i just bought a 95 f150 flareside 4 x 4,when i go to engage it in four wheel you hear the motor kick in and a slight click in the transfer case when put it in four wheel drive low you hear the clunk and the transfer case engage.when you put the truck in driveyou have no power to the wheels in either 4l or 4h.you still hear a whine when you are driving and it stops when you take it out of 4 wheel.also when you are driving on the parkway at cruising speed once and a while you will feel like the hub locks up then unlocks usualy when the trans is about to downshift.im new to fords (long time chevy man) so any help to a newbie would be appreciated thanks.

 

Wow, talk about hard to read and follow.

Let me get this straight, when you hit the 4X4 switch, you hear what you believe is the transfer case engaging, same for shifting to 4L from 4H.

Do you have auto hubs or manual?

Jack up the front end, turn the ignition on, engage the 4X4 and see if the shafts turn with the wheel, if so the hubs lock at least so you should have power to the front wheels if everything else if fine.

Disengage the 4X4, spin each wheel backwards for a bit to disengage the hubs and see if the shafts are free, if so your hubs are fine and your problem lies elsewhere.

 

i have auto hubs, when i push the 4h button i hear the motor operate and a slight click,when i shift to neutral and press 4 low i hear the transfer case engage.if i shift back to drive and i hit the accelerator there is no power to the front.im sorry it was so hard to follow but i wrote it in a hurry thanks for any help you can give

 

is there a way to check the lock motor on the transfer case? i assume its okay because of the click i hear when i press 4h and the clunk i hear when shifted to 4l, but i would still like to check it anyhow.

 

i also have a 95 f150 push button 4x4 if u are not getting the front wheels to spin in 4x its a possibility the the auto hubs have exploded both of mine went at the same time to check the trans case motor first if it will go in low range the motor is working second u can place it in 4hi in park slide under the truck and try to turn the front shaft by hand wont turn in 4x third to check the hubs in 2x slide under the truck and turn the shaft either way 3 or 4 rotations to manually engage the hubs these are some quick ckecks u can do

 

thanks for the info,i did as you said the driveshaft wouldnt turn in 4 h or 4 l.but when you put it in drive and puch it only the back wheels turn.sounds likes hubs huh?

 

the auto hubs on those years had problems. ford revised them several times. manual hubs can be put on in thier place. one other way to tell if your front end is locked in is to engage 4x4 and try to turn a corner on dry pavement. if the front end is locked in, it will bind up when turning causing the front end to hop. also if a hub is going bad this will usually cause it to make a rachet or popping sound from the suspect side. just don't try to make too sharp of a turn

 

The problem is, at least according to the guy I get Ford parts from, is that people are engaging the transfer case at too high a speed, despite the owners manual stating they can engage the transfer case at speeds up to 55mph.

I haven't had any problems with mine, but then I always engage from a dead stop, if I think I'm going to get into something iffy, it's better to go in with it enaged anyway.

 

Thats the way i engage mine. the hubs can also be cleaned and regreased at the same time the wheel bearings are repacked. i've seen alot of them all gummed up from water entry.

 

ive had a bad ball joint type sound coming from the front left hub ball joint and looks okay though.i guess ill change out the hubs and see how i make out from there.i have also been getting that ratcheting sound coming from the front left hub when im driving in 2wd.

 

the ratcheting sound is a sure sign of a bad hub. the return spring sometimes breaks causing the locking collar to not fully return to the disengaged position. there are aftermarket hubs (i think by warn) but they are might be manual, but then when you lock them in you know they are locked in.

 

thanks for your help,ill be letting you know how i made out.what would you recomend for a lift kit and still keeping the truck functional.what kits are out there that are all inclusive?