Fellas, I have a question about the hub assembly/IWE's for a 06 FX4. I have read up on all the IWE problems and I understand how the 4x4 system works fairly well. What I am unsure on is how the parts go together to make it work. My truck has the faint clicking sound coming from the drivers side wheel...It isnt a clunk or a grinding sound but more like a baseball card in a bicycle tire sound. I know I have to replace the solenoid up in the engine bay and there is probably water/crap in the vacuum lines or possibly stuff in the IWE's themselves. The 4wd actuators probably need to be replaced. The dilemma I am having is that the truck engages into 4hi no problem and then back into 2wd. I have read that people with the actuator problem have NO 4wd at all. Is this true?

My question is this:

So you have the hub assembly which bolts onto the steering knuckle. Are the 4wd actuators the part that bolts up to the hub/steering knuckle and then the CV's bolt up to the actuators and then go through the knuckle?? I am wondering if the 4wd actuators are separate than the hub assembly when buying.

 

They are separate. part number 7L1Z-3C247-A. There is a left and right.
Thats the only part number I have. I purchased mine from TascaParts.com
ford iwe system on youtube is a good video on how to test. I cant post the link. Hope this helps.

 

Oh nice..I will have to check that video out on Youtube..Ill do a search and see if I can find it. Thanks a bunch dude. I am thinking this is in fact my problem and it just hasnt gotten to the point of clunking and grinding.

 

Also the Tascaparts website has that 7L1Z part number for both the left and right side actuators so they must be the same for either side. Im going to replace both to be sure.

 

If you're pretty familiar with the way it all works, have you read/looked through this thread?

http://www.f150online.com/forums/2004-2008-f-150/360269-iwes-removal-replacing.html

It has some good pictures, a tool list and instructions on how to replace the IWEs. Some of the pictures show how the parts relate to each other, and there is a cut-away that shows the "inards" of the IWEs.
This is what a lot of guys use for trouble-shooting;
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/836438-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-iwe-system-and-then-some.html
The baseball card noise you describe is classic for not enough vacuum to the IWE or possible IWE seal failure. May be caused by clogged or leaking lines, bad solenoid, bad check valve[s], or the IWE itself. In any case, not enough vacuum is present to pull the IWE away from the hub splines. The IWE can fail internally too. I had one with a broken spring that jammed the unit entirely.
It is normal for vacuum related problems that the 4x4 works when engaged. That is the default mode, ...and the IWEs are engaged when the engine is not running. Once you start the engine, vacuum pressure retracts the IWEs (when in 2WD).

 

Let me know if you replace the actuators and where you get them and the difficulty level. Mine are shot I'm fairly sure as I have the grinding noise. I have read that other thread. I replaced the solenoid already, is it fairly safe to assume the actuators are shot or could it all be from the vacuum lines?

 

Yeah that 16 page thread on F150online was my bible for this whole issue...I saw your posting of this in a couple other topics like this that were from awhile back..this is what got me actually to take a look and figure that I have a problem. Glad I ran into your post. Thank you very much for explaining this to me above as well.

 

That i dont know and is where my problem lies...I dont remember what the actuators look like inside when I installed the lift...Im pretty sure my buddy installed the hubs into the new BDS knuckles. There is no way of telling without getting in there and looking first. I really dont have that luxury though...my buddy who helps me lives 2hrs away and i usually spend 3 days (fri, sat, sun) there so i cant order parts and get them in time.

 

These are the only two parts you need bud! Obviously both for each side

 

Oh yeah your also going to save a lot of money buying through rock auto! That's where I just bought these same parts! I just went ahead and replaced them when I bought my lift so I wouldn't have to take it all apart again