problem with my truck, need help

[ToughOldFord]

Okay, if your engine is running and the transmission is in gear and:

1) Your driveshaft is spinning and the truck is not moving then your rear end is gone.

2) Your driveshaft isn't spinning and the truck is not moving then either your clutch or your transmission is gone.

You said that sometimes it will shift normally but after coming to a stop it quits working. Sounds like you broke the inner end of the input shaft on the transmission and sometimes it falls into place and works until it gets a chance to jump back out.

But now you're saying the truck stands still while in gear with the driveshaft spinning intermittently and that sounds like you killed both your rear and your transmission.

But it also sounds like there's bailing wire on your drivetrain??!! If you know anybody that can build cars/trucks than see if you can get them to look at that one, you got something there that needs to be sorted out by someone in the know that can actually see and hear the truck.

[matt_stan40]

ever since i got the truck towed home the night it broke down i have only tried to drive the truck once. i wanted to see what would happen after a day of letting sit. I shifted into all four gears excluding reverse and when i tried to go, all i heard was a clanking noise from the rear end. Oh, and the driveshaft doesnt spin intermittently, it does spin continuously.


Now, i just went outside a few seconds ago to check out what would happen now. I shifted and i could feel it tryin to go into gear and a lot of the time it did accomplish goin into gear and i was able to move but it didnt seem to be drivin right. it felt like it was kind of fighting with itself to go or something. I looked under my truck while it was ideling and the drive shaft wasnt running, i dont know if its supposed to at an idel. When i put it into second i started to let off the clutch and when i had let off the clutch enough the drive shaft started to spin, however when the drive shaft started it took off kind of fast and it made a loud clank noise and the truck luckily started to move a little bit. These observations i made however may not be very accurate being that i tried lookin under the truck while i was trying to operate the gear shifter and clutch. I was purdy much lookin under my truck WHILE sitting in the driver seat. you can imagine how hard that can get.

[FORDification]

Based on what you're describing, it's sounding like you broke some teeth on pinion and/or ring gear in the rearend....not good at all. Do you have a 9" Ford rearend or a Dana?

[Jake11]

When I let mine sit it healed up.

Don't ever pop the clutch in granny. Something's gonna snap in two.
It sounds like you tore the teeth off the pinion.

[mrung0wa]

Sounds to me that its more than just the spider gears...

Lawrence

[matt_stan40]

it looks like i have the 9" ford rearend.

[FORDification]

Well, I'd say it's worth a look inside. Just get the tail end of the truck up on jackstands, and remove both rear tires. Remove each brake drum. Then remove the four axle retainer bolts on each side and remove the axles. Then you have to remove the 9 (or so) nuts holding the third member to the housing and remove the third member. Take in in on the workbench and take a look to see what the damage is.

And post a pic of the carnage....it can serve as a warning to others.

[matt_stan40]

to replace the gears, how much does it usually cost?

[mrung0wa]

That depends on which kind you buy.

I would recommend the hardened steel kind.
But you can save some money on the quieter rubber ones.

Lawrence

[fordman]

i'll guess 100.00 but thats just a guess out of mid air. sounds about right though. might even be able to pickup the whole rearend for that at the junkyard.

[FORDification]

That's what I was gonna say. You could probably get a whole rearend for you'd pay just for replacement parts, plus you'd have to pay someone to install the parts.

[matt_stan40]

yah, ill probly just try to get the whole rear end from a junker. the only problem is that getting it from a junker might take me more time than i hoped by the time i get myself up to the pick n' pull and take the rear end off a junker truck and put the parts from it on my truck.

[FORDification]

You don't need the whole rearend, just the removeable third member, and removing/replacing those is a snap. You could easily replace the third member in a day, even adding in the time of getting it from a junkyard first. (The only other thing you'll have to buy is the gasket.) Just make sure you get one from a '72-older donor truck, since the 28-spline axles were used those years and will probably be what you have in your truck. The '73-up trucks used a 31-spline axle, which are longer and won't fit in your truck. (However, DO take a moment to count the splines on the axle coming out of your truck, just to be sure. I've heard of some '72s that came with 31-spline axles, so they DO exist, and it's always a possibility, however remote, that a previous owner has installed one. Better safe than sorry.)

Of course, you're not limited to getting a third member off a truck. Many cars also came with 28-spline axles and would work just fine.

However, I'd still recommend pulling yours first, just to make sure that's what's causing your problem. Once you have the third member out on the ground it should be very apparent if it's grenaded.

[mrung0wa]

Yeah, utilize your cocoanut beforehand so you'll only have to do the job once!

Lawrence