when i have my truck in four wheel drive and try to turn it starts bucking out of control. like wheel hop from the front end? it doesnt seem like it use to do this, maybe i didnt notice but now it does it all the time. this is in sloppy mud and only when i start to turn the wheel in either direction. is it the u-joints or is this normal? thanks

 

Mine does the same thing when turning - I figure the front is binding slightly due to the speed of the turn???????

 

I think it is the limited slip and I have never been able to turn real good with a 3/4 ton in 4wd. It also may be the pitch of the driveshaft not giving enough slack. Aaron

 

Sure sounds like you may have a U-joint binding.

 

Are you trying to turn sharp on dry pavement? If so, that is your problem. In order to be in 4wd, your drivetrain relies on slippage to move forward. Its REALLY not good for your truck to try and put it in 4wd on dry pavement. Just FYI.
Scott

 

Almost every 4x4 truck does it. because the tranfercase does not have a differential in it, it locks the two axles in at the same speed. And since the axles are traveling a different path the slippage comes out between the ground and the tires. Its not good for your drivetrain at all. I dont recommend doing it.

But if you are going straight then it should not buck, just while turning.

 

I have had this happen in the mud with my 1979 4x4 and it turned out to be a front axle shaft u-joint.

But it you are on a dry road (dirt or payvment) this is normal and not recomended.

 

I think the "bucking" feels a bit more noticeable with a diesel truck as well, even in snow and mud. When I went from my old gasser 4x4 to this one, the binding felt much worse. Quite a bit more torque driving the front wheels. I don't know if you just stepped up to a diesel 4x4 from a gasser, but it's an observation I made when I first did.

 

He is definitely correct. Our 4X4 mode is meant for slippery and off road conditions, not for driving on pavement. Truck's manual, at least my 05's explained it pretty cleanly. AWD vehicles (my wife's Durango, Subarus, etc) have differentials in the front axle and transfer cases that allow each wheel to roll at a different speed which is what happens when a vehicle is turning. In 4X4s, when in 4X4, the two front wheels always roll together at the same speed even when you turn and that causes the bucking (the inside wheels must roll slower than the outside wheels while turning for a smooth turn).

 

First of all the guy said in the opening post that it was in slippery mud.

Second of all. No transfer case with a single drive shaft to the front diff has any control over the differing wheel speeds of the front tires. The turning front tires have different speeds but this is compensated by the front differential, not the transfer case. BUT if you make a full 360º turn in the sand you will notice that the back tires don't track perfectly with the front tires, this means that the back tires are traveling at a slightly different speed than the front tires. The difference between the front and back tires will bind in the transfer case. So it's the combination of a front differential that doesn't like to slip with regard to differing front tire speeds, AND the T-case which can't slip with regard to different front/rear tire speeds.

To the thread starter.....it's my guess that your truck is behaving normally, but that slippery mud may be reacting more on your tires than you think. Especially with regard to making the tires track abnormally which would increase the difference of front/rear wheel speeds in the mud. Pretty common. I use my FWD almost every day on job sites with lots of sand and occasionally mud. I find FWD works best with liberal use of the skinny pedal.

 

I think it is a Dodge thing. My 05 Superduty turns smooth with no bucking. Driving on snow you can actually forget it is on. The Dodge reminds you on every turn. But to the First poster for a Dodge it is normal.

 

i was at my land this week and its been raining for almost 2 months the ol' dodge could barly make it into the gate. the truck was barly moving at all and i was tryint to walk the wheel side to side to got a little more movement and more than about 1/2 way each way it starts bucking. maybe its just the torque mixed with u-joint axles. i did come from a gas Z71 with cv axles... thanks for your input