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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 05:23 PM
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4x4 problem

Hi all,
New to the site and forums in general. placed a post here this morning and can't even find it myself so i'm putting it up again in case it did not take. seems like a good site with lots of info. bought an '01 silverado z71 new and love the truck, just needed some more pulling power. I'm new to fords so I probably won't be any help for a while but would sure appreciate some feedback on a problem I'm having. Recently bought a '03 f250 lariat, 6.0 diesel, fx4 with 125k miles. Thought it was a good deal at first, mint inside and out, took for test drive, checked the 4x4, appropriate dash lights came on, 4low was obviously low, but did not notice any feel of it shifting into 4 wheel mode or sound of it shifting, just thought it was probably just smooth as all the dash lights were correct. got it home put it in 4hi, pulled in the grass and gunned it. rear wheels turning ,but not the front. Hope this is an easy/inexpensive fix. anybody have any suggestions? Will be checking all the fuses shortly. Thanks for any help.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 05:28 PM
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Hi fisher12 and welcome to FTE.

First, I would have you lock your front hubs (turn hubs from AUTOMATIC to LOCKED) and try your test again. I suspect your front hubs are not automatically locking like they should. It is a fairly common problem, just search this forum for ESOF.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 05:28 PM
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What type of front hubs do you have?

If you have factory auto/lock hubs, they are vacuum actuated and my not be pulling in due to a vacuum leak. Switch them to "lock" and see if they work.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 06:06 PM
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Thanks for the welcome, will do this right away and get back with the info. Thanks for the input. And yes, they are auto lock hubs so if locking manually works will start looking for vacuum leak.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 06:53 PM
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4x4 problems

Well, Manully locked the hubs and could not get the wheels to slip. Unlocked them and the rear wheels did slip. With them locked it also handled like it was in 4wd so I assume that was the problem. Now I just have to find the vacuum leak and fix it. Don't know what it is going to take to fix the vacuum problem but I'll fix it with a smile. I'll be searching posts for ESOF to further my knowledge of the system. Thanks for the help, much appreciated.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 07:15 PM
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Check the rubber lines going to the back of the hubs. They crack and leak all the time.

The alternative is to swap them out for manual hubs. That's what a lot of us do around here.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 07:37 PM
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Welcome to FTE, Fisher12, and more importantly, welcome to Ford Super Duty ownership!

I just had the exact same problem. I have an '00 with 185K miles on it, and for the first time (I consider myself lucky for it lasting this long...) my hubs would not lock automatically. Stuck my head under the wheel well to discover the rubber vacuum lines had completely rotted through and basically disintegrated. Less than $5 from Autozone, and the problem is fixed. I will probably still change the hubs while I have it torn apart for ball joint replacements.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 08:06 PM
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Thanks for the reply hope my problem is as easy to fix, will probably stick with the auto hubs as my wife drives the truck to work in the winter when the roads are bad. We live in rural area with 3 miles of gravel that doesn't get plowed before we hit pavement. Don't want to hear from her if she has to go out in 12 inches of snow to lock hubs. Will get back when I get a chance to look into further. Thanks
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 08:31 PM
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Don't want to ask a stupid question but was the the truck in neutral with brake applied or it will not shift into 4wL
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 11:10 PM
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Originally Posted by fisher12
Thanks for the reply hope my problem is as easy to fix, will probably stick with the auto hubs as my wife drives the truck to work in the winter when the roads are bad. We live in rural area with 3 miles of gravel that doesn't get plowed before we hit pavement. Don't want to hear from her if she has to go out in 12 inches of snow to lock hubs. Will get back when I get a chance to look into further. Thanks
I have manual hubs. When it starts snowing,the hubs get locked. They may not get unlocked for a few months. That way, when I need 4x4, I just pull the lever back a notch and keep moving.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2011 | 11:21 PM
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Hubs do get stuck..
here is a link to clean them.. Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Autolock Hub Lubrication Maintenance Web Page
 
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Old Nov 1, 2011 | 07:11 AM
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I'll definately be cleaning the hubs regardless of what I find to be the current problem. Lots of help at FTE, thanks all.
 
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