Ford "Auto 4x4" to 2wd Mod Kit?

[762mm]

Hey all,

I know that the "brown wire mod" has been discussed at lenght here on the forums, but I spoke to a Ford mechanic (with 10+ years of experience) and he told me that there's a 2wd mod kit (factory) that is being sold by Ford for explorers and expeditions with the Auto 4x4... Supposedly the kit works in pretty much the same way as the brown wire mod, but looks very sharp after the installation, and is made to fit somewhere in the stock dash. He said that the purpose of this kit was to enable people to tow their "Auto 4x4" trucks in neutral when necessary, with the t-case clutch fully disengaged (which makes the front wheels truly "in neutral"). If you came across that kit and know what it's called or have the part # (or an approximate price), please let me know... It's something I'd really want to implement into my Ex in the near future. Thanks.

 

[mikeh44]

i called my local dealer here kc they do make at kit so that the car can be towed behind an rv here it costs $32.38 there are 2 in this area only for 6 cyclinder 2 speed transfer case 5 speed auto or manual and with or without control trac

 

[gijoecam]

The kit he is referring to is a neutral tow kit, not a 2wd mod kit. 2WD does not disconnect the driveline from teh transmission. In order to use it, the vehicle must have a selectable two-speed transfer case. All it does is reprogram the GEM to indicate when it's in neutral, output to a light they install in the dash, and add a position to the OEM switch. (and, of course, stop the transfer case shift motor in the neutral never-never land between high and low range)

It's not an expensive kit, but it's not a do-it-yourself job either and doesn't provide you with 2wd like the brown wire mod.

 

[bp1506]

I have a neutral tow kit installed on my explorer, it was an after market install when i bought it. All you do on mine to put the transfer case into neutral is switch the key to the on position, put 4wd drive selector to auto, transmission into neutral, and then hold the brake for 5 seconds until the light on the selector turns on.

Its mounted just under the dash. I have never used it though but the previous owner used to tow the ex behind his trailer when he went on vacation.

 

[762mm]

Thanks all for your replies, much appreciated...

gijoecam, I don't quite understand what you mean... Can the vehicle be driven in 2WD with this kit installed or does the transmission have to be in neutral as well in order for the kit to kick in and disengage the transfer case? According to what I was told it's supposed to release the electric clutch inside the transfer case, and I thought it was the same principle as the brown wire mod...

The guy told me that (obviously) the front differential/driveshaft will still be operating (turning) as the truck is driven since they're mechanical parts, but the T/C will be in neutral. Also, why is this not a DIY job? Is there some special tools/knowledge required other than the ability to locate the proper wires? Thanks!

 

[gijoecam]

The guy was ill-informed... the system diesngages the transfer case from the transmission, just like a manual transfer case would. It stops the planetary gearset in between high and low range, leaving the gears free to spin. Nothing stops the vehicle from rolling at that point (save for the brakes).

Yes, both driveshafts, in fact, turn at that point, not just the front. The setup does not release the electric clutch, and the vehicle cannot be driven that way as tehre is no mechanical link between the transmission and the driveshafts through the transfer case when it's in neutral.

It's not a DIY job because the GEM needs to be reprogrammed to recognize the additional switch position, as well as to know how to recognize the neutral position on the transfer case shift motor. The contactor plates are there on all of them and they have a signal change for neutral, but the system isn't currently programmed to stop there.

It takes an NGS or WDS scanner to reprogram it accordingly (last I hear anyways).

-Joe

 

[762mm]

Cool, thanks for the in-depth explaination. The fact that you mentioned that there's no mechanical link between the tranny and the rear differential explains it all for me now, as I thought there was. So in other words, if the transfer case dies on the Ex in some bad way, you can lose the ability to drive the truck alltogether, right? Holy crap, that reinforces my decision on getting a 2wd truck as my next one, probably an Expedition though (4.6L, 2WD - my target "bulletproof" dream configuration, lol). Thanks again, I guess I'll scratch that kit idea off my "to do" list...