Manual locking hubs for a 98 Explorer?

Hi. i was wondering if there is a kit for manual locking hubs for a 1998 Ford Explorer. i believe what i have now are the vacuum actuated ones and i was wondering if there is a kit to replace them with something a little more solid.

i have an automatic 4wd system now and i would like the front wheels to be able to spin freely instead of constantly being engaged as the system i currently have behaves more like AWD.

Is there anyone that knows more about these newer systems? i have had a 1987 Bronco II, a 1994 Ranger, and now this Explorer. Of the three, this one is the odd duck; technology is great, isn't it? Anyway, any help you could give me would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, there are no manual locking hubs for 95+ Exploders. The vacuum system was used only on 98-00 Rangers. Your Explorer utilizes the full time setup. It is very reliable, but you are stuck with having everything turn all the time.

the pulse vacuum hubs (PVH), do not stay engaged all the time; they only engage when switched into 4wd....but they are problematic.

http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info.php/cPath/2880_238_3148/products_id/26509

theres your manual hubs.

alternatively, you can swap out the live axle setup from an older explorer.

Thank you for the info.

i'll try that set of hubs that you mentioned. It came to just under $130, but it is worth it for the improved ride/handling/fuel economy that they mentioned in their advertisement. They did say that it does not work on a live axle set up though. i know that my 4wd only has high, low, and automatic settings. It IS on all the time, but it kicks in and out - sort of like an all wheel drive. i can tell when i take off from a stop and in slippery/wet conditions. So i'll check it out. If it doesn't work, maybe i can sell them.

Geeshik, these hubs will NOT work on your Explorer. Wicked was referring to Rangers only, since only 98-00 Rangers were equipped with the vacuum hublocks. Don't order these hubs, they will not fit your Explorer.

You don't really have any options, except to enjoy the reliability of the full time setup.

Okay 4x4 Ranger guy, you win...

Well, considering my Haynes manual for my Explorer doesn't seem to explain anything about my year Explorer's 4wd (it supposedly covers from 1991 to 2001 and only shows manual and automatic hubs as options with no mention of vacuum operated ones) i decided to cancel my order. i don't want to make a $130 mistake.

I was wondering how you obtained your information though that they are different. i know that it doesn't have the same radius arm setup underneath as a ranger has, but other than that, it is hard for me to believe that Ford would spend the extra money to develop a front end completely different than a Ranger when the cost savings to use the same parts as a ranger would be substantial. Is there anywhere reliable that i could get some more information? i guess i can't trust Haynes, but it's not the first time they have fallen short.

your hubs are full time hubs. they are always locked in. you do not have PVH. your system behaves like an awd because your transfer case must have a switch for
auto 4x4
4x4
4x4lo

and maybe a 2wd setting (some didn't)

if you change to a locking hub the your transfer case will not work properly and your explorer may not go in any gear unless the hubs are locked in. I made this mistake with a Jeep quadratrac. if you want to change the hubs you can but it will not be cheap or easy and it will require the use of a different transfercase.

Geeshik said:

I was wondering how you obtained your information though that they are different. i know that it doesn't have the same radius arm setup underneath as a ranger has, but other than that, it is hard for me to believe that Ford would spend the extra money to develop a front end completely different than a Ranger when the cost savings to use the same parts as a ranger would be substantial. Is there anywhere reliable that i could get some more information? i guess i can't trust Haynes, but it's not the first time they have fallen short.

Click to expand...

Good move canceling that order.

I believe that the Explorers started with the live axles in 95 when they started building them with AWD though I could be mistaken. All wheel drive doesn't use hubs, and as you were saying about the using the same parts, so why not use the same axle the AWD gets on all the Explorers. Now the Ranger on the other hand has never had AWD, therefore why not keep using the cheaper axle on them. By the time that they updated the rangers to the PVH system the Explorers were basically a seperate platform. Most folks still consider the Ex to be a RBV since it hasn't grown much in size but the truth is that the underpinnings have had some drastic changes in comparison to the Ranger, these include a wider frame and independent rear suspension.

BDAB said:

if you change to a locking hub the your transfer case will not work properly and your explorer may not go in any gear unless the hubs are locked in. I made this mistake with a Jeep quadratrac. if you want to change the hubs you can but it will not be cheap or easy and it will require the use of a different transfercase.

Click to expand...

It'll require more than a different transfer case. Your entire front suspension will have to be swaped out for older explorer parts (if they will fit) and that'll have to be blended with the correct year Ranger's axle set up (IE something Explorer housings w/ranger spindles and axles). Don't ask me what you'd need to do it, since I don't have an explorer I've never looked into it. Personally I'd prefer to have the live axles, sure as heck wouldn't look to get manual hubs if I had them. Closest I've ever come was planing to swap out the axle guts on my 99 for that of a mid-late 90s explorer so I could have the live axle.

Geeshik said:

Well, considering my Haynes manual for my Explorer doesn't seem to explain anything about my year Explorer's 4wd (it supposedly covers from 1991 to 2001 and only shows manual and automatic hubs as options with no mention of vacuum operated ones) i decided to cancel my order. i don't want to make a $130 mistake.

