Locked up and skidden into ditch, help?
06-03-2013, 03:02 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 6
Locked up and skidden into ditch, help?
My son was driving our 66 mustang doing about 60mph on a highway, when he said he heard an unusual rattle. He pulled over checked the car and couldn't find anything. When he started up again the rattle was gone. About 2 miles down the road the rattle came back and in what he says was a minute the car locked up both rear wheels and he started skidding and ended up in the ditch. Had the car towed (flatbed) home and just wondering what you all think might be the issue.
Current symptoms:
Rear wheels turn in opposite directions when on jacks.
Transmission locked in gear, can't get it into neutral.
Starts and runs fine.
We are thinking either the rear end locked up or the transmission failed? Suggestions?
Current symptoms:
Rear wheels turn in opposite directions when on jacks.
Transmission locked in gear, can't get it into neutral.
Starts and runs fine.
We are thinking either the rear end locked up or the transmission failed? Suggestions?
06-03-2013, 03:11 PM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: California
Posts: 10,468
Sounds like the trans. When in the air with a diff, the rear wheels will typically spin in opposite directions...that's just how differentials work. They spin in the sme direction with lockers or certain limited slip diffs.
If you can't get the trans out of gear, and the rear locked up....my guess is a bearing failure in the trans. Manual or auto? In either case a bearing failure will jam it up and prevent rotation, which also misaligns the shifting linkage and jams it up from changing gears.
If you can't get the trans out of gear, and the rear locked up....my guess is a bearing failure in the trans. Manual or auto? In either case a bearing failure will jam it up and prevent rotation, which also misaligns the shifting linkage and jams it up from changing gears.
06-03-2013, 03:12 PM
#4
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,195
I thinking the same, but wouldn't a bearing problem be evident all the time once its failed, in other words it can't clear up on its own and fail again. If everything turns like it should, try checking the u-joints.
Last edited by groho; 06-03-2013 at 03:14 PM.
06-03-2013, 03:16 PM
#5
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: California
Posts: 10,468
U joints could be inconclusive though. If the trans locked up, the shock from the initial lock up could possibly damage u joints. So bad u joints could mean bad u joints....or they could be bad from the trans.
Pull the driveline and see if the output shaft in the trans is off center. If you can't get it out of gear, can you turn the engine over by hand with the driveline out, or see if it's locked.
If it's an automatic, do you guys use the parking brake BEFORE you put in in park, or BEFORE you let off the brake pedal after putting it in park?
Pull the driveline and see if the output shaft in the trans is off center. If you can't get it out of gear, can you turn the engine over by hand with the driveline out, or see if it's locked.
If it's an automatic, do you guys use the parking brake BEFORE you put in in park, or BEFORE you let off the brake pedal after putting it in park?
06-03-2013, 03:49 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 6
Hi all,
Thanks for all your quick responses. Answering a couple questions:
Our son is 18yo.
It is a 1966 200 3 speed manual.
It is locked in gear. It starts fine, but if I let off the clutch it stalls out and will not move the tires.
It seems like it is in neutral, NOT!! Cannot get it into neutral.
The tire rotation done on the jacks was moving it with my hand not under engine power. That is when they go in opposite directions.
Thanks for all your quick responses. Answering a couple questions:
Our son is 18yo.
It is a 1966 200 3 speed manual.
It is locked in gear. It starts fine, but if I let off the clutch it stalls out and will not move the tires.
It seems like it is in neutral, NOT!! Cannot get it into neutral.
The tire rotation done on the jacks was moving it with my hand not under engine power. That is when they go in opposite directions.
06-03-2013, 04:00 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 6
So I understand that the wheels are suppose to turn in opposite directions, lol, learning a lot. Thanks. So that leads me to believe with what you all are saying it is the transmission. We have only had the car for a couple months and are still in the process of going through the mechanical stuff and either replacing things or repairing / oiling / greasing, etc. etc.