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Ford ranger 4 wheel drive

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Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=186008
Printed Date: 06 Sep 2025 at 7:44pm
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Topic: Ford ranger 4 wheel drive

Posted By: bobkyllo
Subject: Ford ranger 4 wheel drive
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 7:50am

Yesterday's victim was a 1999 Ford ranger 4x4 4.0. Liter. Customer said 4 when drive doesn't work. Put it on the hoist and he was right. Everything up to the front hubs work though, so that was a relief. Found the vacuum hoses at the wheels to be rotten. Fixed that. Long story short I found the vacuum valve it does have vacuum to it. I took a hose from there to each wheel directly. Neither hub works at all. So he would have 2 bad vacuum hubs. I see where you can trade them out for the old mechanical lock in style. Have any of you guys done this

Replies:

Posted By: bikley
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 7:53am

don't trust vacuum ones I switched to manual years ago

Posted By: Darwin W. Kurtz
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 7:56am

I had an older mechanic friend that had a shop in his back yard. He knew how to do what you are talking about. We did that on a 96 F-150 full sized 4 wheel drive. Not as convenient as the electronics but in my book a lot less to go wrong and 4 wheel drive worked and was a cheaper fix

Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 8:02am

I also would like to know how to do this to my 2000 F150 as it will sometimes work good and others,,,when you really need them to work will not lock up,,PFFFftttt,,,

Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 8:16am

BEST hubs I ever had on any 4x4 were Warn 'lock-o-matic' on my '57 Willys pickup. When Warn couldn't repair them, they sent me a set of 'regular' hubs for free.

I'm wondering is water/ice got into the vacuum hubs ??

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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)

Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 8:31am

The RAnger in the 1997- 2001 era used a vacuum system outboard on the hub. They can be removed and replaced with a MANUAL lock as Bob said.. I have not done that.

http://fordrangerhubs-com.3dcartstores.com/Ford-Ranger-4x4-Hub-Conversion-1998-1999-2000_p_12.html" rel="nofollow - http://fordrangerhubs-com.3dcartstores.com/Ford-Ranger-4x4-Hub-Conversion-1998-1999-2000_p_12.html

On the F150, prior to 1998 i think you can do something similar as above.

From 1998- 2003 the F150 had the front axles LOCKED to the hubs.. There is a vacuum engagement at the differential to lock the axle to the driveshaft.. You could use a PULL / PUSH cable to do this.. I have not seen a "KIT".

After 2004 the F150 used an INTERNAL vacuum piston on each front wheel.. No access from the outside.. It is on the BACKSIDE of the hub by the brake disk. Problems with it is the seals and o-rings get hard / stuck due to water / salt / crud ... The have to be disassembled and all rubbers replaced, or just replace the entire assemble.. I dont know of any "kit" to replace the vacuum with manual.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2022 at 11:03pm

we put manual locking hubs on a 99 f350 about two mounths ago that had the vacuumm hubs wasnt aanything worked on it just pull the old ones off and put new manual ones on

Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2022 at 6:51am

Isn't it ironic that the way to fix this new technology is to remove the new-fangled contraptions and replace them with tried and true components. We'd all be better off if the automakers would fire all of the engineers that justify their existence by designing stuff so complicated that it breaks down and can't be repaired, just replaced. Why do you think a P/U cost 10+ times or more than what they used to. For the most part all the gimmicks and gadgets on new vehicles are not needed.

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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2022 at 8:31am

The truck he is working on is 23 years old.... Even with the old LOCKING HUBS, you had to do some maintenace... I remember pulling them apart to clean and regrease ever so often. ......... ONE rebuild in 23 years is not too bad.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2022 at 9:13am

we did a 2016 ford last year all the vaccumm hoses were broke cracked and rotton thanks to that crapppy chinise rubber

Posted By: JohnColo
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2022 at 10:39am

People don't want to have to get out of their truck to engage the hubs...

Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2022 at 10:45am

I didn't have to with my 'lock-o-matics'....

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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)

Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water