left front axle not engaging

Ok, I have a dana 30 front end, (detroit locker). when engage 4wheel drive
the left side axle is not locking or engaging.Manual hub is engaged.(warn) Right front
is working ok in 4x4. I did hear a little bit of clicking noise on a turn, but nothing
that would have told me something had gone wrong. I've tried to locate some
info through search, but have been unable....can ya come up with some info...:hurrican:everything I have read is relating to a vacuum
system of which I don't even think I have that. MY vehicle is a 74 cj5.... tks for any help...tom

 

Your hub might be busted on that side. You could jack up the front of the Jeep, engage the hub in 4x4 and put it in 4Lo or Hi. If you can manually turn the left tire and nothing else moves its probably the hub. Pretty easy to take off and check...or replace.

 

ok I finally found time to take left front hub off, this is after I checked
the front left axle by engaging 4x4 and putting transfer case into 4 low.
the left front wheel will turn. tried the right front wheel and it locks in.
Now I take off the left front hub and cover and all looks pretty dang good.
nothing broken to me eyes....So now we come to the part that
I am not getting. I looked up to find the size of the axle nut, and
what ever,is behind that and all indications is that it is a 36 mm....(what?).
I measured across with a tape measure(don't have calipers. I get about
2 and 3/16 maybe 2 and 1/8 inches edge to edge on the 5 sided nut...
I think maybe I am at stand still to where and what size axle nut socket
I will need. and it better be deep.....What do ya think out there...(its a dana
30 with 27 spline axle...Has detroit locker)Come on back gents need help...tks

 

http://www.oconeeoffroad.com/servlet/the-3853/1-fdsh-2-drive-spindle-nut/Detail

 

no need to pull the wheel hub and or wheel bearings, unless you just want to.
the problem is going to be with the locking hub, if you can see the axle turning in 4WD.
what type of locking hubs ?
take the over side off and compare the two side by side to notice any differences

 

"correct" size is 2 3/32" but usually a 2 1/8" will work.
With the locking hub off of the vehicle, put it back together with the small screws that hold the hub together. Dial it to the "lock" position then see if the gear is locked to the hub body (the splined part on the back of the hub). If not, then the hub is not locking in. Also make sure it unlocks as well and the gear moves freely.

If the hub is ok, further disassembly is needed. I'd suspect the axle shaft being broken before the Detroit locker. It's somewhat common for them to break in the splined area or just outboard of the seal area. If the axle shaft comes out in one piece and the hub is ok, then it sounds like a problem with the locker.

 

sorry guys been out of town for the 4th and now back. I took the hub off, and ckd
all contacting areas and all seem good. I didn't have the spindle nut socket so I had
to order. will be here later this week. I have taken in all your suggestions, and will remove the nut and see whats going on inside. I have been told there is another
spring on the back side of that area that is part of the warn hub and it could be
broken. Is this a possibility. I also see that there is a big lack of grease in the area
and pretty much need to do some maintenance on the bearings while there. can this
all be done without having to take the brake disc assembly off. I sure hope so...hey jim tanks for the offer but I am up north with the jeep and will have to work on it
here....come back again guys....tks.....

 

Any bearing service is going to require that you take the wheel hub and disk off

Dont forget to take the snap ring off of the end of the axel shaft before trying to remove the hub.

 

:?
if you've taken the complete locking hub off of the wheel hub, you won't find anything else you're describing.

 

Can you take pics of where you are at? At this point I agree with Jpflat2a. Once the hub body is off that's it. After that is the wheel bearing nuts/retainers which hold on the bearing hub/rotor/drum assembly. If you plan on re-packing/inspecting the bearings you will need an inner wheel bearing grease seal as well. Drum brakes use a National # 8430s and iirc disc brakes use a CR # 23300 seal or equivalent but don't take that as gospel.

