My husband is stuck in our 2005 Fx4 once again.... The 4x4 light is lighting up on the dash, it makes the clicking sound like it is locking in, but the front tires are not spinning. Any suggestions on what to try? We are not really worried about the truck being stuck right now because we can get pulled out, but we don't want this to happen again. Are there some things we can try ourselves before taking it to a mechanic and forking out lots of $$$?

 

are you sure they aren't spinning?

the front axle is an open carrier...so the tire with the least resistance spins. more than likely, the other tire is spinning, and the one you're looking at isn't

 

Neither front tires are spinning. This is not the first time this has happened. It sucks to have a Fx4 with no 4x4

 

Youll probably have to get pulled, then do some testing to see what the problem is.

 

For the 4wd to completely lock in the tires have to roll a little bit. I think it is the hubs that takes a little bit of turning for them to lock in. Tell him next time to put it in 4wd before he goes throw something.

 

x2

NEVER go offroading in 4x2 then get stuck and try to engage 4x4... if you get it to work, you got lucky.

My buddy learned the hard way when he got his F350 stuck on ice one winter. Parked in a spot with ice, and then he tried to get out, no go, so he through oh, 4x4 low will get me out... nope, the rears were still spinning. Fustrated he got someone to push his truck, and like 10 feet it finally locked in, and voila, 4x4!

I think it's somewhere around the 10 to 20 feet range where the gears will actually, "sync" inside the transmission to transfer case. I think it also depends on the gear ratios within those transfer cases. Like if it's 3.55's then it might take 20 feet for it engage... if you got 4.10's in both, it might take 10 feet.

 

could it be a vaccum line maybe?

 

This happened to me with 06 Lariat Crew and had to replace the little motor that engages the 4x4 on the transfer case

 

He got stuck in our yard trying to leave with our boat, the weight sunk him down because it has been raining here so much recently.

 

I got stuck in my yard this weekend...so annoying! My 4-wheel driving wasn't working either. The front hubs would just pop out under power. The truck is out the shop now for 2 new hubs. It does sound like you need to engage 4wd early to that you can give the truck some time to get the front hubs locked.

Good luck. P.S. There are some fun off-road trails around Tally!

 

same thing happened to me once and the shop i took it to said its either a vaccum line or somethine with the front hubs. after they took mine apart it turned out both front hubs were warn down and needed to be replaced.

 

Do you have the part number for this motor?

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...se+motor,10323

 

may not always be that motor as the hubs are notorious to leak/tear apart they are held in behind the knuckle

 

Im betting your hubs and CADS are the issue My 04 done that it was caused by the check valves on the vacuum system went bad and I didn't realize that they were bad thought I had a heat shield that was vibrating when it was the cads chattering while going down the road.
before you throw money at it engage the 4X4 and get under the truck and try to turn the front axle shafts if they will not move the transfer case is working. then leave it in 4x4 then jack up the front end one side at a time and try to turn each wheel If they turn its a hub and cad issue.