'93 S10 Tahoe Blazer Making creaking/skipping noise on left turns
 

Background

So this titular car is not currently mine, I am looking at purchasing it from a dealer. I recently bought a house and I drive a Civic, my girlfriend a cavalier. So we really don't have any vehicle to haul "House Project" stuff around in. We decided to look at spending 500-1,500 on a used SUV. We decided on an SUV over a truck since we also like to go camping/take the dog out/etc and an SUV suited that need more than a truck. In any case, the smaller cars will remain our every-day vehicles.

I have been scouring craigslist looking for a good deal on something with udner 175k miles, an ok body, and no mechanical problems. I couldn't find anything great, but carsoup showed me a pretty good deal on an S10, so I went and looked at it. Everything about it was great, and after a bit of back and forth they agreed on 1160 out the door, so the price was right.

Actual Question

It's a 93 with 126,000 miles on it, and no major accidents. The Chevy S10 Blazer is All-time 4WD. When making a left turn and accelerating out of it, it makes a creaking/skipping noise. The first time I heard it, it sounded like I was going over speed bumps (like the kind before a toll booth) coming from one of the front wheelwells (I thought it was on the left, girlfriend thought it was on the right). I could make it happen pretty easily, all I had to do was take a semi-tight left turn at a decent speed. It would only do it for a second, even if I was doing tight circles. I brought it up to the mechanic on site and he just said "Thats something 4WD vehicles do". I have never owned a 4WD vehicle, but that sounded kinda shady.....

1. Is it something 4WD vehicles do?
2. Could it have been the ABS? (It did rain that day, but I thought it was odd I could get it to happen almost every time I took a tight left)
3. Does this indicate a problem? I am worried that it might mean a problem with the strut/ball joint.
4. Does this mean I should pass on this deal (which, beyond the noise, made for the most ideal vehicle we've seen in weeks).


Anyway, thanks for the advice guys. And if anyone has any "Don't get early 90s Blazer" or "Early 90s Blazers are a dream!" kinda advice, I'll listen.

RE: '93 S10 Tahoe Blazer Making creaking/skipping noise on left turns
 

i have a 92 s10 blazer and my moms boyfriend is a machanic and i asked him the same thing because mine did that and he said the same thing thats what 4x4 trucks do

RE: '93 S10 Tahoe Blazer Making creaking/skipping noise on left turns
 

All time 4WD? You don't have the option to put it in 2wd?

Anyway, yes, this is a 4x4 trait when locked in 4wd. The reason for such a phenomenon is due to the rigid coupling in the transfer case. As any vehicle turns, all 4 wheels take different paths (unless the turn is exactly right for two wheels to follow the same path). As a result, they are all turning at different rates. When in 4wd, the transfer case rigidly connects the front and rear axles. You get this shudder as the drive train binds.

So if you in fact do not have a 2wd mode, then this is just a trait you will have to live with.

RE: '93 S10 Tahoe Blazer Making creaking/skipping noise on left turns
 

Yes, it is All-time All-Wheel-Drive. There is no 2WD option.

So this most likely doesn't indicate something is wrong? The shudder isn't really a problem for me (since this won't be my primary vehicle) but I just don't want to break a UV Joint or wreck my drivetrain in 6 months....

RE: '93 S10 Tahoe Blazer Making creaking/skipping noise on left turns
 

If it's AWD (different from fulltime 4wd), then this system does not have a rigid coupling between the front and rear driveshafts and this may indicate that something is going wrong with the AWD system. The older AWD system was a torque biasing system which split engine torque between the front and rear axles at a constant split. Something like 70% rear and 30% front comes to mind. But this type of system should not exibit shuttering while turning.

I recommend that you drain the transfer case and refill it with GM Autotrak 2 AWD transfer case fluid. It is possible that the fluid has just never been changed and the viscous coupling between the front and rear axles isn't operating properly due to the degraded fluid.