All wheel drive to 2 wheel drive mod

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firefighter407

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tried the switch swap, I took a switch with the 2hi, awd, 4hi, and 4lo and swapped with my awd, 4hi,4lo.

It dosen't seem to do anything, when I click it to the awd spot the 4x4 light comes on and when i put it to the 4hi the 4 lo kicks in.

I think i read somewhere that the transfer case shift motors mightbe different.

Anyone elso know of other ideas?
 

bikeman66

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I have a 1999 and i tried just unplugging the switch to see if that would stop it from kicking in when the rear wheels start to spin. I think it worked. I got it sliding around a little on a graval road.

Let me know if anyone else gives it a try. If it works out than i am going to find the right wire and install my own switch. I will get some how-to's up on this thread if i do. :D
 

Dom neufer

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The problem with the mod, is that when you disconnect the brown wire, you still have AWD. All you have done is prevented it from locking up if it detects that you might be slipping. If you disable the the AWD system you accomplish a whopping, NOTHING. All that effort to do something that could be otherwise accomplished by pulling a fuse.

To clarify, let me explain in breif how the AWD system works. Inside the transfer case is a planetary unit. This unit transfer approximately 30% of the torque to the front wheels. This planetary has a lockup feature. There are sensors that tell the AWD computer about the wheel speeds. If it detects more than a certain amount of speed differential between the two driveshafts, it locks the planetary into a 1:1 ratio. In the 4HI position, it just locks the planetary all the time. When you switch it into 4LO, it runs everything through a different gear to alter the shaft speed. So when you disable the brown wire, what you do is prevent the case from going into lockup, but even without lockup, about 30% of the torque is still being transfered into the front wheels, and you are still in AWD.
 

outkast

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The problem with the mod, is that when you disconnect the brown wire, you still have AWD. All you have done is prevented it from locking up if it detects that you might be slipping. If you disable the the AWD system you accomplish a whopping, NOTHING. All that effort to do something that could be otherwise accomplished by pulling a fuse.

To clarify, let me explain in breif how the AWD system works. Inside the transfer case is a planetary unit. This unit transfer approximately 30% of the torque to the front wheels. This planetary has a lockup feature. There are sensors that tell the AWD computer about the wheel speeds. If it detects more than a certain amount of speed differential between the two driveshafts, it locks the planetary into a 1:1 ratio. In the 4HI position, it just locks the planetary all the time. When you switch it into 4LO, it runs everything through a different gear to alter the shaft speed. So when you disable the brown wire, what you do is prevent the case from going into lockup, but even without lockup, about 30% of the torque is still being transfered into the front wheels, and you are still in AWD.

not that I doubt you, but how is this true if the people who have done this are doing burnouts with no front wheelspin?
 

DarrinBC

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This could be handy if someone decided to get stupid with a power adder and didn't want to break the t-case. Or for someone wanting to dyno on a 2wd dyno.

Darrin
 

Darren1041

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I have an 02 E.B. and thought about this 2yrs ago and decided not to. Don't want to burn my tires out or hurt the truck. I found an Explorer site [has the same Control trac system] that showed how to do the brown wire mod complete with pictures. Just type in "ford explorer brown wire mod" . There is also a You Tube video of a Mountianeer after the mod. An AWD just smoking the left rear. This will work, but is it needed? ......Darren
 

soggystyle

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(1999 Expedition All wheel drive)

Are all Expeditions in my mode range All Wheel drive or is there some with the selection of 2 wheel, 4wheel high and low models T-case’s?

I like to play a little in the snow and light the wheels up and kick the rear out from time to time! Lol

Is there any mods I can do to disengage the All Wheel drive and make it have a selection of 2wd only? I don’t mind having to get under it to select or disengage it.

where the 20amp fuse runs to your 4 auto/4hi/4low switch you break the power and run two wires to a 20 amp rocker/toggle or any 20 amp switch and this alows you to dis-engage the 4 auto feature i've had mine this way for about 5 years my good friend is a ford /certified mechanic and this is how he recomended to fix this prob
 

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