4X4 not engaging?
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Standish ME
4X4 not engaging?
Hey all, im selling my brothers 1993 explorer EB, I was topping off all the fluids and charging the battery and i took it for a little drive through the snow covered lawn and realized that the 4 wheel drive didn't work. The truck has 400k miles and auto hubs. I know that on the f-150s from the same time frame had tons of problems with the auto hubs. Any help on how to fix this asap would be great. thank you in advance.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,742
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From: UT
1st, I would ask to clarify/detail how you know the 4wd isn't working.
2nd, two things have to happen for the 4wd to work, the hubs have to lock, and the transfer case has to lock. On these, the auto hubs are problematic, but so is the transfer case shift motor. The first step in resolving it is to identify which part of the 4wd system isn't working. Do the 4x4 lights on the dash come on?
2nd, two things have to happen for the 4wd to work, the hubs have to lock, and the transfer case has to lock. On these, the auto hubs are problematic, but so is the transfer case shift motor. The first step in resolving it is to identify which part of the 4wd system isn't working. Do the 4x4 lights on the dash come on?
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 837
Likes: 0
From: Standish ME
Sorry about the really vauge post, i was in a rush. But yes both the 4X4 light and 4Low lights on the dash work. I have a feeling it is the hubs because you can hear the front drive shaft "clicking" in the front axle. Is it possible to rebuild these auto hubs or would it just be worth it to buy some Warn manual hubs? I know there are no rear lockers so when i got it stuck in the snow only the rear passenger tire would spin, but the "clicking" up front would still be there. What would be a farily fast fix for this but still stay reliable?
thanks in advance,
thanks in advance,
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,742
Likes: 2
From: UT
Sounds like a hub problem.
1st thing I'd try, especially where quick and cheap are important, would be to clean the hubs out. It seems pretty common to find the hubs filled with grease. Too much grease in the hub can interfere with engagement. Pull the hub off, clean the grease off the cam, clean the grease out of the hub, and see if that does the job.
In most cases, two manual hubs plus the conversion kit are cheaper than replacing one auto hub, new. If it comes to that, I would recommend going with manual hubs, unless you can find a good set of auto hubs used that you know are good.
1st thing I'd try, especially where quick and cheap are important, would be to clean the hubs out. It seems pretty common to find the hubs filled with grease. Too much grease in the hub can interfere with engagement. Pull the hub off, clean the grease off the cam, clean the grease out of the hub, and see if that does the job.
In most cases, two manual hubs plus the conversion kit are cheaper than replacing one auto hub, new. If it comes to that, I would recommend going with manual hubs, unless you can find a good set of auto hubs used that you know are good.
