Hey everyone. I have an 05 SCab 4x4 and I noticed a winding noise coming from the front end and its getting worse. Today I engaged 4x4 to see if it made a difference and when the 4x4 kicked in the noise went away. When I switched back to 4x2 the noise returned. It's almost like it is not completely getting out of 4x4. I tried backing up and engaging/disengaging while in neutral, stopped, and moving. I don't know what else to do. Anyone have any suggestions because the noise is driving me nuts and I don't know if it's damaging something. Thanks for any help.

 

keep it in 4x4...it is most likely the IWE solenoid which if not engaging can ruin the hubs

 

can any mechanic get the solenoid and repair it or do I have to take it to the stealership? My truck just turned 38000 miles, go figure.

 

stealership is where I would go, they tend to be able to fix problems the first time alot better than a normal mechanic since they are specialists in that kind of vehicle.

 

Thanks for the help bjp. Know how much a hub assembly would run me if I had to go that route? I would be ecstatic if it was just a cheap solenoid but my luck is not real good. It has been doing it on and off since early Jan, just been a more steady noise in the last week and a half. I usually have my radio on so I probably would have caught it earlier but didn't hear it because of the radio.

 

not sure man

 

Check out this thread.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...replacing.html

Replace the solenoid first. It's bolted to the firewall behind the battery. It costs about $30 from the dealership and takes less than 5 minutes to replace. I would also detach the vacuum line from the back of the actuators and blow the lines out using some compressed air. See if this fixes the problem. If not, the actuators need to be replaced. I would recommend ordering them from Tasca Ford online for about $80 each shipped. This was about half the price my dealership charged for them. They are fairly easy to replace yourself. Or you can take them to the dealership and probably pay around $500 to have them replaced.

I went through this exact same issue for over a year so I always jump in when I see somebody else having trouble. Whatever you do, don't put off fixing it. Continued grinding could eventually ruin your hubs also. The cheapest I've seen them is around $200 each. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks alot for the info, much appreciated. I'll start with the solenoid and go from there.

 

No problem, let us know how it turns out.

 

jreeder is correct. Replace the solenoid first, it more than likely is the cause as is usually but if you hear the gears whining, you will more than likely have to replace the actuator(s). In addition to jreeder's recommendation on the lines, I would go ahead and get both actuators because the other one will fail soon after. Alot of the problems with the actuators is sticky, grimy grease in the gear and vacuum bladder itself that adds to the sluggish movement and cold weather makes it worse. I replaced my solenoid first but my actuators were too far gone by that time.

I buy from Bob Utter Ford in TX and have for years. Tasca is fine, but I prefer Utter.

http://www.parts.com/partlocator/ind...?siteid=213787

 

Well, I replaced the solenoid and when I pulled the lines off the old one they made a hissing sound like they were releasing pressure so I don't figure they would be leaking. Took the truck for a drive and the noise is still there, D&**(T. Can I blow out the lines without actually taking the IEW apart? If I just pull the lines off the solenoid blow some air into the line will it do any damage? A friend of our family has an extra actuator (P/N: 7L1Z-3C247-A) in his garage he said he would sell me for $65. Is that the right part number? Anyone know someone with a better price? thanks.

 

the part numbers for the actuators is: 7L1Z 3C247 A. they are easy to replace, so dont pay the dealer to do it. all you have to do is:
1. remove tire, and brake caliper bracket and pads (leave them together as a unit, and tie them in a safe location).
2. remove axle dust cap from center of wheel hub, and then remove the axle end nut.
3. loosen nuts for upper balljoint, and tie rod joint, and remove vacuum lines from hub actuator.
4. remove tie rod, and disconnect upper control arm from steering knuckle.
5. unbolt hub actuator from steering knuckle (3 small bolts).
6. manipulate all components to remove axle from the steering knuckle, and you can then remove the old actuator.
7. clean all parts, inspect hub and axle for damage. then, install the new actuator in the reverse order of the removal.

The first side might take you a little bit, but the second side will be a breeze. i just did this about 2 months ago on mine.....

If you buy a new hub, then you will still have to get the actuator.... and you will also need a new o-ring that mounts between the hub and the steering knuckle. they are very easy to change if needed, but you shouldnt have to unless you have been grinding the IWE's for a while.

 

If you are going to blow out the lines, you need to disconnect them from the actuators down at the hub. You don't have to take the IWE apart, just pull the rubber vacuum lines off of it. It may be kind of tough, but it just slides off. Then you will blow air through them up by the solenoid. There may or may not be anything in the lines. More than likely some water came into the system through the solenoid and ran down into the actuators. That's what caused mine to go bad.

Also, that is the correct part number and the price is about as low as you're going to find.

By the way, I was driving mine home from work tonight and decided to flip it into 4WD just to make sure everything was still working. It engaged with no problems so I turned it back to 2WD. I had my windows down to listen for noise and heard a very brief chatter after hitting a few bumps in the road. I took it out later tonight and heard no more noises. I'm wondering if there is still something wrong that would cause this. Like I said, it is very brief and only happened when hitting some bumps. Everything seems to be engaging/disengaging correctly. I think I'll get a vacuum pump this weekend and check to make sure everything is holding pressure.

 

Thanks jreeder. So if I'm going to have to pull the line off the actuator I'm probably better off changing the actuator itself since I have to take things apart and go that far. The furthest I have ever gone working on a vehicle is changing oil and rotating tires so this is a new journey for me, I apologize for all the questions. The last thing I want is to get halfway to the actuator and realize I don't have a tool that I need to finish it. Did anyone need an impact wrench for the axle nut? Any certain kind of pliers or any other special tool a regular Joe would not have in his garage used? I read the IWE Removal thread by TN-F150, and he listed a few different sockets and that is about it. Is that all I will need?

 

Well, you don't have to take anything apart to remove the vacuum hoses from the actuators. They are just rubber hoses that slide onto two metal pieces on the actuator. You probably will want to change your actuators anyway though because they are probably damaged. It probably seems a little overwhelming at first, but it's really just a matter of taking a few bolts off and maneuvering things around a little bit. I'm not sure if you have a copy of the service manual instructions on this or not, but it can be helpful in showing the steps to take it apart. I have a pdf copy if you need it.

As far as tools go, the axle nut is not very hard to get off. I can't remember what size it is, but a regular socket wrench will do the trick. I had a little bit of trouble getting the dust cap off and eventually just pryd it off with a screwdriver. It got all bent up, but it doesn't really matter. The tough ones are the larger nuts on the tie rod and upper ball joint. I used a 13/16's socket and wrench, but I think TN-F150 used a metric size. I just used the standard size because that's what I had. They are torqued down at 111 ft/lbs so they will be tough to break loose. Also, to put them back together you will need a 10mm (I think that's the right size) wrench to hold the bolt and keep it from spinning while you tighten the nut back down. Anyway, hope this helps.