Just bought an 04 f150 fx4 lariat when I put it in 4x4 the transfer case engages but the front wheels won't turn checked airlines all good, check solenoid all good cuts the vaccum to the front when engaged but the hubs just won't engage and pull anybody have an idea, could the actuators on the hubs be stuck and not engaging when vaccum is cut, no drag while driving pretty much having the opposite of most people's problem

 

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So it is gonna be the actual actuators on the spindles?

 

With my 04 when it was a year old. While indeed it could be your hubs I found that the vacuum lines right from the motor out were very dirty and that there is a small check valve in the main vacuum line that runs to the vacuum over electronic switch located on the farewell next to the fender on the passenger side. Once I cleaned all the lines and got the check valve working I never had any further problems. The hubs should default to locked position so if you have the truck lifted off the ground and not running or vacuum lines at the hub itself disconnected the axles should turn when you rotate the tire. The hubs and actuators are easy to change if you follow the directions in a haynes manual. I changed my actuators multiple times as they seam to be quite week.

 

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Most likely, they can lock up over time if not used regularly. They're called IWE's and they're not all that difficult to replace. I have access to a lift in a heated garage and using the information I found in these forums, I was able to change my first one out in just 45 minutes and the second one in about a half hour.

 

Is it possible to tear it down clean them lube um up and they start working again?

 

Generally speaking, no. Besides, with what you have to take apart to get to them, you're going to kick yourself if you try it and fail. Cheaper and more efficient to just replace them while you're in there.

 

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Yea, that's a big maybe. All of the one's I've changed or seen were pretty well toast when they wouldn't actuate at all. Even the ones that made lots of grinding noises unless you plopped the truck into four wheel drive looked like hell and I wouldn't trust cleaning, lubricating and re-installing them.

Like you said though, let's leave it up to the OP to make the decision. He can see them and we can't.

 

So to be certain,... You've done the 4x4 on/off checks with the front wheels off the ground? Per something like this;

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/83...then-some.html

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/12...l#post12662529

http://www.f150forum.com/f72/how-dia...m-esof-186872/

If so, I would say the IWEs are bad (probably the internal wave springs). As stated above, by the time you've got the old ones off, you'll probably want to just put new ones on. Like this;

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