Front end problem

Over this past weekend I was backing up to a trailer in 4Lo, cut the I cut the wheel to line up the ball and heard a loud bang from the drivers side. I thought I busted the CV knuckle. The CV boot is ripped all the way around but the shaft has no play at all. Is it possible the CV is broken but have 0 play? Or did I do something to the front diff?

 

the cage is probably cracked.

 

Sounds like you blew the CV. Hopefully it wasn't the diff but you'd probably know if it was.

What kind of surface were you on when you were turning in 4lo?

 

Edge of grass and gravel. Happened at my father's and I drove it 150 miles mostly highway back home after and rode smooth as could be. I feel that if it was in the diff there would be some issue driving even in 2wd?

 

I have a parts truck at my parents with a good front diff and 1 good CV shaft. I just didn't have time to tear into it while I was there. Just hoping to diagnose it 100% before I go back so I know what I'm getting myself into.

 

Only reason I suspect it might be something other than the CV axle is because, in my experience anyway, when I CV axle 'explodes' it's usually pretty apparent when you look at it. The way you described it, it sounds like it's just a torn boot...and CVs can run just fine on torn boots for many miles before failure (sometimes).

I'm not 100% sure if the front diff is completely dormant during 2wd operation or not...I *think* if you have manual hubs it is but if you have ADD (auto hubs) then the spider gears are moving inside even in 2wd but the pinion gear is not. So...I can't say for sure if you can still drive it normally in 2wd with a blown front diff or not. Someone else will have to comment on that.

Most likely given what you described, you blew a CV axle. I would replace that one and go from there...if something is still not right or broken then it might be time to look at the front diff or maybe the t-case to see if something happened there.