4x4 binds going STRAIGHT on dry pavement

[anesthes]

I know, you are not supposed to. But I tested it going straight because I noticed it seemed a little funky in my horse paddocks.

I just bought this truck. 2004 F350, powerstroke. Has the manual hubs, and shift on the floor for 4x4.

If I'm going straight, at like 5 mph and I put it in 4x4 it will bind and the tires will chirp.

Is this normal?

I ask because, my dodges, and chevys I had before it would only bind when turning. Normally during plowing season we would leave it in 4x4 and driving over pavement wouldn't phase it. If it's "not right" I want it fixed. (or replaced) before the winter.

-- Joe

[GregsSD]

Sounds like the truck has mismatched gears!

You need to check the gear ratios in the front and in the rear, they need to match or you will get the binding that you have described.

[GreenF350]

Originally Posted by GregsSD

Sounds like the truck has mismatched gears!

You need to check the gear ratios in the front and in the rear, they need to match or you will get the binding that you have described.

What he said....Sure sounds like mismatched gears. I see no reason for it to bind so bad the tires buck and chirp like you described in a straight line. Time to jack it up and start counting turns to figure out gear ratios.
-Aaron

[anesthes]

Originally Posted by GreenF350

What he said....Sure sounds like mismatched gears. I see no reason for it to bind so bad the tires buck and chirp like you described in a straight line. Time to jack it up and start counting turns to figure out gear ratios.
-Aaron

Well I checked the rear. The tag says:

V 420 F
73 10 5 4E07


Gonna go check the front now, and hopefully google can decode them.

-- Joe

[07OUTLAW]

I wouldn't trust the tag. The previous owner could have re-geared the rear to a different ratio and not worried about the front If that's the case, they may not have removed the stock tag

Like Aaron said, need to jack it up and count turns. Or pull diff covers and count (I'd count axle to wheel rotation #'s)

[anesthes]

Originally Posted by 07OUTLAW

I wouldn't trust the tag. The previous owner could have re-geared the rear to a different ratio and not worried about the front If that's the case, they may not have removed the stock tag

Like Aaron said, need to jack it up and count turns. Or pull diff covers and count (I'd count axle to wheel rotation #'s)

Actually it's the ford dealer I'm worried about.

I got hit in the front right wheel 2 weeks after I bought the truck. They put a front axle housing in because it had a crack. Because the truck is 6 years old, insurance opted to put a used with warranty replacement. I think they put the wrong ratio in.


So the rear tag, V420 F seems to be a 3.73 based on what I read online.

Front tag is

4 10 30 34 GC

611 33 72

The 33 could be a 32, or a 22. Little rusty. But in any event, If the 4 10 in the start of the top of the tag is the ratio than we know what the problem is.


The truck only had 34k when I bought it. Previous owner was like 75. I don't think he changed anything. But the dealer that did the insurance work gave me the truck back 4 times, so based on the track record a failure to get me the right from axle wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

-- Joe

[07OUTLAW]

Originally Posted by anesthes

Actually it's the ford dealer I'm worried about.

I got hit in the front right wheel 2 weeks after I bought the truck. They put a front axle housing in because it had a crack. Because the truck is 6 years old, insurance opted to put a used with warranty replacement. I think they put the wrong ratio in.

This is what I'd go with, now that I have this info :

So the rear tag, V420 F seems to be a 3.73 based on what I read online.

Front tag is

4 10 30 34 GC

611 33 72

The 33 could be a 32, or a 22. Little rusty. But in any event, If the 4 10 in the start of the top of the tag is the ratio than we know what the problem is.


The truck only had 34k when I bought it. Previous owner was like 75. I don't think he changed anything. (You have never met my dad, obviously )But the dealer that did the insurance work gave me the truck back 4 times, so based on the track record a failure to get me the right from axle wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

-- Joe

In RED ^^^^^

[HOUTX01X]

sounds like you have different gear ratio as previously posted. when i bought my last 4x4 this same thing happened to me. but i was swapping both gears out anyway so it wasnt that big of a deal. do you go with 3.73 or the 4.10??

[anesthes]

Originally Posted by HOUTX01X

sounds like you have different gear ratio as previously posted. when i bought my last 4x4 this same thing happened to me. but i was swapping both gears out anyway so it wasnt that big of a deal. do you go with 3.73 or the 4.10??

Well the speedo is calibrated for the 3.73.. I'm not used to new cars, on my old 60s and 70s race cars we have to swap speedo gears and all that for the rear end change.. Honestly, the truck tows just fine with the 3.73 so it probably gets better fuel economy that way too.


So, the tag I posted for the front - is infact 4.10 right? I couldn't find any way to decode it online, and I'm not a ford person. This is my first ford.

-- Joe

[forddieseldoctor]

That's what it looks like is that you got mismatched gear ratios. If you decide to go to the 4.10's then all that you have to do is take it to the dealer and they can reprogram it to the new gears. I have 4.10's in my truck and I don't feel it's that hard on fuel.