asap in daylight . . . .

it's possible you tweaked the tcase mount a cm or so, but the reap shaft is a "slip joint" so it's designed to move in and out (this has nothing todo with you lack of front drive tho ...

ok, well i've just lied underneath it playing. I dont have freewheeling hubs / ones i can lock / unlock, just standard ones. So i cant try that trick.

actually you can ... the "auto hubs" can be fooled into locking if you lift the wheel off the ground and spin the CV forward fast enuf

2wd, the front shaft will spin freely underneath (obviously as its not connected to the gears)

4wd, i stuck a screwdriver in as you said wezzlegod, and each slight turn either way moves the car front/backward. Which tells me it is connecting up to the gears up front :S  ( Both sides of the front diff spin too )

Yet when i drive it on the road, usually in 4wd, my steering is tougher / limited (i dont have  powersteering). With the occasional clunk from the cv joints. Now this doesnt happen with it being as easy as 2wd.

Is it possible it could be in 4wd, untill theres some force, then it just not work fully?

And i still cant change between 2 + 4 whilst rolling in a straight line.... i get a loud crunching

As was said before, NEVER enguage 4wd on a solid surface ... and don't try to go 2wd to 4wd while moving (there's no point).

I'd bet, you popped a CV up front. It might not be totally destoyed (like I seem to do), but broken enuf that when it spins, it'll clunk ... I've busted a CV and had to enguage, my now 3 wheel drive (since I have a front locker), and it clunked along until I got past a point where I could get back into 2wd.

It could also be a simple matter of one of your "auto hubs" is fawked, and isn't disenguaging ...

Jack up both rear wheels, and one front wheel, put the tcase into 4lo. start it up and, put it into "drive" (it shouldn't try drive off the stands since there's only one tire in contact with the ground, but it might, so be gentle). 

If it tries to drive off the stands, then the front tire on the ground is the side that's mucked up ...

Hear any clunking? ... then its the tire in the air that has the mucked up side ...

Try the same with the other front tire on the ground.

cool, in terms of changing between 2 and 4wd whilst moving, i've only done that after reading that silly bit of instructions next to the gear stick. It just states with the front wheels straight, you can pop between 2 and 4wd without the need to stop. This is just one of the problems i found and thought it could help to lead to an easy answer from you guys...

The idea of one or maybe both of my CVs is sounding more and more likely to me, i have access to a carlift in a workshop in a few days, so i'll give your idea a try then.

Where can i purchase new CV joints? somewhere over the net perhaps? Or is it the sort of thing i have to grab off another vitara/sidekick? And does anybody make stronger ones which will fit in as stock? without the need to adapt everything over? Obviously i'm aiming to more suspension lift and larger tyres, which would only put more and more strain on them.....

Thanks
Andy

[quote author=skandy32 link=topic=12599.msg117710#msg117710 date=1150668934actually you can ... the "auto hubs" can be fooled into locking if you lift the wheel off the ground and spin the CV forward fast enuf

Probably not, over here the early Vits only had a cap over the end. FWHs were introduced in later years.

Quote from: SnoFalls on June 21, 2006, 04:09:44 PM

[quote author=skandy32 link=topic=12599.msg117710#msg117710 date=1150668934actually you can ... the "auto hubs" can be fooled into locking if you lift the wheel off the ground and spin the CV forward fast enuf

Probably not, over here the early Vits only had a cap over the end. FWHs were introduced in later years.

you mean a driveflange tah basicly acts as a permanately locked hub? I was going to mention that in case you were talking about something esle.. my 2000 GV has the drive flanges and so does my grandpa's 04 XL-7 so manual hubs will only reduce some wear on CV's on these vehicles as fas as I know

you mean a driveflange tah basicly acts as a permanately locked hub? I was going to mention that in case you were talking about something esle.. my 2000 GV has the drive flanges and so does my grandpa's 04 XL-7 so manual hubs will only reduce some wear on CV's on these vehicles as fas as I know

Yeah, thats it, I don't know when FWHs were introduced as an OE fit over here, I have seen 92 models without them.

yea, I've only seen them on 99 and up models