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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/4 wheel drive not working

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Expert: - 11/20/2011


Question
i have a 96 ford explorer when in 4 wheel drive the front wheels don't pull tho the front axal turns

Answer
Rob,
Are the front axles turning, or is it just the driveline?  
You may have a vacuum problem at the differential.  Most front differentials in this model use a vacuum system to lock in the front end.  When this fails, you lose front wheel drive.  The problem components are:  shift motor, vacuum switch or the vacuum harness/vacuum lines.  This is the most common failure when you lose front wheel drive.
Other possible problems are a broken front axle, then the front end will not put power to the front wheels.  Check out the front axles and axle u-joints/cv joints.
Other problem components could be:  transfer case electric shift motor, shift relay to electronic clutch, transfer Case gear sensor switch, etc.
I would suggest that you purchase a repair manual from a local auto parts store.  These are great for trouble shooting and are not that expensive.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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