well, that's what was goin through my head when my disco broke down.

i was in the city, turning onto a downhill street, when i heard an awful metal banging sound. i continued down the hill until i could pull over safely. i stopped at a stop sign and then stepped on the accelerate to pull over but the truck wouldn't move!!!!! I moved the transfer case shifter into high and low gear and nothing! i locked the center diff into high and to my surprise, the truck moved. so i limped to work which was 2 blocks away. i didnt drive faster than 5mph. after work i called a tow truck andgot the disco home safely.

the next day i took off the transfer case cover plate, expecting total carnage, and it looked normal. i think it was just low on fluid because it didn't look like 4pints came out of the transfer case when i drained it.

so now i want ur advice. i think if i refill the transfer case it should be okay, but i dont want to refill it and have to open up the case again because that didnt solve the problem.

 

I would say something in your driveline broke, if the front broke and was spinning free no power would be transfered to the back til you locked the diff. In anyway I dont think low fluid would do that, it would cause things to wear out an overheat but not stop working just cause its low. I would check your front and rear diffs.

 

im sorry i dont see why the diffs would be the culprit. the diff lock, locks the cener diff so that the driveshafts move together. if the front diff broke, id still be getting power to the rear... because this is a permanent 4wd system ......right?

 

If your front output shaft snapped, you wouldn't move until difflock

luck,greg

 

all the power would go to the broke diff or drive shaft until you locked the CDL then it would move just as you described.

 

Listen to them, go lock your t/case and see what happens, money is on a bad dif. be it front or back, one is going.

 

Score 1 tweakrover.

 

the transfer case works just like the front and rear diffs, if one tire slips all the power is transfered there. same in the transfer case, if one drive shaft is turning freely, either because of a part broke or a tire spinning, all the power goes there. the diff lock locks the diff in the transfer case so both driveshafts spin at the same rate, so when you're offroad and a tire spins you still have power in the end opposite the spinning tire. hope this helps.

 

so the good news is your transfer case is probably alright (its gear to gear and pretty damn tough) the bad news is one of your diffs has a problem (its gear to gear but has weak spider gears)