 

Ok big updates to the left axle operation. I finally got the correct socket
of which is a 2 and 1/16 inch. If you try even a 2 and 3/32 IT Will not work...
So I got the nuts off and pulled the rotor and removed the axle. Well to my
dismay there was nothing wrong with the splined end all looks great. there is a
shinney part on the shaft about 4 inches from the splined diff. end. has some what of a grove in it.. don't know where that came from, so Now I take
the diff cover off and drain. find alot of broken metal pieces inside at bottom
of diff. look very closely and find ring gear and pinion gears look great.Now to
the part that really P........sses me off.....I had a detroit locker installed in
this dana 30 and as far as off road miiles with it installed and engaged, I
might have 250 miles...if all of that. Well with closer inspection of the locker
housing bolts I have 3 of the allen head bolts backed out about 1 1/2 turns, I have metall marks on the outer housing of the locker from the ring gear hitting
and I am truly in an up roar. I don't feel if properly torqued they should ever
back out from that position....is this an over sight from the
installer.....????Help me out guys, my guess is that spider gears are junk
and possilbly the whole detroit locker....(guess what I need to find) or
what I need to obtain... I think I'll go back to no locker in front and just replace the one axle on left. who's got some help with that....tks for reading......

 

Was the Detroit Locker a full case locker and was it purchased new? If so, they come from the factory torqued and has nothing to do with the installer. If the ring gear bolts backed off that would be a different deal. Sounds like it needs to be disassembled to ascertain damage. If bought used and supplied by you, still not the installer's issue. If supplied by him and it was used, maybe a different deal.

Why wouldn't the 2 3/32" socket work? Have one in my tool box I've been using on Jeeps and IH Scouts for 15 plus years...

 

Ok got the pics and will try to get some set up on this thread soon
I have looked alittle closer to what is in the pumkin and what I see on
the pics. I have been going with the fact that the full locker is damaged
and would be the culpert. well I am thinking different now. The groves in the
locker housing are from the pinion gear, and that means it must not have been
set properly when locker put in, I'm not the expert, but it seems to be leading
to that fact. it is set so far off that it has actually put marks on the bolt
heads that secure the locker together, meaning the allen head bolts. I'll get
the pics up and you can see and give me your opinion....tks for reading and
hear from you soon....

 

Here's a link to the Eaton trobule shooting guide for the detroit locker.
http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@per/documents/content/ct_128312.pdf

 

After complete removal of left axle found inner axle spline to be in
great shape not and damage to them. So I remove the pumpkin cover and
now find some still unrecognizable damage. There are pinion gear marks around half of the detroit locker housing, I find 3 of the 8 allen head bolts loose
in the locker housing all showing damage marks on the screws..I find a palm
full of broken metal pieces in the pumpkin bottom..Am I not to happy right
now.bkd can you post those pics I sent to you for me, these guys might want
to see....What I'd like to do is get the locker removed, go back to just having
the dana 30 work and it would without locker in it. Or do I try to acquire a
pick a part dana 30 with 27 spline axles and 4:11 or as I was told from
the guy I bought it from that it had 4:27....I'm not good at this tech
stuff as you can probably tell...:?

 

Ok here are some pics that were put in (thank you bkd) and if some of
you guys take a look, I'm hoping you will see what I do and possibly agree
that I think that the pinion gear was the cause of the bolts backing off
from even seeing the metal marks on the bolts as well as the housing. Kinda
makes an issue with me why the install shop doesn't feel responsible to a
point.....tks for reading and looking at pics.....

 

From the pics it looks like the drive pinion gear has been moving and hitting the diff case and bolt heads which could cause the bolts to loosen up. I'd talk to the shop and show them the pics. If they aren't willing to at least check it out I'd find someone else to do my work. The ring gear looks like there is damage on the toe area (inside of the teeth) as well. Sometimes things go bad, may or may not be the shops fault, but they should be willing to look at it free of charge. At least I would, but I'm picky about my reputation....