We got caught out in the sleet and snow last Wednesday here in Little Rock. I switched it over to 4x4, well the front driveshaft would turn but no 4wd, hubs wouldn't lock in. We made it home in 2wd and I finally had time to look at it this morning. Had a broken vacuum line on the right front hub. Are the front hubs vacuum operated? I hooked the line back up, still the front hubs won't lock in. With the engine running and in 4x4 high I took the vacuum line off and I don't have any vacuum at all on the lines that go to the front hubs. What exactly do I need to look for now? Or are those vacuum lines for something else?

Thanks,
Delos

 

Evidently no one else has had this problem. I've got to get me a shop manual for the X.

Delos

 

Yes, the front hubs are vacuum operated. Apparently, you have a leak in the line further upstream. Have you tried locking the hubs manually?

 

... or the hubs are dirty and the vacuum won't lock them. Others have found that WD40 cleans them up well.

 

Well the line was broken at the hub, that was easy enough to find! But when the hub wouldn't lock in after that I pulled the vacuum line off and there was no vacuum. I did have it in high 4x4 with engine running. How do you lock the hubs in manually? I tried turning the end of the hub like you would on regular manual hubs. They were working fine a couple of weeks ago. Pulling up a stump in the neighbors yard they worked fine.

Guess I need to get out there and trace down the vacuum lines. There's a switch on the right hand inner fender. It looks like thats where the vacuum lines go to. After that I'm not sure, didn't have time to go any farther.

Thanks for the help,
Delos

 

I'll check that also just to be on the safe side. I don't ever have it in any bad mud or deep water so they shouldn't be too dirty. But my main problem is I'm not getting any vacuum to the hubs.

Thanks,
Delos

 

Delos:

I have the same problem, I tried throwing the switch to 4WD today, and it clicked as if it were going to work and no 4WD. I can lock them in manually but will not go in electrically. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Welcome to the forum, Jeff! This is a common problem with the Ford auto/manual hubs. When you throw the switch on the dash, the transfer case is engaged and vacuum is sent to (sucked from ) from the hubs to engage them. Because the hubs go months at a time without being engaged, many folks have had problems with
1) dirt & dust getting into the hubs making them difficult to engage
2) vaccum line is damaged or disconnected
3) seal goes causing a vacuum leak.

Some have found that if you manually engage the hubs every month and spray a little WD40 in there, they stay cleaner and work more reliably. Best you can do is take the wheels off, knock off the covers, and try to clean up the hubs and check the vaccum lines. If it's the seal, then you're stuck replacing the hubs. Unfortunately, there are no real good alternatives to Fords hubs other than a nice set of Warn manuals. I've resorted to just operating my hubs manually, which is quite often at this time of year.

 

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The hubs on those need to be turn in and out every so often.

So they can stay cleaned out. Now it takes 1 1/2 hours to take and clean them out so they can work again.

 

Same problem...however, when I removed the hubs (very easy to do) I cracked the turn bar. When I called Ford for a replacement it was very expensive. So I turned to Warn. They said they do not make a hub for an Ex????...If anybody has replaced them with an aftermarket manual hub, please post the make and model. Thanks!!!!!!!
I have a 2000 4wd Ex 5.4.

 

I replaced my hubs with the premium warn hubs, you just need to use the ones they make for the super duty. Takes about 30-60 min to install, very easy

 

I went and turned the hubs manually, and the hubs turned pretty easily. I also inspected the lines as they go into the hub (At least I think I did)

There are three lines going into that area. Obviously one is for the brake, and one would be a vacuum line. What is the third for? Antilock?

It appears that the vacuum line terminates into a plug of sorts. Then it goes electrical from there. This does not make sense to me. What is giving it vacuum if it is electrical? Am I looking at the wrong line?

While I was under there I greased up the zerks, so it was not for nothing.

 

Well for some reason I'm not getting vacuum past the switch located on the inner fender passanger side, located right behind the vacuum reservior. So I hooked my up directly to a permant vacuum source. Still won't lock the hubs in. But I can't get them to turn manually either. Looks like I'm going to have to pull them down and get a good look at them. Two weeks ago they worked fine. May just have to go with the warn lockout hubs, that's what I did on my 91 F150 when the automatic hubs went bad.
Of course it's been raining ever since I had some free time to look at the last Friday. And by the looks of the 11 day forcast it isn't going to get any better!

Delos

 

Well, I have my hub problem fixed. I bought a set of Superwinch manual hubs for my X. They work fine, don't look as good since they are recessed, and don't stick all the way out like the ford hubs did.

Delos