Truck was at Ford today - they can't find the problem without dissassembly, i.e. it ain't a vac line or solenoid, etc. They think it might be the fork on the front diff. and wanted another $280 for further diagnosis - NOT! This is particularly dissaponting given that the truck has less than 8 hours in 4x4 mode (if it were a stuck diaphragm I could understand). Has anyone installed a new front fork? Any suggestions? Do & don'ts? [Ford quoted a Front Fork & Gear Kit at $121.80 list. Does that sound right?]
Thanks.

 

I paid $ 189.00 cdn for this kit, and replace it myself . it's easy to do. First you have to removed the diff. from the truck this is only 3 bolts, and then unbolt the CV flange {12mm 12pt socket} and the front drive shaft {same size bolts} This diff only weight about 50 lbs, place it on your bench and remove the right tube 4 bolts and everything is right there in front of you.There is a spring pin the holds the fork to the shaft just punch it out.On the fork there is two piece of teflon on the tips, on my truck both of them had fell out. this was leaving the fork loose on the gear and not moving it far enough to ingage. Hope this help

Norm

 

Good advice papp


The parts you'll be looking at are from 19-25.

 

Thank's Racerguy for the diagram to our friend cjstang. Most of these instruction I got from you I give you all the credit.
papp

 

$280? what's their labor rate? We would tear it down and install them for $195 plus parts. And they want $280 just to diag?

 

1st, thanks to all for the responses!!!
Yeah, Rodman charged ~ $75 for the initial diag - I had already confirmed there were no vac leaks and the diaphragm was pullling in and out and was 'tight', although I couldn't confirm that its was moving as far as it should. And yeah, when they called they wanted $280 to 'continue the diag' (I had to hold my laughter, or was that anger!). My wife found that a co-worker grew up with a service manager at a dealer near my work, so what the heck, I took it there hoping for better news. Same diag (another $75), and they wanted $122 for the kit (list price of course, I can get at least 25% off that), and 7 hours labor @ $75/hr to install - so the roughly $650 estimate. Again, I declined to get r@ped! With the help from you all here, I'm comfortable doing the repair (I used to do ALL work on the vehicles - when I had the time). But with the low, low hours the truck has in 4x4, never been off-road, no rough-stuff at all, I'm wondering if its worth repairing (i.e. is this system, or due to something else with my particular truck, really gonna last more than a season?). There are other issues with this truck and unfortunately, it may be time to just move on to something different. The problem right now is snow (more due Monday) - and a rear wheel drive truck that's gonna have to sit in the garage while I drive me and my wife back and forth to work (so even less time to try and get this fixed). [Since I've been venting at my F-150 and dealerships, I'll add a big kudos to the '02 AWD X-type - its almost a Ford! Its been a great vehicle, free 40K service, service after that has been expensive but excellent! - knock on wood!] Again, thank you all for the help.

 

cjstang, 7hrs is rediculous. You don't even have to take the differential out to do the job. You can leave the left halfshaft and the driveshaft connected. We charge 3hrs and believe me, that's more than enough time for the job. These people are really trying to give you the shaft!

 

Intersting topic. I just got my '03 SCREW back from the dealer a few weeks ago after they replaced the fork. Truck had only been in 4x4 a couple times in the back yard (engaged at full stop and slowly drove around the flat back yard). I discovered the front axle was not engaging while getting out of the driveway in the snow last month. Dealer said the fork was bent and that was why it was not engaging. They replaced under warranty (billed FoMoCo around $450 dollars US). They never gave a good reason for why it bent and I doubt they would get me to buy into anything other than a defective part or design).
Seems like the failed fork is not an uncommon item.
Makes me wonder how long before it fails again.

 

1toptech, you wouldn't happen to be in the eastern MA area would you?
Cowman, I second your concern - mine made it through only a few hours in 4x4 (I obviously should have checked this before the warranty expired, dang!).
I quess all them years of doing it all myself has left me without a known good mechanic (and I've been looking for years!). I've bought more than a few new Fords over 20 years, incl at the dealerships I've taken the truck to, makes you wonder how much they really care for their customers - even long time ones. But it may be that Ford is giving such huge discounts on their vehicles (some places are advertising over $8000 off sticker - for nearly any '05 F-series, some are over 10K!), that they are left with no other way to keep afloat - they certainly ain't making money selling new vehicles (how many millions, or is it billions, did they loose last year?). Hey, business is business (I can certainly understand that), but if true, I question the long term viability of such a stategy - low prices gets customers, good honest service keeps 'em. Sure wish I could convert to manual hubs. . .

 

I had the same problem with the fork's in my '03 Screw. Dealer told me that the '03 had a serious problem with them. Took them forever to get the parts in, the problem was that there wasn't enough of them to go around, Ford couldn't make them fast enough....sounds like a recall issue to me. I found out the hard way by getting stuck in 2 inches of snow...talk about embarassing!

 

cjstang, sorry, WV. brian429, it really isn't that big an issue. I replace only a couple a year. They don't bend, they have plastic pieces that ride on the locking collar. These pieces brake off and the fork moves but not the collar, so it can't lock the axle.