gear problem

One time I had to drive from Pasco to Spokane with my short driveline removed and my power divider locked. It did same thing you described and at that time my front differential was just few month old, brand new from eaton. More than a year since and no problem with any rear end. It would be interesting to hear other people opinions.

 

Same thing hapened to me lost the shaft between the rears so locked in the power divider and would get a pop like it was comeing out of mesh when power was applied. once the shaft was back in all was fine. They are eatons also.

 

Yep, sounds like the shift fork isn't fully engaging.

 

It shouldn't make any noise and should work just fine with the axle chained up or the short shaft removed. I would say you had a problem but with others having the same thing happen im not sure. Usually any drive line question I got a answer for but Im not sure on this one. The only thing I can think of is your hearing the back lash in the gears of the power divider that would be absorbed by the rear rear when its in use.

 

Something else I just thought of. Did you leave the short shaft in when you chained up the rear rear and just let the rear wheels spin in the air? If so you could have the drive shaft angle so far out of wack that its binding. That could be the poping you herd. The other thing is maby their is an adjustment problem with the eatons. The only time most OTR trucks ever use the power divider is for very short distances to get unstuck. If it were out of adjustment you may never know it till you tried to drive some distance with it locked. Once you get it fixed and back to normal try driving with it locked and see if it still dose it. Do it empty. It wont hurt anything for a mile or two. If you do it loaded and have anything other than 8 brand new tires with exactly the same amount of wear it will cause bind and could cause damage. If it still dose it I think you have a engaugement problem. Out of adjustment or maby lack of air pressure. I know you said it felt like it was jumping out of gear when you steped on it. Sounds like its not totaly engauged. If it only poped once than was ok till you let off and steped on it again than I think your feeling backlash in the thru shaft.

 

I thought the same thing about the driveline angles, but he said he unhooked the inter-axle drive shaft.

 

Having unhooked the inter-axle drive shaft, I'm not sure that would be the issue. Eatons are good

 

I spoke with a gear guy at Peterbilt dealer in Spokane and was told that this is not normal. There is something wrong in a power divider and with a rear axle disconected all the power flows to a front differential and pushes gears in a power divider appart.He thinks there should be some accesive play in a power divider gears in order for one to do that.