Posted by Donald F. Blair on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 at 9:17PM :
This evening I took my '58 for a 10 mile run through Western Maryland along some backroads to pick up a load of hay. Hand't run the truck for awhile due to some electrical problems. thanks to Eric and a headlight switch I figured I was good to go.
Got the hay, on the way back truck reminded me that the gas gauge doesn't work and I coasted off the road into a field. Hit a rut or a ground hog hole pretty hard but didn't see anything broken. dumped in some petrol.
Started right up, shifted into drive - heard a snapping metal sound and NOTHING! No power to the rear wheels. Turned the hubs, had power to the front, but not enough traction to crawl out of the mud. Got a tug onto hard surface from a passing Ford 4x4. Still no power to the rear. I reasoned that I could safely make the 10 mile drive home on the front axles if nothing's turning the rear. Went slow and careful and made it home.
Anyone want to guess where I should look first in the morning? Truck steered and stopped and handled same after as before.
Truck runs fine in 4by on the front axles.
Shifted into 2by on the floor or into 2x2 with the hubs, no power to the rearwheels when shifted into gear. Yes, I still have a driveshaft. I'm wondering if the little shorty shaft may be the culprit. Sound like anything that has happened to any of ya'll out there.
I wasn't rolling real fast when I coasted off the road, but it's a 6,000 LB truck with about 1,000 lbs of hay. I'm an old (literally) hand with clutches and shifts.
I did not dump the clutch when I first went to move out. I'm puzzled but I'm home so tommorrows another day. Thanks guys for any diagnostic guesswork.
Don Blair
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