Hi,
I've had problems with my 4WD not engaging on my '98 Expy for a while now and had traced the problem down to the front axle. The solenoids function correctly, there is vacuum in the correct line whether on/off, and the vacuum motor does moves the lever on the front axle back and forth when enabling/disabling 4WD. With the engine running and the truck jacked up, I engaged 4WD and the drive shaft from the x-fer case to the front axle spins but everything stops there. The front axles going to each wheel does not spin yet the vacuum motor did move the lever back/forth to engage/disengage 4WD.

Now, my question is does anybody know what's in the front axle that is supposed to lock the front-end? Is it something that's fixable by a garage mechanic or should I just bring it in to get looked at? While under warranty I had a leak in the front axle that was repaired by Ford. (I can see the sealant they used as it oozed out of the seams a little). I'm wondering if they messed up something or if it just went bad afterwards.

Anyways, I'm looking for info on what that lever actually does internally and if it's a big job to get into or not.

Thanks!

 

You have to remove the axle tube to get at it. Ford procedure has you remove the whole axle assembly in order to remove the axle tube. If you are creative you should be able to remove it with the differential still attached to the frame.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier