Hopeful New Gen1 owner

[enve46]

I agree 100%, you still get that old reliable feeling in them, with enough updated features to make it a nice daily. Most, if not all, (it has been all) of my issues have been electrical bugs. Granted mine just rolled 190k on it, other than electrical problems, the only mechanical issues I have had has been the 4WD system, at the hubs, just the IWEs and hubs. Not sure how much digging you have done on the IWEs, but I'll spare details unless you'd like to hear a little more. Nothing to deter you from purchasing, and it's a cheap and simple repair, just annoying. I just installed RCV IWE delete sleeves, and couldn't be happier.

I’m definitely looking to learn more, I’ll do some digging in the IWE. My tundra has RCVs and a few Jeeps did as well. My only fear with upgrading axles is it passes failures down the line to more expensive and harder to change parts. And buying a 10+ year old truck will have its issues. But feed me any info you can!

Wow, you change trucks more often than @Oldfart changes his underwear! Looking forward to giving you a welcome to the forum when you get your Raptor.

Thank you. My wife is becoming less patient with the constant movement so I got her a new X7 to keep her happy haha but I’m seeking something more permanent. That’s how I ended up on a Tundra or Gen 1 Raptor. Simplicity, reliability and V8 are the driving factors. If the Raptor I want is still available when the sale of my tundra is final I’m going to get it. The TRXs were fun, I’d like to have a nice competitor at over half the cost.

 

[SilverGen1]

I’m definitely looking to learn more, I’ll do some digging in the IWE. My tundra has RCVs and a few Jeeps did as well. My only fear with upgrading axles is it passes failures down the line to more expensive and harder to change parts. And buying a 10+ year old truck will have its issues. But feed me any info you can!

Thank you. My wife is becoming less patient with the constant movement so I got her a new X7 to keep her happy haha but I’m seeking something more permanent. That’s how I ended up on a Tundra or Gen 1 Raptor. Simplicity, reliability and V8 are the driving factors. If the Raptor I want is still available when the sale of my tundra is final I’m going to get it. The TRXs were fun, I’d like to have a nice competitor at over half the cost.

For sure, so I am still on the stock CV axles, I just got rid of the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) Hub Actuators, and replaced them with RCV's IWE delete sleeve, not the entire axle assembly. The pair is only $199. I will do my best to explain the IWEs and vacuum system, but there are better threads out there explaining it more thoroughly, and anyone else reading, feel free to correct me.

So, Ford's IWE system is controlled by a vacuum system. The IWE is attached to the inside of the steering knuckle, and it connects the CV axle to the hub, giving you 4WD. This is where I am not 100% positive on, but I believe that the vacuum of the engine keeps the IWEs disengaged, and when you select 4WD inside of the cab it releases the vacuum, and the teeth on the IWE connect the hub and the CV. What can happen, and does happen, is a couple of things.

1) The teeth of the IWE are not very wide, creating a very small mesh point when it connects everything together. This ends up leading to the teeth skipping while under load, and you either end up rounding the teeth off on the IWE or hub, or straight up sheering the teeth on the IWE completely off. I have never had the teeth on the CV been messed up (yet).

2) The teeth in the IWE are connected to a plastic housing and a rubber boot. This rubber part is what allows the vacuum actuation to occur. Even if you have a perfect mesh on the teeth, with enough wear and tear over time, the plastic will completely break off, and your 4wd will be useless, as this also makes you lose the vacuum, and without vacuum, you are in 3wd, if one side's IWE is still intact.

3) The trucks are getting older, and the rubber vacuum hose has endured a lot of heat from the engine bay. I ordered the entire vacuum harness and the problem lessened, as there were no longer any small leaks in the system, making it so that when the truck was in 2wd, the teeth were fully disengaged, which leads to the third problem, not a strong enough vacuum, giving partial engagement, which just wears out parts even faster.

What I ordered eliminates the IWE completely, and you no longer rely on the IWEs to engage and hold-up, you are relying on only the transfer case to switch in and out of 4WD/2WD. I did a lot of reading, and talked to a good amount of people who have been running these sleeves for a looong time, one gentlemen told me almost 11 years, with 0 issues with the CVs or transfer case. The downside I have found is that I lost about 1 mpg, as these sleeves keep the CVs and front diff spinning at all times. The steering and tracking of the truck on the highway does not feel any different to me then when I had IWEs and nothing up front was spinning.

This is the IWE, and those teeth are supposed to mesh the hub and cv


And these are the IWE delete sleeves from RCV, which looks like a proper width to mesh the hub and cv imo

 

[enve46]

For sure, so I am still on the stock CV axles, I just got rid of the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) Hub Actuators, and replaced them with RCV's IWE delete sleeve, not the entire axle assembly. The pair is only $199. I will do my best to explain the IWEs and vacuum system, but there are better threads out there explaining it more thoroughly, and anyone else reading, feel free to correct me.

