1992 Mazda B2600i 4x4 woes :(

[Kamloops]

Hi. I am new here and need some help. Guys over at fishbc said to come here.

I have a 1992 Mazda b2600i that has some 4x4 problems

My mechanic is stumped. Everything works the way it should when it is on the hoist, 4x4 works fine, engages and disengaes as it should. But as soon as he drives it , 4x4 will not work. It checked all the vacume and stuff all ok.

If you put any resistance on the front wheels , 4x4 wont work.

He thinks it is internal. The actuator seems to be working ok.

Any ideas. It does makes a rubbing wirring kinda noise in 2 wheel drive , sounds like it is right under my feet. Its not that loud but there is a noise. When it some working I was in the snow driving out of a gas station.

My mechanic cant find parts anywhere and Mazda in Kamloops was no help to him at all.

Hope someone has some ideas, parts. I will pay someone to fix it. I love this truck. Only 170,000 KM , 1 owner no rust. First problem I have had with it.

Cheers!

[bobknob]

Bad locking hub?

[Kamloops]

Bad locking hub?

Wish it was that simple they doen have locking hubs.

[Dramus]

Wish it was that simple they doen have locking hubs.

But it does have auto hubs does it not? Perhaps the issue is with the hub mechanism itself. Or perhaps your RFW switch is screwed.

[bobknob]

Front driveshaft doesn't turn in 4x4 or front axle doesn't engage?

[foxtail-offroad]

broken axle shaft or blown up front hub?

[Dramus]

I forgot to mention...there is a forum dedicated to Mazda trucks....

Here is the addy..

www.mazdatruckin.com

[Kamloops]

Truck is still not fixed. Noone can seem to figure this out. But tonight I noticed this. Look at the pictures. This is the axel on the drivers side. I dont think it should look like this, as well it is spitting out metal filings. The arrow points towards the drivers side front wheel. And I have put a circle around the problem area. #rd picture you can see the metal filings to the side.

Guess I need to replace the whole axel from the diff to the wheel? Looks like it has two sections to it? Any ideas?

http://www.kyra.ca/m1.JPG
http://www.kyra.ca/m2.JPG
http://www.kyra.ca/m3.JPG

[baluch]

Definately looks like your problem there. If one CV shaft pops, neither will work.

Can't tell what it goes into by the pic. Where it's coming apart - that's not the front diff is it? If it is, the CV shaft just hammers in, and is held in place with a little snap ring. Might just have popped out - I had that problem on a front wheel drive car once.

I had a 1991 Mazda b2600i for a few years - it was a great truck. Had 420,000km when I bought it, and 480,000 when I sold it - never had a single problem with it, even after I body lifted it 3" and ran 33x12.5 MT's.

[gimme a yota]

time for a solid axle swap!! good to see another kamloops person, whos your mechanic??

[Kamloops]

Thanks for your response. I have been using Boomers. Really honest guy and has always done good work for me. We both missed this problem but I dont think it was noticable when I took it to him, it started making terrible noises after I had picked it up.

Any suggestions for me, I really need this truck working badly.

[gimme a yota]

terrible noises as in? did it sound like repeated clicking in the cv when you drove?

[Kamloops]

No clicking CV noise at all and the CV Boots are all good. It is more of a rubbing sound. Its funny in 4 wheel drive no sound, disengaing 4x4 terribke sound.

[gimme a yota]

hmmm, i dunno mazdas at all but maybe something in your transfer case is shot

[Kamloops]

Nope Transfer Case is fine, I think it has boiled down to the problem in the Half Shaft axel as shown in the pictures.

[gimme a yota]

ooo, wonder how that all happened. you go 4wheelin much? toyotahead on here has a site thats changing abit right now but a majority of the people on it are from kamloops www.wickidmachines.com

[Kamloops]

Funny thing is this truck is hardly ever off road, and if it is it 4x4 is never needed. I was just drivin out of a gas station in the snow when it let go.

[mazdab2600]

check to see if the snap ring is still on the shaft at the diff
if its gone theres not much holding that end stub in

here's a link to see a pic
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1a/0b/5c/0900823d801a0b5c.jsp

[hamberger]

Uh oh. Metal filings huh? Splines on that shaft and possibly in the Stub shaft are stripped from being separated like that. Time to go to the wrecker and get a stub shaft and CV axle. The stub probably comes with the 4x4 vacuum actuator so just get that with the whole package for ease of reinstallation.

ham

[Kamloops]

Yep that is what it was. Stub shaft was worn right out and the axle popped out. Got a used Remote Freewheel unit and axel for 350 from the boneyard. The stub shaft is part part of the Remote Free Wheel Unit. Mechanic charged me 237 bucks in Labour for the whole job. All fixed now. Thanks for everyones input on this.

I learned alot about my truck. Basically replaced everything that is in this picture but the diff.

http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/medium/0900823d801a0b5f.gif