4wd will not do its job!

[Ranger Business]

the lights come on when i turn it to 4wd and sometimes i hear a clunk but it still wont drop into 4wd. i even took it to the dunes to check it out and kept getting stuck. front wheels are not moving!!! any suggestions on what it is?

 

[LearjetMinako]

Vaccum hubs may not be engaging.

 

[PaleBlue90]

Vaccum hubs may not be engaging.

+1

 

[Jay FX4]

Since your switch and shift motor are probably okay (the light works and you hear the clunking sound), then I would agree it's probably your cheesy hubs. Sounds like it's time for some much more reliable manual hubs.

 

[Ranger Business]

alright is there any way i can check myself?

 

[martin]

Put it into 4wd, jack up the rear end and run it slowly, check if the front driveshaft is rotating. If it is the problem is either the hubs or the front diff.

 

[dogboy]

There are MUUUUCCCHHH safer ways to do it than what is mentioned above (jacking up the back)!!!
I don't even like starting a car when it's jacked up let alone trying to and move it!

It is far more safe to put it in 4wd so that you hear the clunk and the light comes on, then proceed to lift up the FRONT, not the back. From here you should be able to rotate one tire, and the opposite tire should rotate the opposite direction. And if you hold one tire and rotate the other, it should rotate a very small amount, then stop.

If you rotate one tire and the otherside rotates the opposite direction, then your hubs are engaging, and your problem may be inside the trasfercase (highly unlikely).
If one tire rotates while the other stays still, then you're problem is then most likely in the hubs.


I hope you can make sense of that. I have a bad headache so I'm not going to gaurentee that it makes any sense what so ever. maybe somebody else can explain it better.

 

[rangertoy]

Since your switch and shift motor are probably okay (the light works and you hear the clunking sound), then I would agree it's probably your cheesy hubs. Sounds like it's time for some much more reliable manual hubs.

What are these more reliable manual hubs you are talking about? AVM? I have been through 2 sets of them in 6 months, or is there another company that makes some

 

[Ranger4657]

take off one of your auto hubs and look for cracked plastic, that was how i found out my auto hubs were going out, idk how the 1998 hubs work, but i know on my 94 they made them with plastic pieces for some stupid reaison ahaha, fords kinda ceap in th auto hub catagory

 

[Jay FX4]

Why are you going through hubs so fast???
I know there are guys who run Warn manual hubs. As far as application, I'm not going to speculate on what model years they will work on. Keep in mind that manual hubs require you to get out and lock them when you want 4x4. You probably already knew this but it's something to consider if you have to replace the hubs anyway. Whether that's too much of a PITA or not is up to you.

So far I'm content with my hubless "live axle"....