It wouldn't do much good even if someone did. The Borg-Warner 44-05 transfer cases aren't designed to allow a whole lot of slippage when disconnected, so even with teh brown wire mod and disconnected hubs, the front axle and driveshaft assemblies would still tend to want to turn. I suspect it's a part of the reason they got away from the center-axle disconnect on the front axle for '97.
Now, that being said, I've *heard* that they make a kit for the Rangers that will convert the auto-lockers to manuals (on the post-95 trucks). In theory, you *might* be able to retrofit a set of hubs and/or spindles from a Ranger onto the Explorer, then retrofit the vacuum-actuated hub-locks with the manual ones, but I honestly couldn't say for sure.... There was some talk about it around here a while back, but I don't know that anyone actually tried it.
Also, even if it worked, with the 44-05 t-case, the gains would be negligible anyways. If you swapped the t-case out for a 1354 like many have done, and add the manual hubs off the Ranger, then you would be able to do what you proposed. The front axle would stop turning when everything's disengaged.
Like I said, it's all theory... but possible.
-Joe
