4 Wheel Drive not engaging front wheels

TRBLND41 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-28-2006, 05:37 PM

Hello everyone...

I need some help....I have 1987 Jeep Wrangler and I took it offroad for the first time...when I engaged it in 4 wheel low...The front wheels wouldn't engage. The back seems to work fine....I can spin both of them but the front won't spin. I saw on here about the vaccum hose that goes to the 4 wheel drive. I do have one hose that runs from the 4 wheel drive up to right under the carburator that is not hooked to anything but the 4 wheel drive. Is this correct? Or should it be hooked to something around the carburator?

Or is it possible something else is wrong? I have only used the 4 wheel drive maybe 3 times in the last 7 years....now I want to go offroad and need it and it is not working properly. Any ideas? Does anyone have any pics or illustrations as to what it should look like when it is hooked up correctly so I can see if something is not connected right?

Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me.

Tina

mud4feet · #2 (**permalink**) 11-28-2006, 06:05 PM

Tina,

I believe the vacuum line you speak of hooks somewhere in the vicinity of the front axle, one side or the other. Obviously, I'm not that familiar with it, but there are many here who are (Bounty, you there??) and will advise you........you've come to the right place!!

And be aware that, unless you have a locker up front, only one tire will spin, even with the 4WD engaged. You evidently have a locker in back (or perhaps, a limited slip differential) or only one tire would spin there also.

Good to hear you're takin' her offroad!!!!! That's what they were designed for and the more you do it, the more you'll find just how capable your vehicle is!!!!!

Welcome to the "Z"!!!!!!

Sparky-Watts · #3 (**permalink**) 11-28-2006, 09:15 PM

Yeah, you should have a couple of vacuum lines, I believe, from the axle up to the manifold. Most likely the one you mentioned that is up by the carb but not plugged in is the one you need to find a port for and plug it back in. That will most likely fix your problem, unless there are other lines disconnected elsewhere.

Bounty? You're next!!

TRBLND41 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-29-2006, 04:00 PM

Hey guys......thank you so much for all the help.....It's fixed.....It was a vaccum hose that had split...I cut it and put the red wire back on it and it works perfect..even my 4wd light is working now...I took it for a little spin thru the woods to check it out and it is awesome......Now I'm ready to do some real offroading.....thanks again for all of your help.....I really appreciate it...now I know where to go for excellent advice.....Have a great day all.

Tina

Sparky-Watts · #5 (**permalink**) 11-29-2006, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRBLND41

Hey guys......thank you so much for all the help.....It's fixed.....It was a vaccum hose that had split...I cut it and put the red wire back on it and it works perfect..even my 4wd light is working now...I took it for a little spin thru the woods to check it out and it is awesome......Now I'm ready to do some real offroading.....thanks again for all of your help.....I really appreciate it...now I know where to go for excellent advice.....Have a great day all.

Tina

Fantastic!!! Ain't this place awesome? Now then, stick around a while and join the crowd. Show us some pics of that Jeep. Tell us some stories. Before long, you'll be helping others out with their Jeep questions.

Welcome aboard!!

TRBLND41 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-30-2006, 01:48 AM

Here are a couple of pics of my Jeep...

[ATTACH]

[/ATTACH]......

4-wheel-drive-not-engaging-front-wheels-shoe-creek-025.jpg

Tina

Sparky-Watts · #7 (**permalink**) 11-30-2006, 05:33 AM

Nice lookin' ride there, Tina!!!

Bounty__Hunter · #8 (**permalink**) 12-01-2006, 10:40 PM

Glad I could help

LVRockCrawler · #9 (**permalink**) 12-02-2006, 12:14 AM

k...now get rid of that vac. system and go with a cable lock (homemade or store-bought i.e. posi-lok) then you wont have to worry bout it no more! (did my homemade one and love it!) !!!
and welcome to jeepz!!!

Sparky-Watts · #10 (**permalink**) 12-02-2006, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bounty__Hunter

Glad I could help

Well, you did.....I learned it from you!

TwistedCopper · #11 (**permalink**) 12-02-2006, 08:40 PM

Mighty fine looking YJ you have there Tina! Welcome 2 Jeepz.

I gotta ask... I see you have different tires front and rear...

They are the same size aren't they?

TRBLND41 · #12 (**permalink**) 12-03-2006, 01:17 AM

Yes they are different tires.....the front are radials and the back are all terrain....but they are the same size tires.

The back ones are the orginal tires that were on the Jeep when I bought the Jeep but the front ones....my stepfather bought me to put on the Jeep...he had borrowed my Jeep for about a month when his vehicle broke down. So ask thanks for letting him borrow the Jeep....he bought me those.

I would have bought the same kind as on the back...but I couldn't turn them down. So I went ahead and put them on. When the back ones wear out....I will put more radials on the back so that they match.

Have a great day...

Tina

TwistedCopper · #13 (**permalink**) 12-03-2006, 09:07 AM

Just making sure they were the same size. If not it could damage the Jeep when using 4WD.

If you continue to get into offroading, you might want to stick with an all-terrain or mud terrain as opposed to regular old street radials. The right tire can make a world of difference offroad