janders
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If I have locking hubs and shift on the fly, what position should the hubs be in? Do they need to be on lock to engage 4 wheel drive?
Locking Hubs
- Thread starter janders
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Yes... Normally keep them FREE. If you are driving and expect to need 4WD, lock em. Fuel economy will suffer a bit. I live in the NE, when snow is expected or on the ground, I lock em and drive that way (in 2WD) so I can shift into 4WD as needed. After a few days and the snow is no longer an issue, I put them back into FREE.
Also, it's a good idea to run with them locked once in a while to keep everying lubed. In the non-winter months, if I don't use the 4WD, I lock them 1 day a month while driving around. TC
Also, it's a good idea to run with them locked once in a while to keep everying lubed. In the non-winter months, if I don't use the 4WD, I lock them 1 day a month while driving around. TC
janders
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Thats what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure. The salesman didn't really seem to know to much about it when I asked him.
ranger boy
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*clears throat* they dont know too much about ANYTHING WHENEVER i ask themjanders said:
janders
Full Access Member
So why would you have ESOF if you still have to lock the hub caps anyway? What do you have to do it you do not have the ESOF?
janders
Full Access Member
Also, I just checked my hubs, is auto different then free? I have been saying free and have heard others refer to it as free. My hubs say lock and auto. It seems to me that under auto you should be able to get into 4wheel drive without locking.
When they are in auto they are supposed to lock in whenever the transfercase locks in, they are vaccum opperated. They go bad all the time. sometimes the vaccum hoses, and some times the seals in the hub. my hoses went bad and they stayed locked in all the time and wore out my axle tip. I replaced everything even the bearings, and put aftermarket warn hubs in. no more problems. my cousin had the seals go bad in his and he rebuilt them, costing twice as much and alot more work. he had to barrow a special tool from a friend at the ford dealership.
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janders
Full Access Member
why would they make the hubs so that you could lock them if you are able to get into 4 wheel drive w/o locking them?
not sure, probably so that you can lock them if they fail to work.
My vaccum lines were falling apart, and If your offroading and accidently hit one they wouldn't be hard to break or pull off.
P.S. I was told that warn actually makes the hubs, they were designed by Ford.
My vaccum lines were falling apart, and If your offroading and accidently hit one they wouldn't be hard to break or pull off.
P.S. I was told that warn actually makes the hubs, they were designed by Ford.
threejacks
Full Access Member
janders said:
There are two different hubs. "Free" and "Lock" and "Auto" and "Lock"
The Auto and Lock hubs when working properly will engage with vaccum from ESOF switch when they are in the Auto position. They disengage when turned off. When manually locked the hubs are engaged all the time.
The Free and Lock hubs are just that. They have to be manually turned to the lock position to engage. In the free position they are not engaged.
The hubs being locked or auto has nothing to do with the transfer case being in gear or not. It works separately from the hubs.