someone told me that i could make my 01 a4wd expd shift into 2wd, is this possible and how can you do it

 

You cannot put these trucks into 2hi. The front drivetrain is always spinning and connected to the transfer case. The 97 and 98 Expeditions had a vacuum disconnect on the front driveshaft so they could be locked into 2hi. Starting in 1999 they went to a full time auto4wd system. There is a fuse that you can pull in the engine bay power distribution box that will keep the truck from engaging 4hi automatically when it detects slippage, but you can't disconnect the front drivetrain.

 

i just want to have 2wd to play in the snow. i still want the 4wd

 

i know that some models came with a switch to select 2wd. is there any way to get that for my 01?

 

would a f-150 t-case work? and what else would need to be changed?

 

Nope. You would need to put in front drivetrain and t-case and related stuff from a 97 or 98 expedition.

You can still pull the fuse and play in 2wd. The front drivetrain will freewheel then since the t-case cannot shift to apply power to the front wheels. Trust me, it works.

 

is there a way to wire in a switch
how can i find the fuse

 

So MisterCMK Perhaps you could "dummy that up" a bit for me. Is the front drivetrain spinning because the hubs are some kind of full time always locked in arrangement or is it spinning because the transfer case spins it and only locks the frontdriveshaft to the back driveshaft when you turn the switch or the computer sees slippage? I ask because I know that better fuel economy could be had with my 01' by not spinning the front drivetrain unnecessarily. 14.5 MPG highway (I check mine with a calculator, not the computer) that I get pales in comparison to the 19-20 MPG my friend gets with his F-150 with same eng/trans/gears/etc the only difference I can see being his front drivetrain isn't always spinning.
Why did Ford change it from the 97/98 style, did they figure that anybody that could afford an Expedition wouldn't care about gas prices and fuel economy?

 

If you take the chip out, all you have to do it put it back in and you will have 4wd..? no problems??

 

Correct, if you remove the fuse you just put it back in and the 4wd works again. You could install a switch on the DarkGreen/LightGreen wire coming out of the underhood fuse box. This wire goes to the transfer case shift relays and torque on demand (auto4) stuff.

Power Strokeme, the front drivetrain is always spinning because there are no hubs persay on these trucks. It is similar to a FWD car where the axle is connected to the wheel.

The front drivetrain will always spin but will not have power applied to it under normal circumstances with good traction. When the computer detects that the rear wheels are spinning faster than the front it engages the clutches in the t-case to apply power to the front driveline. When you shift the truck into 4hi it locks the front and rear driveshafts together. The clutches allow you to turn and not have sever torque bind. The 1997 and 1998 trucks had a little different of a system. They had a 2hi option with a vacuum operated center axle disconnect. However, the front axle was still spinning. The AWD system from 1999 is a good system. It would seem to me that its stronger since there is no disconnect to break or have vacuum leaks at.

Your friend with his F-150 is probably getting better mileage due to the weight difference. The expeditions are tanks. Are you sure that his front driveline isn't always turning? These trucks are almost identical as far as powertrain goes. The f-150 had a 2wd option which is basically the same driveline as the 1997 and 1998 expeditions with the center axle disconnect. This disconnects the driveshaft from the differential, but everything is still spinning. The truck uses the t-case clutch to bring it up to speed when shifted into 4hi and then it locks the driveshafts together. Disconnecting only the driveshaft will not make that big of a difference in mileage, maybe 1 or 2 mpg. The big reason for the differences is the weight of the vehicle and that the expedition is a big brick on wheels.

 

I also found this which is pretty interesting.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ter+disconnect

 

Thanks again MisterCMK.
That link answered a lot of questions, still don't understand what Ford is thinkin' though. Why they would want the front spinning all the time wasteing fuel in a day that everyone demands better economy just don't make sense. I suppose they think they are protecting us from ourselves by enableing the computer to take over quickly in the event the vehicle needs power to the front wheels. Myself I'd rather not waste the fuel it takes to spin the front end on sunny days and good roads (even if the difference was 1 mpg). I'm also smart enough to lock in my hubs when necessary and if I get nervous I can lock in the transfer case without the help of a computer.
I think my friends F-150 has 2hi,4hi, and 4low on his dash switch, he's on vacation now so I can't find out for sure and I may be wrong but I assume he has automatic hubs. I just figured that the front end of his truck doesn't spin unless he flips the switch out of 2hi. I assume too much some times though. I miss the 94 F-150 I ordered with a 5-speed transmission manual hubs, limited slip diffs in front & rear and a shift lever transfer case. I knew what was going on with that one, almost sorry I traded it for my 97 powerstroke F-250..almost.
Thanks again for helping me get that clear.