after using 4x4 low

[Finally a 5.0]

do you have to go in reverse to unlock the hubs? i know you had to in earlier fords and know that you dont have too in later rangers, but i'm not sure when the cut off year is. mine is a 95 explorer eddie bauer edition btw. thanks alot.

i'm new here also.

 

[IAmTodd]

Nope. You do not have hubs. There is a vacuum disconnect in the front, but that is done automatically.

 

[Finally a 5.0]

thanks didnt want to ruin anything.

 

[Finally a 5.0]

do rangers have hubs then? i thought it said in a ranger manual that i was looking through that you didnt have to go in reverse to unlock the hubs. i know it said something like that, but are they talking about something else then?

 

[410Fortune]

any 4x4 Ranger or Explorer has hubs.

There are Gen I auto hubs, manual hubs, and the vaccuum disco style.

I have found that backing up in a straight line actually does help unlock a hub and unbind the front end (mostly on locked vehicles) regardless if its needed or not. It will unlock eventually but if you back up it unlocks now.
Sometimes off road I need to do this (ever tried turning 10psi 35's with the locker engaded on slickrock? truck just goes straight)

 

[IAmTodd]

He doesn't have hubs in the sense of needing to do anything after disengaging 4WD.

 

[gijoecam]

any 4x4 Ranger or Explorer has hubs.

Beware of hasty generalizations. While technically you are correct, his are not lock-able hubs. His hubs are engaged full-time and, therefore, cannot be unlocked after using the 4 wheel drive.

All second-gen Explorers have full-time front 'hub' engagement. The CV shaft is splined through and bolted to the wheel hub assembly. The '95 and '96 use a Center Axle Disconnect to break the passenger side axle shaft and reduce the rolling resistance when the selector is set to 2wd, but the hubs do not unlock per-se.

Some of the Rangers have a PVH wheel end, some have manual hubs, some have the crappy auto-hubs, and some are full-time front axles like the '97-'01 Explorers. Just depends on what year you're dealing with.

Just as a confirmation, I double-checked the service manual for '95 and found this: (emphasis added)

Wheels and Hubs, Explorer
The Dana 35 IFS axle used on the Explorer utilizes a disconnect mounted on the axle housing. The disconnect consists of a shift motor which operates a shift fork and locking collar, an indicator switch which operates the 4WD light on the instrument panel, a vacuum switch and a vacuum harness.

The disconnect is located on the right-hand side of the axle housing. The disconnect divides the right axle shaft into three main parts:

A constant shaft which is attached to the hub via a CV halfshaft and joint.
A shift fork and collar.
An inner shaft attached to the differential.
The left axle shaft is another CV halfshaft and joint and is connected straight from the differential to the wheel hub.

The four-wheel drive has two modes: low and auto. Low mode is used to increase torque for extra pulling power. The auto mode senses a slip condition and automatically engages 4WD similar to the Aerostar by distributing torque between the axles. For a detailed explanation of how this works, refer to Section 07-07D.

When the 4WD mode is selected, a signal is sent to the generic electronic module (GEM) which energizes an electronic valve located in the right front cowl that draws a vacuum on the disconnect shift motor.

The 4WD locking collar on the transfer case engages the front driveshaft. During this time there will be a 3- to 4-second delay while the inner shaft comes up to speed. The vacuum that is drawn on the disconnect motor moves the shift fork located inside the disconnect housing against a locking collar and slides it between the inner shaft and the constant shaft which locks them together and puts the vehicle into 4WD.

To disengage the transfer case, select the 2WD switch position. This will unlock the transfer case and reverse the direction that the shift motor moves the fork which slides the locking collar from between the inner and constant shafts and disengages them.

Since there are no outer hubs to lock on the Explorer, backing up the vehicle after shifting into 2WD is not necessary. Nor are there any concerns with ratcheting or buzzing noises. Differential motoring torque is not an issue either. Nor does the axle require expensive synthetic lubricant. The Dana 35 IFS axle used on the Explorer utilizes a non-synthetic Unocal Thermal Stable Lubricant (Dana No. 44684).

-Joe

 

[BigDakota]

Thats some good info gijoecam.....It helped me out to. Ford sure complicated the workings in 4x4 system on the front in 95 and 96...

 

[gijoecam]

Yeah, they did, but then they turned around in '97 and got rid of all the vacuum-actuated cr@p... They went to a full-time front axle, and that eliminated the CAD (which is just one more part that can fail at an inopportune moment!!). I think it's uber-simple for the '97-01... the only thing to engage/disengage/fail is the transfer case itself. Everything else is always ready for action.

-Joe

 

[410Fortune]

"Beware of hasty generalizations. While technically you are correct, his are not lock-able hubs. His hubs are engaged full-time and, therefore, cannot be unlocked after using the 4 wheel drive. "

I have lost some of my "carefullness", sometimes I post too much and forget the details.
But basically what I mean is any 4x4 will have some sort of disconnect between the wheel and the T case. An AWD does not typically, but a 4x4 does. Whether its built into the hub, into the axle assembly or the T case.
I understand that you cannot do anything to unlock his system, its all done with the switch in the cab and inertia, but there are times in a 4x4 when you can get the drivetrain bound up (like in 4 low on pavement) and driving the truck straight backwards can release the binding, no matter what 4x4 system you have

Also the great thing is if I make a mistake, forget some info or am just dead wrong, you guys correct me and we all learn more! haha It's like sitting around the shop talking with your buddies.....

 

[gijoecam]

Also the great thing is if I make a mistake, forget some info or am just dead wrong, you guys correct me and we all learn more! haha It's like sitting around the shop talking with your buddies.....

Except you won't buy us a beer when you lose the bet.

With the newer control-trac t-cases, I have yet to get bound up enough where cutting the power to it doesn't disengage the transfer case. As soon as you cut the power to the clutch coil, you've broken the link between the front and rear driveshafts, and the shift yoke inside is free to do as it needs to in order to disengage the low range planetary gearset. It makes one heckuva bang when it releases the clutch while bound-up, which can't be good, but it has yet to fail me. (and I don't do that every weekend either)

-Joe

 

[410Fortune]

who says? I lvoe buying beer.