4x4 hub not engaging well
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
4x4 hub not engaging well
Hello guys, i have a 2011 f150 xlt with the 5.0, my 4x4 does not lock in very well, i practically have to come to a stop and wait for it to engage fully or it starts banging and slipping like its trying to engage and not quite making it. are they still suppose to be **** on the fly? is there any kind of maintenance that i can do to them to have them work better? are they still locking hubs or did they change something? any help would be appreciated!!
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,358
Likes: 250
Is the sound coming from a certain side or both sides at the same time? If it's one side I would lean towards the IWE being bad. If it's both sides it could be a transfer case issue.
Ford got away from actual hubs on the F150 in '04. Now they use what is called an Integrated Wheel End(IWE). The IWEs use vacuum pressure to keep them unlocked and when you shift into 4wd or shut the engine off vacuum pressure stops and the ends lock in. It's a complicated system with vacuum hoses and check valves but for the most part the system works good. When you have issues though it can make you pull your hair out chasing the issue down. The way the vacuum system goes to the IWEs makes it possible for you to have trouble with one side but not the other.
Ford got away from actual hubs on the F150 in '04. Now they use what is called an Integrated Wheel End(IWE). The IWEs use vacuum pressure to keep them unlocked and when you shift into 4wd or shut the engine off vacuum pressure stops and the ends lock in. It's a complicated system with vacuum hoses and check valves but for the most part the system works good. When you have issues though it can make you pull your hair out chasing the issue down. The way the vacuum system goes to the IWEs makes it possible for you to have trouble with one side but not the other.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Hard to tell, but I think it's coming from the driver side more than the passenger if any. Is the iwe something I can take apart and lube like the old hubs? Or is it more of a replace it type deal? And thanks for the response I appreciate it!
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,358
Likes: 250
There is a long running thread on this forum and has a ton of info on how everything works. I think it's titled "everything you wanted to know about the IWE system". If memory serves me if the IWE has gotten to the point that it grinds it's probably junk and needs to be replaced. There really isn't much to the IWE, a gear that mates with the wheel hub, a spring, diaphragm to allow for a vacuum seal, and vacuum port to hook the lines up to.
Since it only grinds when you engage the 4wd and not when in 2wd I'm going to say it's a mechanical problem with the IWE. But it could also(but unlikely)be a shift issue with the transfer case.
Since it only grinds when you engage the 4wd and not when in 2wd I'm going to say it's a mechanical problem with the IWE. But it could also(but unlikely)be a shift issue with the transfer case.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
