cars near you

Visit an Official Ford Dealer & Find Your F-150 Today!

Rugged Frame & Towing Capability. Compare F-150 Models & Features

Lock In Your Risk-Free Quote Now! Ford F150

Visit Van Buren Buick GMC For Specs & Details On Current Offers.

Ford F-150 at Edmunds.com Search New Car Listings Nearby

Visit North Bay Buick GMC For Specs & Details On Current Offers.

Visit Karp Buick For Specs & Details On Current Offers.

Visit Arnold Buick For Specs & Details On Current Offers.

420 HP And 460-lb Of Torque Visit City Buick GMC

Search over 43290 used Ford F-150 Prices starting at $1,495

Rating is available when the video has been rented.

This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Jun 4, 2007

See the new 4 wheel drive disconnect-at-the-wheel system on the Ford F150.

By Rachel Steffan

eHow Contributor

Found This Helpful

Ford four-wheel-drive (4WD) systems allow a vehicle's engine to send power to all four wheels, instead of the front wheels or rear wheels only. Many 4WD vehicles can be switched back and forth between rear-wheel drive using a switch or a gear lever in the cab. Some require lock-out devices on the front hubs to be turned manually to engage four-wheel drive.

Ford four-wheel drive systems rely on a transfer case adjacent to the vehicle's transmission and the front output shaft that powers the front wheels when four-wheel drive is engaged. The transfer case switch is actuated either physically or electronically by controls in the passenger area. Some systems use locking hubs on the front wheels to engage the front axle and differential when four-wheel drive is in use but disengage it when the vehicle is in two-wheel drive, thus saving wear and tear on components in the front end.

Ford began offering the outsourced "Marmon-Herrington All Wheel" system on it's new line of F-Series trucks in 1948, utilizing technology developed for military vehicles during the Second World War. In 1959, it brought four-wheel drive production in-house, with several systems available over the years, notably the Borg-Warner Control Trac and Control Trac II and the Haldex Traction. Four-wheel drive was limited to trucks and SUVs until 1986, when the 4x4 Ford Scorpio passenger car was introduced.

Four-wheel drive is not the same as all-wheel drive (AWD). Four-wheel drive vehicles have an option called low range that sends more torque to the wheels but at lower speeds. Many also have a neutral option in the transfer case that disconnects all four wheels from the engine. All-wheel drive vehicles can't be switched back and forth between two- and four-wheel drive, nor do they have low-range or neutral options.

Older Ford four-wheel-drive systems like the Borg Warner Control Trac I cannot be used on dry pavement without damaging the drive train. As the vehicle turns and changes speed on dry pavement, stresses build up between the different wheels, causing wheel jumping and torsion on the drive shaft and axles. Some systems also lose power to the gripping wheels when one or more wheels lose traction.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Ford Tractor 6640 4WD Specifications. ... How a Ford 4WD Works. Ford four-wheel-drive (4WD) systems allow a vehicle's engine to send power...

Problems With the 2002 Ford Ranger 4WD. ... Ford has replaced its manually locking front-hub and four-wheel drive truck transfer case system...

For more than three decades, Ford trucks and sport utility vehicles with four-wheel-drive (4WD) have had a solid reputation for dependability. Due...

How Does the 4-Wheel Drive Work on a 2006 Ford Explorer?. ... Ford four-wheel-drive (4WD) systems allow a vehicle's engine to send...

InventorSpot: 2010 Ford Explorer to Feature "Intelligent" 4WD System; Toyota: Hybrid Synergy View 2006; ... Ford 4WD Problems. For more than three...

Troubleshooting a Ford Ranger 4X4. Ford Ranger 4X4s have been popular with truck ... The 1999 Ford Ranger with the four-wheel-drive option...

Four-wheel drive comes in three similar but subtly different varieties. "True" 4WD has been around for nearly 100 years, and, while perfect...

Ford has replaced its manually locking front-hub and four-wheel drive truck transfer case system with a push-button system that it calls "Touch...

How Do I Repair Front Wheel Bearings on a 2003 Ford F350 4-Wheel Drive? Front wheel bearings are part of the hub...

The Ford Expedition 4-Wheel Drive model has had several ... What Is an Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive? An intelligent four-wheel drive system is...

How to Troubleshoot a 1997 Ford F150 4x4. ... 2 Car Pros: How Brake Pads Work; Resources. Read this Article in UK...

Car Buying Secrets Cars Salesmen Don't Want You to Know

7 Ways to Keep Your Car Yuck-Free When You Have Kids

Getting a Car Loan: From Start to Finish

This 4X4 Engage Solenoid is just what you need to get your four wheel drive system working again! The factory solenoids commonly fail due to cracking and leaking, resulting in failure of the four wheel drive system.

Specifications:

Note: There are two solenoids located side by side in the housing; engagement & disengagement. The simple way to know which is which is the key way location: holding the solenoid with the connector at the top and vacuum lines on the bottom, the engagement solenoid key way will be at the 9 o'clock position (to the left), the disengagement solenoid key way will be at the 6 o'clock position (bottom).

If one of the two solenoids fail, the 4 wheel drive system will be inoperative. Both solenoids must be functioning properly for the system to operate.

Lifetime Warranty

This item is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. In the event this item should fail due to manufacturing defects during intended use, we will exchange the part free of charge (excludes shipping charges) for the original purchaser. Please keep your invoice for proof of this warranty.

Rating is available when the video has been rented.

This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jan 3, 2014

This helpful video will explain how your 4WD system works and how to switch between modes using the Electronic Shift on the Fly feature on your truck.

Watch videos, view owner's manuals, get tips, information and more at the official site for Ford Owners - http://owner.ford.com

The new 2012 F150 order guide is cool to look through, and while I saw several changes of what options you can get on different models (cooled seats on FX4, big gas tanks, bold new colors, black wheels, etc.), and some upgrades to towing/hauling capacities, I didn't see much that was brand new and notable.

Except this:

----------------------------------------------------------------------2-speed Automatic 4WD System (1)

• Optimizes traction by transferring power to the appropriate wheels when needed• The system provides four available modes of operation and is activated by using a rotary switch on the instrument panel

• Vehicle operates as a rear-wheel-drive vehiclewhen 2H is engaged• Helps vehicle provide optimal fuel economy

• Set-and-forget function provides four-wheel-drive capabilities when needed• Under normal road conditions, most power is sent to the rear wheels• As road conditions require, engine torque is sent to the front and/or rear wheels to help maintain optimum traction• Setting is appropriate for any driving, whether on dry pavement or in adverse conditions

• Setting provides electronically locked four-wheel- drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use at normal speeds on low-traction surfaces• Intended for use only in severe weather and off- road conditions including snow, ice, sand or mud• Setting should never be used on dry pavement

• Setting provides four-wheel drive with full power to both the front and rear wheels and includesa lower gear reduction ratio for increased torque multiplication to all four wheels• Intended only for off-road applications that require extra power including deep sand, steep grades or when launching or pulling a boat out of water• Setting should never be used on dry pavement

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So any speculation on how this is implemented? Brand new transfer case? A computer rapidly engaging/disengaging the existing transfer case based on sensors?

Also, the footnote would imply that it is not available on FX4 models (MAJOR bummer!), and that it is already out on late 2011 Lariats???

Has anybody seen or own a late production 2011 Lariat with a 2-speed automatic 4WD system?

Last edited by pfbz; 08-25-2011 at 08:45 PM.