anyone know where i can get my hands on a set of these?...how intense is the job?...

any special tools needed?special parts/conversions?

special hubs? or will WARN Premiums work?

THNX
Duggy

 

You can't. There is no such thing since these trucks don't have hubs. The axle shafts are directly connected to the wheel, and the 4WD disengauges at the front differential...not the wheels.

 

Yep. I wanted to do the same thing on mine, but it couldn't be done.

 

so those shafts are always spinning?

there is no way of converting to hubs at all?

THNX
Duggy

 

Well...if you have the money, anything can be done, but for the price of redesigning the entire front end, you could buy a brand new truck.

 

I believe you'll find that "the 4WD disengauges at the" TRANSFER CASE.

The front: hubs, axles, differential & drive shaft spin whenever moving. The transfer case, located behind the tranny, engages & disengages the front drive shaft for 4WD shifts.

IMO an attempt to convert to "Manual Locking Hubs" would likely be extremely costly custom work. FORD's driven front axle is a bit unique, unlike the decades when Dana owned most of 4X4 front ends & WARN fed their aftermarket.

 

Not to contradict you Club Wagon. But for further clarification. There are two locations disconnected with 2wd. In the transfer case as mentioned, and in the front axle pass side. The drivers side does drive into the carrier, but since the pass axle turn freely, the spiders gears spin instead of the driveshaft. Now if a limited slip type diff was installed it would turn all front pieces. Including the driveshaft and the chain in the transfer case. (Very noisy and vibrates a LOT)
Regardless, Costly Custom Work sums it up.

duggyb
I looked into this as well last spring as well. The problem is the splined connection between the hub and the axle. And the axle nut to hold it all together. The hub would need machined out large enought to accept the locking mech. I converted a pathfinder without issue in the past, though had a much different design.


If you find a combination of parts that could work, let us all know.

 

Like Tim said...the 4WD does disengauge at the front axle as well. Of course the T-case disengauges it...but there is a vaccum motor on the front differential that unlocks the passenger side axleshaft (or is it the driver's side?)

 

FORD should have keep the Solid Front Axles , this wishbone , and IFS stuff is for the birds , it sucks !!!!!!

 

it is on the passenger side. And sadly this is all in the Ford hub design which has little to do with the IFS. My 98 Nissan pathfinder was a simple unbolting of the end cap and installing the locks...

 

And sadly this is all in the Ford hub design which has little to do with the IFS.

It has to do with everything. Bigun72 has a point, simple is the solid axle foundation. Going to the A arm/wishbone set up was just to make the truck feel/handle more like a car. Granted it is way better than TTB, but a solid front end combined with manual hubs is a stronger, more reliable set up.
I am glad to see it in the larger trucks from the factory. I think solid axles should be on the F150 too, but that is just me.
Technology/marketing sells trucks, leaving us with complicated hardware for us to wonder if it will handle the use and abuse that we subject our trucks to. just my opinion.

 

Wasn't tryin to argue or make any point regarding the IFS vs solid axle. Not sure why you are... Just noting the IFS is not the reason we can't have hub locks. The designers went the least cost route, which does not allow us hub locks. Many other makers have independant front suspension AND hub locks.

btw
There are uses where solid axles just don't work well. For my uses I prefer a solid axle(hauling). For my brother, he uses his IFS to drag broken solid axle trucks out of the desert at every race. Usuallly not racers or running they are stock class. Does a lot of course marking with his 2000 as well. Couldn't pay him to use solid axle for that.
Have a good Day

 

That's why the larger, stronger trucks have a solid axle. I haven't heard of anyone tearing the front end out of a F150, but I am sure it has happened. You can break anything