Title pretty much asks it, i have an 01' 7.3 and my 4x4 is engaged by the switch, a friend of mine has a 99' V10 and his 4x4 is engaged by the lever on the floor. I figured this was either something they phased out by 2001, or something that they did with manual transmissions. But i have been debating trading my ext cab in for a crew cab 7.3. Today i saw a 2003 7.3 automatic transmission with the 4x4 floor lever, so now im confused. Was that an option, a different transfer case?

 

One is just a manual shift transfer case and the other is (ESOF) electronic shift on the fly. both are still available currently on SD trucks anyway

 

Ok so it is an option then.....why would they call it shift on the fly? Mine has manual hubs, no shifting on the fly with those lol

 

well not sure on yours but guessing the hubs may have been changed from auto type to a manual hub. I'm not the expert but I believe if truck came with ESOF it also came with auto hubs because as you stated no shift on fly when you have to turn in hubs.


over the years there has been some issues with the auto hubs due mostly lack of maintenance but seems a lot have been changed.

 

Look closely at your hubs. The ESOF hubs have a **** just like the manual hubs, but they say "AUTO" and "LOCK" where the manual hubs say "FREE" and "LOCK".

With ESOF, the hubs are automatic but they still have the **** to manually lock them if needed.

 

^^^^ yea that ^^^^^
great point, should have mentioned that

 

Because in my opinion Ford follows instead a of leads and made the electronic shift option, problem is now almost ever super duty has this junk system. O my 4x4 didn't work today when I needed it, three hundred dollars later for a New tcase motor, somehow my wire harness rubbed through the outer cover then through the wire coating and then the wire snapped, took me four days to find the break now I have 4wd again after getting stick and paying five hundred for the tow bill! Give me a lever and you'll never be stranded or spending hundreds to fix the 4wd system

 

I suspect that I have a similar problem (4x4 light is always on on the dash and switch doesn't do anything) I think I might have a bad harness or wires rubbed through. What symptoms did you have? And where did you find the rub? Not trying to be a pain in the a**, just trying to get my problem fixed before winter. Thanks

 

My hubs are manual, but they dont say anything at all....i painted little blue marks where the hubs are unlocked so i could tell where they should be. Years ago some punk kid locked in ONE of my manual hubs on an old square body chevy i had, it didnt turn out well for the assembly.

 

Bigblackf250 I've never had an issue with my esof personally, it's my friends trucks that I've fixed over the years I have expirence with. Most of the time the rub is right at the end of the wire cover where it ends and ford has that cheap tape holding it still, or at a bend where it goes over the trans

 

If you have the switch on the dash for your 4X4, your truck came from the factory with auto hubs that can either be activated by vacuum or manually engaged by rotating the clock face about 90 degrees clockwise. Without the markings on the face of the hub, it is difficult to tell from the front which hub is which. It is a popular mod to block off the vacuum lines running to the hubs and either use the auto hubs as if they were manual or replacing them with manual hubs. Your system was called Electronic Switch on the Fly because the system was designed to allow conversion to 4X4 mode from the cab, without having to stop or get out of the truck.

 

Right because a linkage never binds, breaks or needs to be adjusted....

 

Not at all true. With the front hubs locked (which you should do if you think you might need 4x4) you can shift between 2H and 4H at speeds above 60 MPH.

I pretty much drive with my front hubs locked during the winter months around here.

 

My electric tcase is fine never had problems, the hubs were horrible. And though this is the second daily driver I've ever had I have owned about ten woods/mud trucks. All Fords and all manual 4wd system and not one ever needed "lube" or "adjustments". Turn the dials and pull the level and they all worked 100% of the time, my F350 let me down (hubs) and hundreds of esof systems have let guys down from what I've seen/read

 

My Excursion had ESOF, The lines and hubs went bad so I installed warn manual hubs, The switch still operates with no issues.

I ordered my F250 with manual 4x4.