transfer case problem

[barbierij]

So today I decided to check to see if my front DS splines were shot (I was hoping it was because I have a spare). Well, I jacked one front wheel up and I can spin it when the car is in neutral, but it won't move much when it is in park, and it will move the car if I try to really spin it. This leads me to believe

1. the driveshaft splines are ok.
2. the front diff is ok
3. the xfer case splines are ok
4. stumped.

history:

I did a one-wheel peel up the driveway back around november. I never drove it since. Before that, I heard a clicking sound for a second or two when starting from a stop sign, about 5 miles from the house. When I moved the car today, the front end felt like it was binding (torque bind like in a jeep in part time 4wd) when turning sharply.

[barbierij]

I know i'm screwed and I need to replace the transfer case again. But I think it's strange that the front driveshaft pretty much locks up when the car is in park.

[The Dark Side of Will]

So today I decided to check to see if my front DS splines were shot (I was hoping it was because I have a spare). Well, I jacked one front wheel up and I can spin it when the car is in neutral, but it won't move much when it is in park, and it will move the car if I try to really spin it. This leads me to believe

1. the driveshaft splines are ok.
2. the front diff is ok
3. the xfer case splines are ok
4. stumped.

history:

I did a one-wheel peel up the driveway back around november. I never drove it since. Before that, I heard a clicking sound for a second or two when starting from a stop sign, about 5 miles from the house. When I moved the car today, the front end felt like it was binding (torque bind like in a jeep in part time 4wd) when turning sharply.

Sounds normal.
IX's don't have very good Ackerman (at least mine doesn't), so they scrub the front tires in tight turns.

If you can do a "one wheel peel" on slippery conditions, it just means both your T-case and rear diff VC's are shot.

The "clicking sound" is worrisome, but when the splines slip, the whole car shudders. Let it idle until the engine is warm, then take it out on the street in front of your house and punch it to the floor from a dead stop. If the whole car experiences a rapid fire shuddering and doesn't go like it should, then that's the splines slippling.

[audiquattrot]

clicking sound could be the splines stripping.....if you ruled out the axle.

is the 'binding' you are talking about sort of like the car feeling like the e-brake is still partly engaged? if so that's just the awd at work.

[barbierij]

i don't think the binding is normal because the other three iXs we have don't do this. and this car never had that binding. I was thinking of just selling this one. What really puzzles me is why the wheel spins freely in neutral but is locked in park. I would think if the VC is completely shot, the front wheel would spin freely in park as well.

[spdracrm3]

1 yes most likely (but hard to tell unless loaded, or dis-assemble to inspect)
2 yes its an open diff
3 1 &3 are the same thing
4 this might help

T-case VC is shot and since rear wheels cant spin and VC spins freely motion is transferred thru the sun gears to the trans output shaft which in an Auto in neutral will spin freely (but in park wont due to parking pawl) same will happen with 5spd in neutral (but wont turn if in a gear)

as far as binding on turns yes with equal traction on all 4 wheels it is still full time AWD (sun gears still provide solid link between outputs)and so will bind up with wheels turning at ever so slightly different speeds due to a different Radii (my IX actually groans on very tight turns )

[The Dark Side of Will]

What really puzzles me is why the wheel spins freely in neutral but is locked in park. I would think if the VC is completely shot, the front wheel would spin freely in park as well.

If the T-case VC were working, it would try to drive off the stands in neutral just like you describe it doing in park when you turn the front tire.

Like spdrcrm3 said, there's still a mechanical link between all four tires and the trans output shaft. Turn the front tire in neutral and you're turning the trans output shaft. Turn the front tire in park and it tries to turn the rear driveshaft because the trans output won't turn.