Finally got my driverside IWE actuator replaced. Not very hard, except for getting the upper ball joint to come loose.

Here are the steps to get it done the easiest way I know how (without a lift)
on a STOCK f150 4x4:

Please note that I had the truck on a level concrete garage floor.

1. Use the stock scissor type jack that came with your truck and lift the affected side just until you feel the weight of the truck,

2. Remove center cap and loosen lugnuts, then crank on the jack until the wheel is off the ground about an inch.

3.Place a jack stand to the rear of where you placed the scissor jack. lower scissor jack and land truck on stand with tire still off the ground barely.

4. Remove tire, bearing dust cap, and spindle nut. You must have a new spindle nut. It is a one time use nut.

5. Place the scissor jack below lower control arm as close to the ball joint as possible. The is a small semi-flat area near the ball joint. Raise jack just until you notice the entire truck lifting off of the jack stand. Lower scissor jack just until jack stand under frame is solid again. This positions the suspension in a non-binding state.

6. Remove the upper ball joint nut. Ford manual shows using a deadblow hammer to get the bal joint separated from the upper control arm. That did not work for me. I used a 3lb mini-sledge and hit directly on the upper part of the knuckle where I just removed the nut from. DO NOT HIT THE TOP OF THE BALL JOINT OR THE SHAFT with the mini-sledge. Damage can and will happen to them. It only took two good smacks with the mini-sledge, (after an hour of prying on the control arm and hammering with the deadblow). It will POP loose.

7. Push in on the top of the knuckle and lift the control arm to completely separate the knuckle and the arm. You can let go of it. the steering linkage keeps it from flopping over.

8. Remove the three small bolts that hold the IWE actuator to the back side of the knuckle. Push back (towards the differential) on the half-shaft to loosen the whole assembly. You may have to bump the IWE housing to loosen it separately.

You will most likely need a second pair of hands to help with these next parts.

9. Remove the steering tie rod end nut, and hit the knuckle, (NOT THE STEERING ARM!!) with the mini-sledge. The steer arm will fall out of the joint. Make sure you have someone holding the knuckle while you do this step, or the knuckle will flop around and possibly damage the brake lines or the ABS sensor lines. I loosened one of the lines a little by pulling the ABS sensor line out of its holder bracket (right above where the hard brake line connects to the flexible brake line. At this point, you cannot let go of the knuckle unless you tie it to the control arm with wire. I did not do this.


10. Tilt the knuckle to the front and turn it to the right as you push on the IWE actuator and the half shaft (CV joint) in towards the differential. You must have the IWE actuator on the half shaft to remove from the hub. The hafl shaft wil not push in enough to clear the IWE shroud. Manipulate the end of the half shaft out of the hub by bringing it towards the rear of the truck and raising it slightly. This may take some strength and communcation between you and your extra set of hands. Try not to rub the inside of the hub with the threads on the end of the half shaft. There are roller bearings exposed inside the hub.

IMPORTANT!!!! DO NOT EVER PULL OUTWARD ON THE HALF SHAFTS!!!
THIS CAN PULL THE CV JOINTS INSIDE THE BOOTS APART!!!!


11. Once the half shaft is loose from the hub, manipulate the half shaft to above the space between the knuckle and brake line. Slip the IWE actuator off the half shaft.

Assembly, is (of course) opposite of disassembly.

12. Torque all bolts and nuts to specs..

Note: the ford manual says to compress the IWE and placing a vacuum cap on it to narrow the width and make assembly easier. I did not find this step necessary.

Good luck...

 

Took so long to write this that the website thought that I was gone. So I logged in, after getting the 'you must log in' message. and hit submit again.

Please feel free to remove one of the posts.


Thanks,

 

What is the most common reaon for the IWE to crap out? Age, ecessive use etc?

 

Mine was the IWE vacuum solenoid failing. It caused the IWE actuator to grind. Eventually, the metal particles cause the vacuum bladder to develop a hole. This caused a vacuum leak that started the other side (passenger side) to grind. I plugged the vacuum line on the drivers side to prevent the other one from grinding. At this point, the drivers side was always engaged, and I was spinning the front drivetrain in 2wd.

 

Fishin76, did this cure your grinding noise? I'm having similar symptoms, albeit at random times. Sometimes when I hit a lane marker when changing lanes or other bump.

 

The final fix for mine was replacing the 2 vacuum check valves at the firewall in the IWE vacuum tubing. 5 bucks for the "HELP!" brand at orielly's One of them was not working, but I just replaced both.

All in all, I replaced: driverside IWE actuator, IWE solenoid w/ redesigned cover, One peice of vaccuum tubing, and the two check valves.

If either one of those valves don't work, you'll get grinding. Sound like you have a vacuum leak, and the system is barely holding the iwe from engaging. When the check valves don't work, you get grinding upon acceleration, because vaccuum drops below 5 inches of vacuum. Idle and crusing is fine, heavy on the pedal, GRINDING...

PS: get a vacuum gauge, a LONG peice of 1/4 vacuum hose (8' or more), and a vacuum TEE. test vacuum at different places in the system. You should always see 20-22in on the gauge in 2WD. 4wd, you will see zero at the hubs. Run the gauge into the cab with you and drive, switching the spot where you are measuring from frequently to find the leak, or failed component.

Good luck

 

Fishin76,
It's nice to save a few hundred $$ doing it yourself, isn't it? I was startled at how small the spindle nut and front wheel bearings are. I was also unprepared for a couple socket sizes part of the way into the project... I had to use an adjustable crescent for the idler arm and steering nuts (21mm deepwell is needed), and had to hunt around to find a 5/16for the IWE bolts. Good write up.

 

Most bolts on this truck are going to be an 8mm (same as 5/16), 10mm, 13mm, 15mm, 18mm, 19mm (3/4), 21mm, 22mm (7/8). There may be rare exceptions to this rule, but if you have these basic sizes you should be able to get almost anything done.

3lb hammer works perfectly for knocking these joints loose. Remember like the original poster stated, hit the piece where the ball joint stud goes through, dont hit the end of the stud. About 2 good wacks and that should do it.