When I was wheeling a good while back, I tried to tackle a good sized hill and had a no go. A month or so went by and I tried it again, walked right up. Turns out I had one hub disengaged! I do not know if it was from me forgetting or if a hub magicaly unlocked byitself. I heard no grind or bumps, anything, she was working just fine.

I'm LOCKED!

Got zook?I do,88.5 spoa'd on 29'shttp://www.geocities.com/bik3r

 

If your front wheels will still pull in 4WD it could have been a badly munched wheel bearing that made the noise. Check for side play in that wheel.

If your front wheels don't pull in 4WD or if it continues to make noise in 4WD but not in 2WD then it could be your axle shaft or front diff.

Brown29@napigator.com

 

It could just be the hub. I had mine grind real bad and had to remove it and take it apart and re-grease everything, and put it back together. I think a spring/clip was mis-aligned, but not sure. It was my first hub rebuild and everything worked fine after that. Hope yours is as simple.

Scott Trester - '88.5 Suzuki Samurai
http://RockPile4x4.tripod.com/Scott.html

 

ok, I took it into a place last Feb and had the front brakes replaced and the front bearings repacked....
this was before I tackled working on anything or realized how easy this was to work on....
I had done several other things and really did not have the time to do it myself at that time.....

anyway, it was not a grinding but a loud poping sound....both hubs were in a locked position,
but it sounded like the hub was racheting.... loosing the locking...

I have NO side play..... so I don't believe it is the bearings.....

what I would like to know is how to tell if it is the birfeild blowing out or the locking hub?



Rich_D
If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it.

 

rich...i had it happen to me a few months back....it was a combo of things.....and yes, the hub either magically unlocked, or i forgot to lock it....that was one problem.....another contributor was the motor mounts are non-existant.....which means every time the wheels slip the motor jumps and slams up and down.....

ROACH Da NastyPimp/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif
88.5 Zuk Calmini header/GRS1/235MT/Lock Rite/Centerforce stage1/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

 

was the poping you experienced a rapid pop. pop. pop. pop. sound? a while the wheels were spinning pop pop pop sound...?

that is what mine did...., but I need to replace the transmission mount soon, so I will see if the engine mount went bad since I put it in, maybe 1000 miles ago... but I don't think that is the issue... thanks though

I will have to see if my hubs have any magic in them..... I am hoping that this was the problem, I don't have the
money to replace the birfeild......

any more input/experience from anyone....

Rich_D
If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it.

 

If you blew the Birfield, then you would only hear the snapping or popping of the exploded gear while the hub is locked.

I drove my Zuki 180 miles home on a blown drivers side Birfield and only twice did I feel it try to bind while turning. However, I did have all the gear oil leak out of the axle, making it pretty obvious that I had blown the Birfield.

Neal the Zukiguy