With the front end off the ground and transfer case in 2 wheel dr. I do not have freespin of the driver side front wheel. pass side has free spin. ????

This sounds like 2 problems the first is the drive shaft is spinning with the rear wheels off the ground and no matter on or off the ground the rears don't spin yes/no? If so rear axle carrier is blown the gears are shot second the front wheels off the ground spin but on the ground nothing they stop the transfer case chain is slipping please post back because it's a little confusing and be specific about which drive shaft at what time your trying to tell us so describe one side at a time

If I read this correctly ( which I might not have, bit early for me ), the front drive shaft will engage ( from the transfer case ) but the front wheels are not engaged ?

If so, sounds like either the vacuum from the IWE ( Integrated Wheel End ) is not being released, or the IWEs have had an issue with part vacuum ( damage vacuum lines ) and the IWE gear is rounded off.

If you pull the vacuum lines at the IWEs ( there are 2 lines, 1 is the vacuum line, the other is the vent tube that routes up into the engine compartment and is not attached to anything ), the front wheel should engage ( might need a 5 * turn to mesh the gears ). With the vacuum lines off, jack up the front axle ( take precautions, chock the rear wheels, parking brake, jack stands, etc ) see if the front wheels are engaged ( turning one wheel should turn the other ). The option is to do this after the truck has sat over night, and the vacuum has been released out of the vacuum reservoir.

If the wheels turn correctly ( engaged ) I would think the contact plates in the transfer case are not making contact. Good starting point for this is the connector on the side of the transfer case, some times this gets gummed up, and the pins do not make good contact. The contact plates in the transfer case are used for a few things, one of them is to signal the IWE solenoids to release vacuum to the IWEs.

Operationally vacuum holds the IWE ( Integrated Wheel Ends ) out, and once vacuum is removed the spring engages the IWE.

Here is a black diagram of the IWE vacuum system

SOUNDS LIKE A BAD HUB TRY THIS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM

Put the transmission in park, set the parking brake and raise the chassis so one of the front wheels is off the ground while the other is still on the ground. When the transfer case is in two-wheel drive, the hubs should be released allowing the wheels to turn freely when spun by hand. If the axle shaft turns when you spin the wheel, it means the hub has not disengaged.
To check engagement, rotate the axle shaft backwards. This should lock the hub. Try turning the wheel by hand again. The axle shaft should now turn with the wheel if the hub is locked. If the hub fails to lock, the hub will have to be disassembled and inspected or replaced.
To check release, hold the axle shaft steady and rotate the wheel backwards. You should hear a click as the locking mechanism slides back out and disengages the hub. Rotate the wheel forward again and it should turn freely.
Another way to check the hubs is to raise the vehicle on a frame contact lift so all four wheels are off the ground. Then start the engine and place the transfer case in four-wheel drive and the transmission in drive. If the front wheels don't turn, look at the front axle shafts. If both shafts are turning, but one wheel is not, the problem is a bad hub on the wheel that isn't turning. If the front driveshafts are not turning when the transfer case is in four-wheel drive, the problem is inside the differential (broken side gears) or the transfer case (broken chain, shift linkage, etc.). If the driveshaft between the transfer case and differential is turning, the problem is in the differential. If the driveshaft is not turning, the vehicle is going to need repairs to the transfer case.
Hope this helps.

First, start checking the fuses an there is also an electrial activaced switch at the transmission or transfer case that may be bad.

95-96
Your control knob should say 2wd, 4auto, 4low.

First, we need to narrow it down to a transfer case issue, or a front axle issue.
Step 1) Jack up the front end and place it securely on jack stands.
Step 2) Verify that the front driveshaft turns by hand. When turning the front driveshaft by hand, the front wheels may or may not turn. Do not be alarmed if they don't turn. This is normal for your vehicle.
Step 3) Start the vehicle and let it idle. Place your foot firmly on the brakes, place the transmission in NEUTRAL, engage 4low, then place the vehicle back in park. DO NOT ENGAGE ANY GEAR!! The lurch as the transmission engages could cause the vehicle to lurch and potentially fall off the jack stands.**If you can turn the front driveshaft, the transfer case is not locking. This could be due to a mechanical issue with the transfer case itself, or an electrical gremlin with the control system. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.
**If the front driveshaft does not turn, the transfer case is locking properly and we need to continue searching.
Step 4) With the front wheels in the air, engine idling in PARK, spin one front wheel. The other wheel should spin the opposite direction. If both wheels spin in opposite directions, then the front axle *should* be properly engaged. Take it for a test drive (after safely lowering it to the ground, of course). If the front wheels do not spin in opposite directions, there is a problem with the front axle. This could be due to a mechanical problem with the diff, or a failure of the center axle disconnect to engage the passenger side axle shaft. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.

Troubleshooting the CAD on a 95-96 is a bit more involved than I want to get into here, and the problems can vary widely. This'll get you started.


97-01 4-door and 96-00 Sports
Your control knob should say 4auto, 4high, 4low.
First, we need to narrow it down to a transfer case issue, or a front axle issue.

Step 1) Jack up the front end and place it securely on jack stands.

