ok since i have owned the truck i have taken it into the dealer 2 times...first time because it would pop real bad going around coledesac's withsteerin on almost full lock...either way left or right doesnt matter...they said couldnt find a problem nothing was wrong with it...so made me pay my 100 dollars...second time i had the 4x4 trouble i kept me stranded in low range did all the mess i was supose to to get it out wouldnt come out for 10-15mins....had them check that 2nd time i have documented a 4x4 problem of course tech couldnt find a problem...was very mad payed my 100 dollars...did alot of neighborhood dirveing and again bad poping noise....so figured id lift the front end up and check the ball joints just in case....had a buddy look unthe truck first while i inch forward axles are spinning both sides...both hubs are locked in auto switch in 2whigh took the vaccum line off the switch for the hubs in the engine bay still they turn...so are my POS hubs stuck??? if so im gonna take it back to ford and have em raplaced under warrenty since it was documented twice before the 3/36 went out and i want my 100 dollars back....what do you guys think am i gonna lose?

P.s transfer case is not locked in it still steers good and does not bind as bad trying to make that turn as it would with the t-case in low...it is obviously a shift on the fly auto 04 f250 6.0

 

Are your hubs in the manual or auto position?

 

I'm wondering if the driveshaft yoke is hanging up per TSB 05-26-10 at top of this page.
Hubs not unlocking? check tsb 04-18-5

Go to full text TSB to read.

 

of course there in auto....and we even disconnected the vaccum line to eliminate problems there.

 

Take the locking hubs off and check for end play in the outer axle shaft. May be the outer needle bearings making the noise. But if the front shaft axle is moving, then one or both of the hubs are locked. Good idea on pulling the vacuum line, that eliminates a vac issue, unless the actual little poker where the vac line enters the main hub is stuck out? You can remove that with a small allen and cross that off comletely if it is still locked. Ed

 

This is just probably an issue that can be solved with regular use. There is probably nothing wrong with the axles or bearings, just the signal from the switch to the vacuum solenoid.
The ESOF system is junky, imho, but a person can engage the system, with alot of patience, on a regular basis and eliminate a bunch of problems.
Why did the dealer take your money and not do anything? Uneducated is my guess.

(1) Turn the switch on the dash to 2WD and let it go through the checks.
(2) Get out and turn the hubs from AUTO to LOCK and back to AUTO a couple of times, then back up a couple of feet, then pull back forward.
(3) Reach under the truck and see if you can spin the axles. If not repeat step 2
(4) If the axles still fail to spin, then lift the tire and see if it spins freely. If so, the transfer case is not disengaging.
a. With the engine running in park/neutral, depress the brake pedal, then switch to
4WD High, wait for a few seconds, then back up a few yards, then back forward.
b. Depress the brake pedal once more while in park/neutral and switch back to 2WD.
c. Check the axles once more to see if they spin - if not you may have a bad servo motor on the t-case.
(5) If the axles do spin freely, then make sure you engage the system regularly. There is no need to drive in circles or on slick surfaces, and you do not need to go any great distances. I'd say just a few yards each time.

The way to get rid of this problem is to go to manual hubs.

 

WishIhada7.3,

If the front axle shafts are turning with the auto hubs in the "auto" position and the ESOF **** in 2WD, then yes it sounds like the hubs are sticking. This is a known issue with the ESOF system and the auto hubs in general. It is normally caused by lack of use and dirt, dryed grease in the hubs. The hubs need to be removed, clean and relubed. This is a normal maintenance procedure with this system.

Anytime the front hubs are locked and the axle shafts are turning, you will get clunking and binding in the front end at the outer ujoints on the axle shafts when making tight turns with the SD. This is a known occurance it will not hurt the system.

As far as your dealer is concerned, one or two scenarios is playing out;
1) The system is unlocking properly when they test it, the sticking of the hubs can be an intermittent problem.
2) The tech is incompetent.

Big Orn posted some very good words of wisdom, follow them and your 4x4 system will be much happier.

If you are tired of the automatic hubs and there problems you can always switch to manual hubs. Here is a link from the tech folder.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/46...-complete.html

Good luck