97 F-150

[Ozwynn]

I bought my Dad's 97 F-150. the one he blew up the rear end in for no apparent reason and Ford charged him $1200 to install new spider gears and for some reason they installed a new pinion gear but not a new ring gear (I always thought those were a matched set and only sold together.........), and when it came back from Ford it was stuck in 4wd......... its not the switch, not the relays, not some box looking thing with heatsinks on it that looks like an amplifier... So long story short ..........

My dad owed $1950 on it. He can't afford 2 car payments and the insurance on 2 cars specially when they can't drive one of them. so he sold it to me for $2000.

The local junk yard said he had a manual shift T-case he would trade me for the electric one.

I don't trust this axle work that was done by ford and want to replace it, I also want manual hubs on the front........

I have my 14 bolt from the suburban and would like to use it. I know chevy 8 lug outers can be fitted onto a D44 TTB but can they be fitted onto this IFS piece of crap on the 97+ trucks?

if not, is there a manual hub kit for it?

another dumb question.......... is there any reason at all why 16" wheels would not fit? it has 17's but I think they are gay looking and tires for it are $200 more than they should be because of the size. I can get 16" black D windows for it for $58 each, I am just wondering if there are any fitment issues and clearance issues with the calipers.....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There are no hubs, it has a central axle disconnect. I know for some other trucks with a CAD they make a manual cable kit that locks in the front axle, I don't know if such a critter exists for a F-150 or not.

I highly doubt the chevy outers will fit on the front axle, it is a 8.8 diff rather than a D44 as well.

I don't know what wheels fit, but I have stock 16's on my '02, my brother has 16" alloys on his '97.

I would sell the 14b, replace the heat sink deal (I will ask my brother about it, he is a Ford tech) and hunt down a 9.75 with discs (out of a 99+ 5.4 truck) for the rear axle.

They are a nice truck, just about everyone I have came across has liked theirs.

 

[Ozwynn]

well that answers some questions. does the CAD have the same reliability problems as the vacuum pulse hubs? and how does that CAD mechanism work? will a manual shift T-case even work with it?......... be fore I go tearing this one apart?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The CAD is vacuum operated, the controls for that are behind the battery, failsafe is 4x2 though so I doubt that is the problem. The only time people have a real mechanical problem with the CAD is when they keep shifting it while the rear wheels are spinning, then it busts this plastic part as it tries to slam the front drivetrain into motion. Unlike the pulse vacuum hubs, mechanically it works well as long as you don't beat on it

I am going to go out on a limb and question your shift motor being stuck? From what I read a couple wacks with a hammer may break the shift motor loose, at least then you know exactly what the problem is. You can take them apart and clean them like you can a Ranger motor if you so desire.

I haven't much of anything on the actual coversion though, I have been looking thru a couple websites but it is just getting to late to think about it right now:

http://www.f150online.com/index.cfm

http://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=71

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum25/

I do love my manual 4x4 truck, I test drove three of them and this one is the only one that had it. My brother's is electric and while it works perfect, it just isn't the same.

 

[Ozwynn]

yeah, simple is best....

 

[Will]

It works, but it isn't the same?

My first two RBV's had pushbutton 4x4 and those fawkers were really and actually in four wheel drive when you pushed the button. Just as much in four-wheel-drive as my current manual shift is.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It works, but it isn't the same?

It is going to take a couple hundred bucks to get his truck out of 4x4, a manual case may simplify it.

Although as I think about it, the shift motor wouldn't have anything to do with the front axle being engaged. That would pin it on the GEM or switch.

 

[Ozwynn]

switch has been replaced with a known good one, I assumed that the amplifier lookin thing was the GEM? but then again....... assumptions are the mother of all **** ups.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

switch has been replaced with a known good one, I assumed that the amplifier lookin thing was the GEM? but then again....... assumptions are the mother of all **** ups.

The GEM is what everything goes thru, so I assume that is the critter that looks like an amplifier.

If your front axle is engaged and that is what is wrong, you will have to replace it either way to get it in 2wd.

 

[Ozwynn]

it was also replaced with a known good one....... same truck the switch came from.....


Know, when it came back from Ford it had about 6 blown relays, all have been replaced but it is still stuck in 4wd....... 2 of them directly deal with 4wd according to the wiring dia.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Wow, it is too bad it didn't go back right then for them to fix on their dime, they obviously royally screwed something up.

This sounds good for testing your components if you get bored in the meantime:
http://www.f150online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325183&highlight=4x4+stuck

I am going to see my brother this weekend, I will bug him about then.

You might try a different dealership, the '97+ F-150's have a pretty fancy diagnostic system, they might be able to pick something up. At the dealership my brother works at it is $25 to pull codes, worth it imo.

 

[Ozwynn]

I am thinking i will spend a fortune trying to figure this out on a $2000 truck....... I just want to set it up with manual everything ...... might be cheaper in the long run.

I got no idea what would have caused the relays to blow 'cept maybe hooking up the battery backwards or welding on the truck with the battery hooked up........ or hooking the battery charger up backwards........

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If your front axle is engaged now, it will be with a manual case too. You will need to get that sorted out either way.

One thing my brother mentioned if the modules don't have a good ground they will come on, you might check that. He is going to look at the wiring diagrams at work today.

 

[Ozwynn]

yes but with a manual T-case I can get it in and out of 2wd......... it would be like having a front axle with drive plates instead of locking hubs.

I just don't understand how a truck that was parked in 2wd back in september, went to Ford for axle work (rear axle) in February and came back stuck in 4wd with 6 blown relays .........

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I just don't understand how a truck that was parked in 2wd back in september, went to Ford for axle work (rear axle) in February and came back stuck in 4wd with 6 blown relays .........

Assuming it worked ok going in that would have been a great question for the dealership when the truck was picked up.

On another note: I finally found it!

For $200 + shipping you have a fully manual 4x4 system (assuming you can trade T-Cases straight up)

http://www.4x4posi-lok.com/app_ford.html