Hi Guys:

I'm the proud new owner of a 2004 F150 FX4. I was crawling around under the rear of the truck and noticed what looks like brake fluid on the driver's side rear axle where there seems to be some sort of brake line/vacuum tube "junction box". When I looked at it more closely I found that the junction box is not attached to the axle. It looks like it should be attached because there is a hole in the axle and what appears to be a matching hole where the junction box comes into contact with the axle. Sorry about the second picture being a little blurry it was difficult to steady my hand and pull the part away from the axle. Anyone know what this part is called and how it is supposed to be attached to the axle?

Thanks,
Christian

 

What that is is the axle vent tube that acts as a junction block between the brake line and hose as well. I'm sorry, I'm not 100% sure how it attaches to the axle tube but I'm sure it's either threaded or pressed in. If it's broken what I would do is clean the area very well and rig something up to hold it in place and JB Weld it back on.

 

Also, it's good practice to blow it out and make sure it's clear (the vent hose) as it can cause early axle seal failure if clogged. There's probably a plastic button on the end of the hose, it keeps dirt out but make sure it's clear and don't blow it off the truck! I use a pick or torch tip cleaner to clear these and also the axle tube itself. Most of 'em press in; if it's snapped you can probably get it out with an easy-out extractor, and just get a new hose from the dealer.

 

Thank you for the advice and info! It finally stopped raining long enough for me to crawl under the truck again. It turns out that the breather tube sheered off right where it goes into the axle. I unscrewed the part that was in that axle and the other portion in the block popped out fairly easily. I was able to pick one up at one of the local Ford dealers and install it in about 3 minutes. Thanks again! Check out the picture of new versus old haha