Step 2) Verify that the front driveshaft turns by hand. When turning the front driveshaft by hand, the front wheels should turn. (If only one turns, don't be alarmed. One wheel sometimes has more resistance in the brakes, bearings, or CV joints. This is normal)
Step 3) Start the vehicle and let it idle in PARK. Engage 4high. DO NOT PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR!!! Crawl underneath and see if you can turn the front driveshaft.
**If you can turn the front driveshaft, the transfer case is not locking. This could be due to a mechanical issue with the transfer case itself, or an electrical gremlin with the control system. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.
**If the front driveshaft does not turn, the transfer case is locking properly and we need to continue searching.
Step 4) With the front wheels in the air, engine idling in PARK, spin one front wheel. The other wheel should spin the opposite direction. If both wheels spin in opposite directions, then the front axle *should* be properly engaged. Take it for a test drive (after safely lowering it to the ground, of course). If the front wheels do not spin in opposite directions, there is a problem with the front axle. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.


'01-'03 Sport and '01-'05 Sport Trac
Your control knob should say 2wd, 4high, 4low

The transfer case in these trucks functions essentially like the 1st-gens' 13-54 t-case. (i.e. it uses a lockup collar engaged by the transfer case shift motor) The troubleshooting procedure is very similar, but you don't need to worry about hubs or center-axle disconnects engaging.

Step 1) Jack up the front end and place it securely on jack stands.
Step 2) Verify that the front driveshaft turns by hand. When turning the front driveshaft by hand, the front wheels should turn. (If only one turns, don't be alarmed. One wheel sometimes has more resistance in the brakes, bearings, or CV joints. This is normal)
Step 3) Start the vehicle and let it idle in PARK. Engage 4high. DO NOT PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR!!! Crawl underneath and see if you can turn the front driveshaft.
**If you can turn the front driveshaft, the transfer case is not locking. The shift motor could be falsely reading an incorrect t-case position, or it could be a mechanical issue with the case itself. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.
**If the front driveshaft does not turn, the transfer case is locking properly and we need to continue searching.
Step 4) With the front wheels in the air, engine idling in PARK, spin one front wheel. The other wheel should spin the opposite direction. If it does, the system should be properly engaged. Safely lower the vehicle to the ground and take it for a test drive. If the wheels do NOT spin in opposite directions, there is a problem with the front differential or axle. Start a new thread with the results of your checks, and we'll go from there.


Keep us updated.

Sounds like the chain in the transfer case has broke or the linkage is out of adjustment

Lift and support the front of the truck so the front wheels are off the ground.
Key on, engage 4x4 and try to turn the front drive shaft.
If it turns it is a problem with the transfer case.
If it doesn't it is a front axle engagement problem.

I'll assume this is a manual 5peed. The transmission (a W5M33) has a viscous coupler (VC) inside that is linked to the transfer case shaft. This in turn connects to the prop shaft to the rear diff. The rear diff (for the TSi) is usually also viscous coupler to provide a limited slip (LS) function. So ... what can cause the rear wheel lock up? If the W5M33 VC breaks (unusual but not impossible), you'd probably still have rear wheel spin. If the transfer case brakes (quite common with hard use), it could lock up, locking the rear wheels. The W5M33 VC then would overheat. A VC is filled with silicon that smells vile when heated. Best case, you'll have to pull the transfer case off and inspect it. Worst case, pull the whole transmission out. If all is OK with the wheels off the ground and a rear LS, spin one rear wheel and the other does the same. On the front, no LS function, and one wheel will spin. Look at lancerproject.ca for more info on AWD transmissions.

shift into 4wd and move truck a couple of feet.
if light is still off, park truck block the wheels set the park brake jack right front wheel and try to hand spin the wheel if wheel doesn't turn 4x4 is functioning properly but there is a wiring problem use an ohmmeter to check the 4x4 switch wiring fuse and bulb
if wheel turns freely the front axle or transfer case is not engaged
attempt to hand spin the front driveshft if the driveshaft will spin the transfer case is not engaged check the transfer case shift linkage, problem is in linkage or transfer case internals
if the driveshaft will not spin the transfer case is engaged properly
with trnsmission in neutral or park start engine measure vacuum on the two vac lines at front axle shift motor . one line should have approx 20" vacuum. other line should have none
if no vacuum measured look for vac leak or bad vac switch
if both lines have vac look for a bad vac swithc or ruptured cad actuator diaphragm
if one line has 20" +- VAC
move transfer case lever to 2wd measure vac again lines should have swapped vac signals
if no vac switch bad or 4wd shift likage needs adjusting
if yes vac motor bad or stuck or shift fork stuck
remove vac shift motor from the axle attach vac lines to shift motor engage disengage 4wd
does shift motor plunger move at least 1/2 inch
no shift motor bad
yes check axle shift fork and vac motor for binging

Hubs do quit working. Jack both front wheels off of the ground and lock the hubs but leave the transfer case in 2wd. If you spin one wheel the other should spin backwards. If not replace the hubs. If they do spin correctly, you may have a transfer case problem or a front chunk problem.

no the front one should not spin