Over the weekend I popped my truck into 4 wheel H by a mistake when parking. I have electric 4-wheel switch. I drive a 98 w/ Off Road package, extended cab with a 5.4 V8. I think I engaged it in 4-wheel drive right before I shut the truck off. When I came back I started the truck and began to drive, I immediately realized I was in 4-wheel drive. I looked down and sure enough I was in 4WH. I put it back into 2-wheel drive but it wouldn’t disengage. I stopped, started, put in park then drive, I switched it back and forth, nothing. After messing around for about 5 minutes it finally went into 2-wheel drive. Any ideas what caused this or why?

 

but, if you have auto hub and a vacuume line going to the front diff, check it. could be loose, cracked or something like a leak.

hope this helps

 

It will disengage when there is no "differential torque" being applied. Uneven tire tread depth on front versus rear tires can cause this. Try this:

Put it in 4wd and get everything "locked up" then switch it back to 2wd (still in drive). If it won't go back to 2wd, stop and back up just a little. I bet it will disengage.

All this "fru fru" button and **** crap!--I would gladly trade the **** in the dash of my FX4 for a SHIFTER! On all my old trucks, the only time my 4wd wouldn't engage or disengage was when my right arm stopped working. All the "shift on the fly" this and "automatic locking" that is for the people who never use their trucks off road capabilities anyway. (I know I'll get flamed for this, but I need to rant about something this morning!)

Hope this helps,

Sidewinder

 

i think you can put manual hubs on the push button shift, you just have to turn the hubs in for them to work.

mine is manual hub and manual shift.

the vacuume is supposted to engage the hub or the diff? I've always had problems with auto hubs-change them. go with warn premiums, about 100 bucks and worth every penny, lock'em in and forget it. shift when ready and never worry about "are they engaged" again.

 

Watsonr,

Manual Hubs are, unfortunately, not an option for racerx1307 and me. The 97-03 body stlye trucks have IFS where your 96 has twin-trak front suspension. We are left to deal with vacuum and electric motors. ARGHHH!

Sidewinder

 

I'm with you!! I wish I could have the old lock in hubs and shifter in the floor to

 

My '97 F-250 4x4 (IFS) doesn't have locking hubs of any kind. My front diff. is locked full time. Only way front drive is disconnected is when the transfer case is in two wheel mode. I'm turning everything up front as I drive.

My old Bronco II had the self locking hubs. To unlock I had to back up about 6 feet then they'd release (click, click). No vacum controls on those either. Speed difference between axle and hub caused internal cams to actuate and automatically lock the hub.

 

I've got a floor shifter... and it suprises a lot of F-150 owners that you could still get it. I love the clunk every time.

But post-1996 F-150 owners can't have the benifit of Warn hubs or any other manual hubs. The CAD (Central axle disconnect) system is vacuum operated, and it works by sliding steel sleeves onto the outer half-shafts on the front suspension. When your 4wd doesn't disengage, it's because of the torque on those sleeves and/or transfer case. Simply stop, put the truck in reverse, back up about 10 ft, return to drive and go about your business.

Hope this helps,
-Flea

 

Flea is right. When you shift into 4x4 on a hard surface it can casue the drive line to bind. You have to relieve the stress on the system for it to shift back. Neutral doesn't work becasue it is the 4 tires on the hard surface that are causing it.

JMC

 

Dumb question, but how bad is it for your front drive line when the 4WD won't disengage and it binds?

I as because mine did it, of course. It sucked, I placed it in 4H idling in traffic (I read on here that you should do it once in a while). I placed it back in 2WD and 30 or 40 seconds later I changed lanes. When I did, I accelerated and heard/felt it bind. It felt like I hit something! I didn't even know that it was still in 4WD and I guess it disengaged at that point because it felt normal afterward.

It has driven okay since, but should I take it somewhere and get it checked? What do you guys think?

Anthony