Thanks for the reply Carolina: The axle code on my door sticker is 19. So does this mean that with the 4WD working properly that only one of my front wheels will spin, in any conditions?
So your saying that what I thought was a 4WD I was buying in reality is only a 2 WD, one front and one rear?
I knew i shouldve gone with the FX4, the only reason I didnt is because I travel a lot and I was told that its gas mileage was a bit lower than the normal package.
thhanks again.

edit: Even dumber question i guess is this. Which is better for use as a 4x4? im not seriously into it or anything but damnit, when i go to the beach I dont like to get stuck, which is what brought the cut vacuum lines to my attention. had to wait 2 hours for a damn avalanche to drive by and pull me out lol..

 

I am a bit surprised that it's a non-limited slip rear (3.55 ratio by the way). I think every 4x4 I've had has had a l-s rear. Very few 4x4's have a l-s front axle. The general 4WD population would tear out some part of their drive line with a l-s front and rear. So yes, one front/one rear is what you have pulling. That can still work well enough to keep you out of most bad situations though. I'm sure there are guys here that can offer you better tips on sand driving than I can. With your non-limited slip rear just applying the brakes slightly can switch the pulling force to the non-spinning wheel, for example. But if you're bogged and spinning in sand you're just going to dig your way to China.
Them telling you the FX4 would get less mileage is probably because it MAY have had a lower ratio, 3.73 would be my guess.

 

Well, I am disappointed, to say the least. When you buy a 4WD, you expect a 4WD. After I made that last reply last night, I did some more research on the differences between differentials and I understand a bit more about it now but still...
Thanks a lot for your help though.

 

It's not a HUGE expense to convert your rear diff to a Trac-Loc. You won't find many 4x4's of any make with a locking front diff.

 

Thanks again for the info Carolina and I really do hate to be a pest but there is just one more thing that I need to ask and I only ask this after looking all over for the answer.
In the same wiring harness that carries the blue and pink hoses from the vacuum component near the front differential, there is another hose bundled with it. The hose is yellow and at the bottom it plugs directly in behind the vacuum component, into the front differential I believe. At the top though, it just ends at the rubber fitting, which is triangle shaped with three holes, where the blue,pink and also this yellow hoses ends.
Now the blue and pink were easy for me to know where they go because the ends were still hanging off of the solenoids where they were cut or broke, whatever but I cannot find where the yellow hose should go.
By the way, your photobucket site is an amazing source of information for me. Just by looking at the pictures, especially this one

I realized that I made an error when putting the diaphragm back on. I failed to put the rocker arm into the slot, I thought it went there but it just wouldnt go.
No I am no where near a mechanic lol but if anyone needs free pc advice, hit me up

 

The hose you're talking about is just a vent for the axle. It pushes on the fitting on the axle and just runs upward to keep water out of it if you take your truck into high water. The plastic triangular piece on the top end of the hose just keeps mud dobbers from building a nest in the end.
When I started working on mine I just couldn't find the type of info I wanted so as I did my repairs I took photos to maybe help someone else out. Glad my photos helped.

 

so ive been reading all the posts and there links , if my electronic shifter will not lite and the 4wd wont engage i can assume the vac tubes might be the problem?

 

No, in your case, it could be a bulb out (for the light), a bad switch, or a gem module. Also could be more serious. Usually if the light does not light, it signals a problem other than the front diff vacuum system, although that may not work either, but until you get the transfer case to shift to 4hi, you can't tell.

 

Where are your pics posted at for the vacuum disconnect motor?

 

Page 1 of this thread shows my photos of the complete vacuum disconnect piping, the solenoids and the vacuum motor/actuator/diaphragm. Do you need something other than those?

 

How do you remove the vacuum disconnect motor so that I can try and clean it - the lever does not move when I engage in 4 wheel drive

 

See the photo in post #13 in this thread and read the post there. The diaphragm slides into a hole on a cast flange on the housing. There's an "E" clip that retains it there. Remove the "E" clip and the diaphragm will move enough to disengage it from the shift lever.


In this photo you can see the "E" clip, next to the boot, and the brass section that actually goes into the hole in the flange.



This shows the position it's supposed to be in. My flange was broken off and I had to re-engineer the mount but you can see clearly here where it goes.

 

Carolina Five-O - thanks for the pics. I finally got my 4WD to work. I have a 2001 F150 4X4 and when I turned the switch to go into 4WD - the light came on but the front axle didn't engage. Found out the vacuum disconnect motor worked by applying vacuum but still wouldn't go into 4WD. Replaced one of the solenoids and then had to gently tap the shaft on the vacuum disconnect motor to get it to move. Found out that it was stuck and eventually damaged the solenoid. Now it works fine.

 

This thread helped me figure out why my 4WD wasn't working. Thanks. While looking around the vacuum disconnect I noticed another small black hose which according to some of the information I gathered is like an exhaust hose. Where is this hose suppose to be plumbed? Mine currently deadends at the frame about 18 inches away from the vacuum disconnect. Seems like it should be attached to something.
Thanks.

 

You could be looking at the breather tube for the front diff. It connects nowhere. You also have one in the rear. It is meant to mounted higher than the diff so that if you drive through some standing water that isn't too deep it will not suck in water to the diff.