I have problem with the 4x4 side of the truck its still under warranty but the don't seem to be able to fix it. It is binding up just driving straight. I have had it to the dealership 7 times they have replaced the transfer case 4 times front pig two time. It is at the dealership right now and has been for two week they put a new transfer case and front alxe and pig. They called me today and said the problem is still there. The truck has no lift. It has 285/75/16 tires. Its a Nissan frontier pro4 x any help thank you.
If any body has a idea I could use it I really like the truck.
I say you might want to find a new dealership. Have they checked the half shafts or other parts outside the t case and pig? If there is no binding w/o 4x4 you can eliminate most of the up front parts that are used outside of 4x4 mode.
Has the upfront been in an accident (even sliding into curb with the front wheels). What I am thinking is when the 4x4 is engaged something is not aligned and causing extra pressure. Maybe a bent half shaft.
There is no tire rub on the truck. It feels like the gears don't match. When in 4x4 I works but is feels like it chugs along.I can't put it in 4x4 if I'm moving at all I have to stop and back up to take it out of 4x4. These test have been in snow or dirt not payment. This is the second dealership to work on it. The T case gets metal chunck and burnt fuild. They claim the gears was wrong in the front end from factory. That is why the put a new front end in it. It is binding bad enough that if I'm rolling 30 mphs and push in the clucth and put it in nuetral it stop like I'm using the brake. When its in 4x4 it pulls hard to the right under power then it will feel like it chugs and then it will pull hard left. The truck has never been able to be used in 4x4 mode. The truck has maybe 20 mile total in 4x4 most of it is testing at dealership or me testing after getting home from the dearship. I bought this truck to use in 4x4. In the winter I use 4x4 3 to 4 days a week out in the woods. I just drove a Toyota T100 368000 miles as mostly a woods truck for hunting. My point is I have owned 4x4 for over 25 years and used them a lot with no issues.
has the rear end been looked at? was this truck bought new or used? Is it possible the rear end was swapped for one out of an auto trans truck?
Are you getting the "slip" light on the dash? could it be the VDC system getting confused? You mentioned it "chugs" and then pulls the other direction. I wonder if someone replaced the rear end with one with a different ratio. now when you put it in 4WD, the front and rear axles are trying to rotate at different speeds. The computer now thinks you are spinning and tries to apply brakes to a wheel or cut back throttle.
Same issue in 4lo and 4hi? what about with the rear E locker on? what happens if you turn off the VDC?
Has this always been an issue with this truck or did this just happen?
It would be an interesting test to remove the rear drive shaft and run it in 4x4 - see if the binding goes away if you're only running the front portion of the drive system...
Do you know if they've done that and if so what the results were?
It has always been an issue from the time it was new. It does it with or without VDC on or off. They have had wheel speed sensors on it the have spun the wheels by hand and counted the drive shaft. They don't have like they know what is wrong with it. The dealership can't do anything without Nissan tech support telling them what to check. So basically Nissan tech support is the ASE mechanic and the guys in the garage are there workers. This dealership is at least working to get it fixed the said they are keeping it until its fixed. This wed will be 3 weeks they have had it. I have a rental car from them and I'm now driving my 1996 Toyota t100 for a truck. The 4x4 in it is bullet proof.
I am going to say this - something just doesnt seem right? Now, the system is simple ...two sets of gears and a T-case. If the dealer replaced XX# of T-cases and a couple pigs and still cant figure it out they must be STOOPID. At this point i would lemon law the thing.
Not to doubt you or the dealer...I just know cars and or machines and it is just a matter of following the symptoms to the cause. Do as some of the other have suggested and take the front driveshaft off...also, drive the truck and when the issue starts happening...drive for a bit them check the rims/brakes for excessive heat. This would indicate brake issue.
Dont over complicate the issue. SIT, think, drink-a-beerrr, and start eliminating possibilities.
This truck came from the factory with issues I would just like some advice on what it could be. The truck has 30000 on it. The only thing I can think is maybe the rear end gear is different than they think and they keep putting the right gears in the front end. The only time the truck it smooth is when the tires are spinning as soon as you let off and its jus rolling it starts binding up.
The rear gearing being wrong, this makes sense. Engine power is enough to overpower the tires just enough so it's less noticeable, but when you let off the throttle, nope.
I ask them to take the rear drive shaft out and try the truck and if it pulls the truck without binding then there is a gear problem and if it binds then its all in the front end. They said that's not going to tell them anything there computer hasn't already told them. I don't know how this front end in this truck works compared to others but could there be problems with the hubs when locked in. The cv joint had to be replaced once it pulled out and they claimed that it was never push in far enough from the factory. This was at 19080 miles. If the truck is rolling at all and you try to put the truck in 4x4 it just make a clicking noise. I have to be stopped and not moving before it will go in. To take it out I have to stop and back up then pull forward and sometimes it will come out then if it don't I have to put it in neutral. I don't even test it in four low anymore it feels like I'm running over the front tires in lo range.
Our hubs are not selectable, they are basically always locked which means the front diff always turns when the truck is moving, but the front drive shaft is basically free spinning on the t-case end. When you shift the t-case into 4wd it engages the front drive shaft and begins to power the front diff. That's why shift on the fly works because the front diff and drive shaft are already spinning at the same speed as the rear diff and the t-case. I'm not aware of any way that the hubs could fail and damage the front diff.
Their computer can't tell them anything about gearing unless they are able to view actual wheel speed of all the wheels simultaneously while the vehicle is in gear in 4wd with all 4 wheels in the air. The test with spinning the wheels and counting revolutions would tell them what the gearing is, but perhaps they miscounted.
Edit* your above comment makes it seem even more plausible that the gearing may be wrong in one of your diff's.
I'm a little late on this post but it sounds to me as though you have two different gear ratios in the front and back diffs. I would ask the dealer to check the ratios by doing a tooth count. Then you (or they) will know for sure. Other than that, you may have a defective tire that is not of the right diameter even though it is properly marked.
There has been two sets of tires on the truck the factory tires and the set that's on the truck now. They can only do what Nissan tech support tells them to do. They have told me that. They said the truck is in the hands of engineering and tech support. I think engineering is the problem. Lol
Well today they put orginal tires on same result. Took both pig covers off counted the teeth both the same. So the gears are the same in both alxes has a new transfer case a new front pig all factory new parts and it still binds up in 4x4 they told me they can't fix it. So I'm not sure what is going to happen now
What a nightmare! I have had nothing but issues with mine since day 1 too. It's on the 2nd rear end and probably going to have to tear down the transmission too, all in 11,000 miles. Sorry to hear about your issues, my dealer had the same problem where they couldn't do anything about anything until they got Nissan to advise them to do so. Doesn't seem to be the best way to go about things. I'm a long time Dodge owner, and all of my warranty issues were taken care of much more smoothly.
It is fair, you shouldn't lose any money. Call Nissan Consumer Affairs to start the process. Their phone number is 800-647-7261
Well they are going to try a few things again today. I asked them to remove the rear driveshaft and put it in 4x4 and see if it still binds up. So they are still trying
One other option, which is something I'm currently looking into on my Frontier, is Nissan may offer you a discount code to make up for any negative equity/headaches to apply towards another Nissan. Think about it, this whole ordeal is costing Nissan a ton of money!
Well no information today on the truck. They told me that with all the parts that have put on my truck plus labor they said they have half the price of the truck when it was new.
Thanks for the update. You would think that after all the time and parts they have thrown at the truck that they would have come up with a solution by now. Hope you get some results soon.
Me to they gave me a economy car its nice but I'm not a car guy. I'm taking my Toyota T100 to get a clutch in it. That's been the best truck I have ever owned it has 368,000 miles on it. Just getting rusty the Michigan salty roads are tough on vehicles
Umm, yea, I'd slow my roll and wait for the dealer before I escalated the situation like that. it sounds like that have been attempting to fix and gave a loaner car, no need to lawyer up at this point.
They say that the truck has a two inch lift in the front that they think is causing the problem. I never put the lift in the truck so does the pro4x come that way its only in the front.
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