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Front axles turning in 2wd


Uncle Gump

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This is EXACTLY why I asked @StanC to post his own damn question in the first place.
 


StanC

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Gentlemen, thanks for all the replies.
snoranger That's the post I am speaking of, the F150 or expedition. I know this is a Ranger forum but this is where I saw it. I have been chasing this issue for about 3 weeks since I got the vehicle. I have a 2017 Expedition Limited. It has IWE vacuum locking hubs. I have a hum at highway speed in 2wd. Basically Everything works as it should but my front axles turn when driving in 2wd.
This is what I posted in the expedition forum.
To double check the IWE's and the hose leading to them I used the vacuum line at the IWE solenoid to pull vacuum to both IWE's and it held at over 20in for 20 minutes, wheels spin without turning axles, until I disconnected my vacuum pump then the wheels are connected to the axle shaft as they should be. Then I connected everything back and pulled the line off the reservoir, vehicle off, and there was existing vacuum there. So I believe the check valve is working. It seems like everything is working as it should. I even confirmed the front drive shaft is free when in 2wd with the vehicle running by rotating by hand. The problem is I get a noise from the front end when driving, sounds like a wheel bearing. I installed a new motorcraft hub/bearing on the drivers side and the noise is the same. So I mounted a GoPro to the frame and drove around and found out the axle shaft is indeed turning with the wheel when the vehicle is moving and in 2wd. But I noticed that the axle would stop spinning for a second when I was doing a full turn like in a parking lot. And sometimes the axles did not seem to be turning at the speed the wheels was turning. I assume the axles spinning at highway speed is where the noise is coming from. Any ideas as to why the axle shafts are turning if everything checks out?

I did not get any replies from the expedition forum guys then I found Jim's post and it was the same issue.
 

G8orFord

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Nothing on any pre-2011 resembles what you have on a 2017 Expedition. Not sure about the new Rangers.
Assuming the 2017 was still using the same basic system as earlier F-150s & Ex's, the front axles do turn all of the time. The vacuum actuator is actually on the differential and simply connects the differential to the already turning axles.
 

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I had that on my 1997 F150 but I believe the newer models do actually disconnect at the hub and the transfer case.
 

G8orFord

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The newest model I've looked at was a 2011, I think, so that's entirely possible.

Should be fairly easy to check, if there's a vacuum line at the hub, then it's vacuum actuated. If not, it's probably always connected.
 

snoranger

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Gentlemen, thanks for all the replies.
snoranger That's the post I am speaking of, the F150 or expedition. I know this is a Ranger forum but this is where I saw it. I have been chasing this issue for about 3 weeks since I got the vehicle. I have a 2017 Expedition Limited. It has IWE vacuum locking hubs. I have a hum at highway speed in 2wd. Basically Everything works as it should but my front axles turn when driving in 2wd.
This is what I posted in the expedition forum.
To double check the IWE's and the hose leading to them I used the vacuum line at the IWE solenoid to pull vacuum to both IWE's and it held at over 20in for 20 minutes, wheels spin without turning axles, until I disconnected my vacuum pump then the wheels are connected to the axle shaft as they should be. Then I connected everything back and pulled the line off the reservoir, vehicle off, and there was existing vacuum there. So I believe the check valve is working. It seems like everything is working as it should. I even confirmed the front drive shaft is free when in 2wd with the vehicle running by rotating by hand. The problem is I get a noise from the front end when driving, sounds like a wheel bearing. I installed a new motorcraft hub/bearing on the drivers side and the noise is the same. So I mounted a GoPro to the frame and drove around and found out the axle shaft is indeed turning with the wheel when the vehicle is moving and in 2wd. But I noticed that the axle would stop spinning for a second when I was doing a full turn like in a parking lot. And sometimes the axles did not seem to be turning at the speed the wheels was turning. I assume the axles spinning at highway speed is where the noise is coming from. Any ideas as to why the axle shafts are turning if everything checks out?

I did not get any replies from the expedition forum guys then I found Jim's post and it was the same issue.
Last time I talked to him about it... he just leaves it in auto 4wd. It doesn’t make any noise with the the IWEs engaged.
 

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Auto hubs usually fail and won't lock. Warning signs are when they start buzzing. The vacuum hubs are notoriously unreliable, and that is why Ford went live axle after only 2 or three years.

AJ
I don't think it was even that long. I'm sure it's in the Tech Library someplace but the pulse vacuum hubs came out in 1998 and as I recall Ford scrapped them and went to an always-live front axle halfway thought the 2000 model year.

 

Uncle Gump

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I don't think it was even that long. I'm sure it's in the Tech Library someplace but the pulse vacuum hubs came out in 1998 and as I recall Ford scrapped them and went to an always-live front axle halfway thought the 2000 model year.

So from 1998 to halfway through 2000... isn't that like... 2 or three years?
 

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