So, Ford's IWE system is controlled by a vacuum system. The IWE is attached to the inside of the steering knuckle, and it connects the CV axle to the hub, giving you 4WD. This is where I am not 100% positive on, but I believe that the vacuum of the engine keeps the IWEs disengaged, and when you select 4WD inside of the cab it releases the vacuum, and the teeth on the IWE connect the hub and the CV. What can happen, and does happen, is a couple of things.

1) The teeth of the IWE are not very wide, creating a very small mesh point when it connects everything together. This ends up leading to the teeth skipping while under load, and you either end up rounding the teeth off on the IWE or hub, or straight up sheering the teeth on the IWE completely off. I have never had the teeth on the CV been messed up (yet).

2) The teeth in the IWE are connected to a plastic housing and a rubber boot. This rubber part is what allows the vacuum actuation to occur. Even if you have a perfect mesh on the teeth, with enough wear and tear over time, the plastic will completely break off, and your 4wd will be useless, as this also makes you lose the vacuum, and without vacuum, you are in 3wd, if one side's IWE is still intact.

3) The trucks are getting older, and the rubber vacuum hose has endured a lot of heat from the engine bay. I ordered the entire vacuum harness and the problem lessened, as there were no longer any small leaks in the system, making it so that when the truck was in 2wd, the teeth were fully disengaged, which leads to the third problem, not a strong enough vacuum, giving partial engagement, which just wears out parts even faster.

What I ordered eliminates the IWE completely, and you no longer rely on the IWEs to engage and hold-up, you are relying on only the transfer case to switch in and out of 4WD/2WD. I did a lot of reading, and talked to a good amount of people who have been running these sleeves for a looong time, one gentlemen told me almost 11 years, with 0 issues with the CVs or transfer case. The downside I have found is that I lost about 1 mpg, as these sleeves keep the CVs and front diff spinning at all times. The steering and tracking of the truck on the highway does not feel any different to me then when I had IWEs and nothing up front was spinning.

This is the IWE, and those teeth are supposed to mesh the hub and cv
View attachment 486489

And these are the IWE delete sleeves from RCV, which looks like a proper width to mesh the hub and cv imo

View attachment 486490

Ah, makes sense why this would be a focal point. I think I’d give up 1 mpg on a truck that gets abysmal mpg anyway for use of the 4WD when needed.
Thank you, I’ll keep this on top of my list.
Ram/Jeep have an actuator in their front axle that does just this but splits the axle shaft in two pieces, creating a prone failure point in both axle shafts and that actual housing too.

 

[EricM]

Ram/Jeep have an actuator in their front axle that does just this but splits the axle shaft in two pieces, creating a prone failure point in both axle shafts and that actual housing too.

Ford used to have the same thing from 1996 to 2004 on the passenger side axle. However, unlike GM and Ram- it was reliable, and did not fail.

They did have issues with the vacuum motors that actuated the disconnect in the ESOF trucks, but if you had the manual shifter or changed out to a cable repalcement, it was 100% dependable.

Ford went to the IWEs in 2004 to save a few tenths of a MPG, and it's been problematic in comparison to the older 4WD IFS ever since.

 

[enve46]

Ford used to have the same thing from 1996 to 2004 on the passenger side axle. However, unlike GM and Ram- it was reliable, and did not fail.

They did have issues with the vacuum motors that actuated the disconnect in the ESOF trucks, but if you had the manual shifter or changed out to a cable repalcement, it was 100% dependable.

Ford went to the IWEs in 2004 to save a few tenths of a MPG, and it's been problematic in comparison to the older 4WD IFS ever since.

Good to know. The fight for fuel economy is an unfortunate thing each manufacturer has to chase as it usually causes more frustration and repairs for the end users. I think Id rather have IWEs than an axle housing fail when abusing it properly.

 

[Sozzy12]

As I understand it, the IWE system defaults to 4wd... The vacuum disengages the hubs. So even with a complete failure of the vacuum system you should still have 4x4, no?

 

[EricM]

As I understand it, the IWE system defaults to 4wd... The vacuum disengages the hubs. So even with a complete failure of the vacuum system you should still have 4x4, no?

Yes. With a big if. If a vacuum line section near the IWE just fails suddenly, say from damage off roading- then yes, it should simply engage 4WD and you'll be stuck in 4WD until you get it fixed.

In reality, it's usually a tiny vac leak that prevents the splines from fully disengaging.
There is an initial faint grinding noise people hear in 2WD as the vacuum is not enough to fully disengage splines and they start grinding the end.
That grinding noise gets worse as the IWEs further chew themsleves up as the vac leak invariably worsens- which prevents them from ever locking in fully until they are replaced.

 

[someday]

I think after goin gen juan youll prolly be going back to a TRX