Removing Rear Drive Shaft to Get Home

[DirtaddictLC80]

While wheeling a few weeks ago I damaged my rear diff, and in order to get home, I removed the rear drive shaft. To get to an area to work on the truck, I had the CDL switch on (yes I have the button with 7 pin mod).

After removal of the rear drive shaft I got on the road and drove about an hour home. My concern is that when I got home, I noticed that the CDL switch was off. When parked at the trail head I had messed with the button and didn't realize I shut it off.

I thought the rig wouldn't drive without the CDL switch on while a drive shaft is removed? Obviously I am wrong here, since I got home safe and sound.

My concern now is that since I drove the truck with the center diff open, could I have done damage to any other part, like the center diff or the transmission, because of my lapse?

Can anyone help me understand what happens during driving when one drive shaft is removed but the center diff is open?

Thanks!

 

[TheBigBoy]

It won't drive without the button pushed. Could you have wired it wrong? Sad to say your rear diff was still spinning anyway. You should have removed both rear axles and stuffed a rag in there as to not lose oil. So not much was gained from removing the shaft alone.

 

[TheBigBoy]

Sorry should add more info. The factory transfer set up. Works from the drive going to the front shaft first. It allows a certain amount of slip/rotation before LSD type set up, in the transfer engages the rear shaft also. When the button is pushed, it locks it. So there is no slip between the front and rear shaft (I say none, but there is still some).

Edit. It wasn't very clear. It won't drive when your FRONT shaft is removed. Rear removed, it will still drive on the front.

 

[landtank]

your truck has a Viscous coupler in the transfer case that will engage and provide drive if one shaft is removed and the CDL is not engaged. It doesn't matter which shaft is removed either.

Usually in this scenario there is an abnormal amount of engine revving to get the truck to move. If there wasn't any then the coupler could be seized or the CDL never releaased do to the load on it from the drive train.

Did you notice if the ABS light was off while driving home?

 

[DirtaddictLC80]

your truck has a Viscous coupler in the transfer case that will engage and provide drive if one shaft is removed and the CDL is not engaged. It doesn't matter which shaft is removed either.

Usually in this scenario there is an abnormal amount of engine revving to get the truck to move. If there wasn't any then the coupler could be seized or the CDL never releaased do to the load on it from the drive train.

Did you notice if the ABS light was off while driving home?

There was an "abnormal" amount of effort to get the truck to move. However, I was very gentle with it off the line. Once the truck was moving it was fine.

I didn't see the ABS light on when I was driving it home. ABS light is on when the center diff is locked, so that should have told me that the CDL wasn't engaged, right there I suppose. Since I was moving, I didn't think much about it at the time.

So while I should've locked the center, it sounds like I may have been okay if I wasn't gunning it from a stop?

 

[landtank]

the VC would be the failing component if anything was damaged. If the truck still takes that additional effort to start to move I'm guessing the VC is still OK and you are alright.

 

[DirtaddictLC80]

Great, thanks!

the VC would be the failing component if anything was damaged. If the truck still takes that additional effort to start to move I'm guessing the VC is still OK and you are alright.

 

[Tools R Us]

In my experience, the VC will take a pretty good amount of abuse, know of several who have done that without issue. Obviously not the recommended method, but even if the VC does fail, lockup, my fix is to simply remove it. IMHO they are pretty much worthless.