Also.... The reason your tires were chirping in gravel is because the transfer case locks the front and rear axles together and when you turn the front and rear wheels do not follow the same arc and have to turn at different speeds, there for one tire has to skid a little bit to make up the speed difference. .it is why you are only supposed to use your 4x4 on a slippery surface.

AWD vehicles get around that issue by having a transfer case with a limited slip type arrangement that allow the front and rear axle to spin at for rent speeds.

 

GREAT catch Rob...REPS sent

 

Thank you and thank you for the reps!

 

Okay, so I'm close to just abandoning this damn vehicle (kidding!)

4-wheel drive still does not appear to be working. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't I feel a bit of a jump when making sharp turns, like any other 4x4 vehicle? I swear it's not working at all in high or low.

To reiterate, I have Warn locking hubs that are manually locked. I put it into 4x4 high or low and it doesn't appear to be working. One rear wheel (passenger) spins, but that's about it. I was out in a snow-packed parking lot playing with it this morning.

Is it related to the ESOF Valve?: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...y-engaged.html ??

 

Since you have manual locking hubs, the ESOF valve is not important. However, you could have an air leak that would need to be fixed. My guess is that when you're switching to 4x4 that the motor for whatever reason is not shifting the transfer case. You should have the powertrain control module scanned for codes and then go from there.

 

Do you have access to a warmer/dryer location than outside in the snow ?? If yes,go there. Lift the front of the X off the ground an inch or so with the hubs locked in. Spin a tire by hand, is the front drive shaft turning as well ( at a fair ratio)?? When you put the X into 4x4LOW do you hear & feel a clunk ?? I can only assume the dash 4x4 lights are coming on at this point. Place the X in 4x4 , turn it off, turn the front drive shaft, are the front wheels turning ?? Report back

 

Just did this. In neutral AND 4x4 engaged, no spinning of shaft. In Park, with 2w4 engaged, and hubs locked. No spinning. All appears copacetic. I think I'm just misdiagnosing and overthinking. I'm so used to both front wheels jumping on hard turns. Also not impressed that when at a stop in packed snow, only one rear wheel spins.

 

This is not right, the drive shaft should be turning, one front tire should be spinning as well.

 

Why would it be spinning if I have the hubs locked and it in 4x4?

Scenario:
Chalk vehicle
Put in 4x4 High or Low (heard transfer case)
Put into neutral
Hand-spin driveshaft. Does not spin. All okay

 

If you jacked up the front axle so both tires are off the ground, Hubs locked and spin a tire but the drive shaft did not rotate then your hubs are NOT locked.

 

I did not jack it up. Simply let it rest in neutral.

 

To save the trouble of jacking up the vehicle you can do the following as well.

With the vehicle is park, ( parking brake on for good measure ) crawl under the the front bumper and try to spin the axle at inner axle shaft. It will be tight, especially in the cold but it will rotate if the hubs are Not engaged.

If it rotates or moves even just a little bit then turn the dial on your hub to the opposite position it is currently in. Recheck the axle to see if you can move it.

Repeat on the other side the vehicle.

Report back.

 

Just to eliminate any confusion, This is the inner axle and ujoint you are trying to rotate by hand.