I was wondering how you obtained your information though that they are different. i know that it doesn't have the same radius arm setup underneath as a ranger has, but other than that, it is hard for me to believe that Ford would spend the extra money to develop a front end completely different than a Ranger when the cost savings to use the same parts as a ranger would be substantial. Is there anywhere reliable that i could get some more information? i guess i can't trust Haynes, but it's not the first time they have fallen short.

Click to expand...

Good call canceling the order.

How do I know? Experience my good sir. In 1995, Ford changed the Explorers front suspension to an SLA IFS type with torsion bars. The hubs were also changed to fulltime units, where the CV axle is bolted to the hub directly via a 32mm nut.

The Rangers did not receive this suspension update until 1998, and they did not give it the fulltime system. Instead, they used a locking hub system that relied on vacuum to disengage and engage the hublocks. This lasted until mid 2000 when they switched to the fulltime Explorer setup due to MAJOR reliability issues with the vacuum system. It was a good idea on paper, but not in practice.

The manual locking hubs you were directed to fit in place of the vacuum hublocks on the 98-00 Rangers. Explorers were NEVER equipped with the vacuum system, so the manual locking hubs will not fit on your Explorer.

Now, 1991-1994 Explorers are a different story. These years either came with automatic hubs (which locked at the push of a button and some momentum) and manual locking hubs. The front suspension design, as I am sure you know, is completely different from the 95 and up Explorers. Therefore, since different steering knuckles are utilized, swapping manual locking hubs for these years will not work on 95+ Explorers, such as yours.

Basically, enjoy the fulltime setup.

Thank You.

That clears alot up. i had no idea that Explorers were so odd. Like i said, i have had a Ranger before and a BII before that, and i enjoyed both of them very much. i wish i had never had to get rid of my Ranger, but the birth of our little girl required that i have a more family friendly vehicle. Since i got my Explorer, i have been driving quite a bit further for work, and i am pretty much just missing my old fuel economy and i thought that there was a relatively inexpensive way to improve it.

Now i know that this is primarily a Ranger forum, but i was wondering about the 4.0 and it's plastic intake manifold. i took everything apart last night and cleaned it out because i had some idling issues. Because my Explorer has just a little more than 81,000 miles on it, i was pretty shocked by the gunk that was built up inside. i also thought it was very interesting that they chose plastic as the medium for the intake. On the bright side, it was easier to clean than aluminum would have been. i used some electronics cleaner that is safe for plastic. i also cleaned the MAF sensor and the throttle body. Are there any problems with the plastic warping and causing vacuum leaks?

Almost all intake manifolds and intakes themselves are plastic these days. Most of them don't have problems, as plastics have gotten a lot better.

Plastic intake manifold.

Cool. Then i have to look elsewhere for my vacuum leak. Thanks.

And on that 4wd thing, i was wondering if i could try removing the front driveshaft for the remainder of the summer without hurting anything else. It's worth a shot, right? It has to come off anyway because the 5R55E transmission needs a gasket between the valve body and transmission. My overdrive kicks out after about 5 minutes at highway speed, and then i have to put it in tow/haul. It is impossible to get the pan off without dropping one end of the front driveshaft anyway. i think i could try it and see if it improves mileage at all. Right now i am getting between 15 and 17mpg. It's hurting the wallet because i drive about 75 miles a day.

I doubt the front driveline is hurting the mileage that much. The 4.0L's are sometimes known as gas hogs. Some are good on gas, some suck!

Like Jspafford said, it really isn't affecting your mileage all that much. Most of it has to do with the weight of the vehicle and the 4.0 V6 you have in it.

Also, you should absolutely be able to pull the pan without dropping the driveshaft. I have serviced my 4R44E many times, and your 5R55E isn't bigger. The front driveshaft should be up and out of the way to the left since the tcase output is to the left.

I've pulled the pans and valve bodys on two 4.0L 4x4 5R55Es now and havent had to touch the driveshafts. The biggest thing to be sure about is that when you pull apart the valve body be sure you mark where each bolt goes because they are different sizes (all 23 of them) and be sure you have an inch pound torque wrench and torque them down in the correct sequence to the correct torque value (71-97 INCH-lbs). If you need I can try and find the diagram I had of the torque sequence for the valve body bolts of the 5R55E.


oh hey I found it. This is the torque sequence for the 5R55E. I actually printed out two copies of this, one I left as it is to follow the sequence, and the other I taped onto a piece of cardboard and punched holes where each bolt is and then as I removed the bolts I inserted them into the cardboard and diagram where they belonged to keep them in order.



Oh also instead of buying the two valve body gaskets and having to scrape and clean off both sides of the seperator plate (not fun at all) just get the new seperator plate with the gaskets prebonded from Ford. It costs the same thing as the two gaskets and a lot of dealerships can't even get just the gaskets anymore. The first VB I pulled I had the new plate with gaskets, the second one I had just the gaskets and it must have taken at least an extra hour to scrape and sand both sides of the seperator plate before reassembling everything.