Please help

I have a 2004 FX4 4x4

Four wheel drive is not working!!!!!

Turn the dash switch to 4High or 4Low and the lights come on in my dash gauge cluster. So my 4x4 lights come on as if the 4x4 is working but my front wheels do not turn.

What I have done:

With help, drove the truck forward while I watched the front drive shaft going from the transfer case to the front differential. Did this in 2WD and then in 4WD high. While driving forward in 2WD the front drive shaft did not move. Once put into 4WD high and driven forward the front drive shaft was turning.
I guess this tells me that my transfer case and shift motor are working?

I jacked up my driver side front wheel and turned the tire by hand while the truck was running in 2WD. The tire spun freely and the CV axle (half shaft) did not turn. Then turned 4x4 dash switch to 4WD high and turned the tire again by hand and the CV axle turned while turning the tire. I guess this indicates that the IWE actuator was working....I guess???

repeated the process above for the front passenger side of the truck and the tire would always spin freely regardless if in 2WD or 4WD. I could not get the CV axle to turn while spinning the tire on the passenger side when the truck was running and switched to 4WD

I checked the vacuum solenoid near the battery mounted on the firewall. The vacuum line suppling vacuum to solenoid was working and pulling vacuum. I did a series of test in conjunction with the dashboard 4x4 selector and the Vacuum Solenoid seemed to be working properly.

Crawled under the truck while the engine was running and pulled the vacuum line off the nipples of each IWE Actuators (drive and passenger side) put my finger over the lines and felt decent vacuum at each end of each vacuum line.

So dash switch and 4x4 light works stays on solid and bright does not flicker
Vacuum solenoid and vacuum lines seem to be working
Transfer case and shift motor seem to be working
Driver side IWE actuator seems to work

Front passenger side Actuator does not seem to be working???

Why I am so confused about this is because in HOURS of Internet research it seems that this Actuator is not allowed to engage by vacuum pressure. When I disconnect the vacuum line to the passenger side actuator I expected to hub to lock, but it did not, the tire would turn but the CV axle wouldn't?

If I replace the passenger side IWE actuator will this fix my four wheel drive???

Or is there something else I am missing???

Please Help

Any Advice will be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

Replace the passenger side IWE.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...then-some.html

 

Actually, while you're at it, replace both. It's probably time anyway. And yes, based on your (very good) problem description, the IWE is your issue.

 

two youtube videos show two different methods





first video the man completely removes the CV axle and leaves the tire in place!

second video the man removes the tire and leaves the CV axle attached the Front 4x4 differential and only remove the CV axle at the "Wheel End" and he remove some of the steering knuckle bolts


which method do y'all think will be the easiest out in my driveway?

thanks

 

If i was doing it myself,i would use number 2. I had a shop do both of mine on my 2004 for $850.00.

 

When I did mine on my 2005, I used method #2. I had access to a lift and even though I'd never done it before, it only took about 30 minutes per side. Not a bad job at all.

 

Without even looking at the videos, I'd take #2 because that guy is a very competent master Ford tech. A lot of his videos are posted here.