I've worked the entire day and night putting a leveling kit, new upper control arms, new tie rod ends on, and a new IWE on one side, the other side isn't bad, and looks like its been replaced before anyway. I put a new IWE actuator control valve on as well brand new, with the new design. Hooked everything up just like it came off.

I can lock the truck in 4x4 sitting still, and it seems to do ok put a load on it no grinding which is what was happening before on the passenger side. Cannot engage while moving it makes a grinding sound. The weird thing is though even just in 2WD it seems to cut in and out engaging and disengaging every now and then. Passenger side makes a rubbing sound as if something is rubbing or whining almost.

Before I did any of this it was okay in 2WD except when it was super cold outside I'd get a whine and grinding sound thus the reason for replacing one of the IWE's, that and when in 4x4 it would grind on one side under a load. The driver side never made any sounds it always seemed to come from the passenger side. Now tonight after doing all that work, one side sounds likes its rubbing, and the other side sounds like its kicking in an out. I am almost 100% sure it is directly related to the IWE because there is nothing else that can rub. I am pretty sure I put everything back together correctly, pulled the CV axle back into the IWE hub What could this be?

This is pretty urgent if anyone has any ideas please send them my way as I do not want to tear nothing up but I know this isn't healthy.

 

Since this is occuring while IN 4WD, and after the IWE etc. was replaced, I would suspect the actual wheel hub may be worn to the point that the IWE can't grip the teeth in the wheel hub.

I presume you've already gone through all the vacuum system trouble shooting. The "going in and out of 4WD while in 2WD" is classic for vacuum related issues. No cracked/dry-rotted vacuum lines, both check valves OK, etc?

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...then-some.html

...but this doesn't sound like it's completely a vacuum issue at this point. At your mileage it may be that the front wheel hubs themselves are worn. The "grinding in 4WD under a load" occurance points that way. There are some diagrams later in the following thread.

IWE's: Removal & Replacing - F150online Forums

Don't drive your truck into the river.

 

Well even with the vacuum system disabled to avoid damage it still makes what I am now calling a rubbing sound. Beginning to think this is something else rubbing. It appears to come from both sides. Why does the cv half shaft have to be removed? I couldn't get one of my front shafts removed bolt stripped out on it trying. The other side I ended up replacing. In the installation procedure it shows them removing the CV shaft

 

You removed the half shaft to replace the IWE? Is that what you meant. You dont have to remove the half shaft to replace IWE. But i also agree with what 60DRB said about the other IWE teeth might be worn while in 4wd and giving you some grind. But also you said you replaced some front suspension parts as well as a leveling kit. Throw all of that in the mix and its hard to pin point for me right now where the noise might be coming from. IWE or suspension related.

 

And no I didn't remove the half shaft. One side I took off because it separated inside. I was reading the link that 60DRB posted. Some guy linked to a pdf file from ford and it says to remove the half shaft why I do not know.

Okay I think maybe its a heat shield dragging or something else. Its getting aligned I ask them to have a look at it. Once I get it back I'll see what I can figure out. I got them locked in manually (disabled system by unplugging vacuum line and blocking it off.) right now and the sound is still present sounds like something is rubbing on both sides now.

Still last night though it wouldn't engage. My buddy thinks its because my ABS light is on and the truck has no way of determining the speed of the wheels to engage.. As far as teeth the wheel bearings are brand new, and when I had them apart they were both in good shape as far as the teeth. The old IWE really wasn't ground up all that bad just a small portion of the edge. The CV shafts were in good shape one on the driver side is brand new in fact.

 

Ok, got ya.

Im stumped right now.

 

Might be something else as you say, hope you get it fixed ....


.... BUT .... by disabling the vacume system, you deprived the IWE of vacume needed to pull the splines away from each other so if the teeth are buggered up and it won't engage and just slides along before .... it's definately going to continue and further chew things up if that was the problem.

 

Fixed. I guess its not the vacuum. The ABS system does play a roll in engaging whilst going down the road, I mean its not making the noise no more, and the place that aligned it said it was the shields rubbing..

 

Good Deal!