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Nick H
Dodge Dakota
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8/23/2007
07:55:25
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 Subject: 4wd problem
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I have a 96 3.9L Dakota. The 4wd worked fine when I got the truck but recently it's been acting funny. First thing I noticed was after doing some mudding, I went to take the truck out of 4wd (high) and put it back into 2wd. I drove the truck down the road and every 100 feet or so, the truck would violently jerk the steering wheel to the left and the truck would swerve hard. This would repeat every 100 feet or so, unless making a turn. The only way to get the truck to stop doing this was to put it back into 4wd a few times while driving slowly and turning the steering wheel. I also noticed that when on jack stands the 4wd would only turn both front tires some of the time.. when the one wheel would stop. Followed by a clicking sound coming from the differential. 4 low seems to work fine from what I can tell.
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Walt_Felix
Dodge Dakota
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8/23/2007
11:20:56
|  RE: 4wd problem
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Your truck doesn't have a CAD and your front diff is open so it'll only send power to one wheel normally.
I would pull the front diff cover and look for any damage to the spider gears. the 7 1/4" used in the early Dakotas was not know for strength.
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Nick H
Dodge Dakota
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8/23/2007
13:53:16
| RE: 4wd problem
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Message:
So how does the 4wd system work on this truck? I'm new to 4wd and after some searching I see a lot of info on Dana locking and auto locking hubs... however there are no hubs of this nature on my vehicle. If I understood how it worked a bit more, it might give me a better chance to figure out what's going on.
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Walt_Felix
Dodge Dakota
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8/30/2007
08:24:08
| RE: 4wd problem
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Dodge hasn't used manual or automatic locking hubs on their trucks in many years. They use what is called a Central Axle Disconnect (CAD). There is a small, vacuum controlled shift fork and shift collar on the passenger side, front axle shaft. That shaft is actually 2 pieces (inner and outer shafts) with splines on the ends. When you shift into 4wd, gears within the transfer case will engage power to the front driveshaft and vacuum will move the shift fork in the CAD, making the shift collar connect the outer shaft to the inner shaft.
However, after 92, the Dakota doesn't have a Central Axle Disconnect. It was also eliminated from the Ram 1500 when it was changed to an IFS suspension in 2002. On those vehicles, the passenger's side front axle shaft is one piece. When they are in 2wd, the front driveshaft will still spin due to the forward rotation of the front wheels. Only the internal connection within the transfer case is disengaged when in 2wd.
Your problem can be as simple as your transfer case shifter linkage is out of adjustment and not shifting all the way out of 4wd until you play with the shifter. Or worse case, it could be an internal problem in the front diff or transfer case. Your truck does have front hubs, but they are nothing more than a one piece, sealed bearing assembly that your outer CV joint connects to and has your wheel studs on the outside.
Start by checking for the simple stuff, check your linkage, the 3 u-joints in the front drive shaft and then work your way up from there.
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Nick H
Dodge Dakota
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9/07/2007
10:09:07
| RE: 4wd problem
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Well I got under the truck last night and did some searching, and reading of the Chilton manual, and some more testing of the 4wd, 2wd. I searched and searched for the vacuum switch on the axle and found nothing, besides a vent tube of some sort coming up and out of the passenger side axle. I also found a vacuum tube that comes out of the transfer case and leads to nothing. It just ends near the rear of the engine by the lower firewall?
So I went out and played with the 4wd some. Every time you put it in 4wd (hi or low) you get the steering wheel jerk (always to the left) every 100 feet or so, and even more so when you step on the gas hard. Put it back in 2wd and it will still do this untill you stop and turn the steering wheel from lock to lock, then it seems to magically rid this problem while in 2wd. Still does it in 4wd though. I'm going to try to adjust the 4wd selector linkage this weekend and see if it helps but if not.. how does this vehicle actaully make the engagement and disengagement from 2wd to 4wd without the CAD?
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Kota Kid
Dodge Dakota
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9/09/2007
00:49:09
| RE: 4wd problem
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Its done absolutely, 100% inside the transfer case. Walt_Felix is deffinately right about the weak 7.25 diff in the front, I broke 2 sets of spider gears in my 92. The spider gears are a good thing to check also check to see if the drivers front cv axle is binding in some way. It could be a worn out cv axle causing the steering problem, if its binding and trying to lock the left front wheel it would deffinately pull to the left for a second untill it breaks loose again.
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