Front Hubs shot, there has to be a cheaper way - Diesel Forum

MotionMan · 03-21-2006, 06:29 PM

The dealer says $250 a piece...but they can work on that price, like maybe $50 or so. There has to be a better way, isn't there an aftermarket hub with the air actuator so I can use the 4wd like stock? I did a search and I see maybe not but things change and maybe there is one now. Anyone have a used set that work? Help!!!

Bruce1954 · 03-21-2006, 08:27 PM

Sure there may be!

Take a look at hubs

Bruce

MotionMan · 03-21-2006, 11:20 PM

Thanks Bruce, I am the high bidder, I asked if these have the same exact system that my X has, it says for X, I want to make sure it can be used on the dash and by manually locking them. Do you think it is exactly the same as ours? Thanks again.

rexleone · 03-21-2006, 11:48 PM

If you want favorable pricing on OE replacements I'd recommend seeking out Torrie at fastpartsnetwork.com. BTW, used to be Ford Parts Network until Blue Oval attornies showed up seeking a pound of flesh.

Bruce1954 · 03-22-2006, 10:32 AM

No problem

Problem with being high bidder is you may not be in the last few seconds of the auction.

I place most of my bids using Esnipe.com

It places my max bid 5 seconds prior to bid end.

Many times I get what I need others I just help the seller get closer to what it is worth, works for me!

Bruce

MotionMan · 03-22-2006, 02:07 PM

So far I am top bidder, I will be sitting there until 10pm watching. I would go a little higher but not too much. I bet I win this one. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

MotionMan · 03-22-2006, 10:04 PM

Well, i did not win, some tool bought them for $385.00. Just as well, brand new they ar $400 so this jerk desrves to pay the new price for used hubs. I sware, I think the owner bids this up thru friends, why would someone pay this much for a used part when it is only $15 more new? I bet they email me and ask if I want to buy them. I think ebay is a scam, if I could prove it I would sue the seller, I have to bet this was a planned up bid. So I will call the place mentioned, even the dealer said $400 for two. Might as well have new ones. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Bruce1954 · 03-22-2006, 10:37 PM

To bad, Somtimes the priding gets high
You never know who might be bidding
Could be seller or Someone who lives over seas and this was a great price

I have about 150 buys on ebay and about 30 sales

Most all the time it works out ok
Some deals not as good as listed but most times just as listed
Got burned early on for 200 but you learn what not to do.

Bruce

MotionMan · 03-22-2006, 10:43 PM

Well I am in contact with fastparts, we will see what happens, I still think it is a scam, I hope the seller was stuck with them, if they show up again I will know and I will be watching for them. Thanks for the tip though, I really do appreciate it. Mine are stuck and click when I spin the wheel on the jack.

rexleone · 03-23-2006, 01:51 AM

Let me get this straight. You think fastpartsnetwork.com is a scam, or you think the eBay auction was a scam?

I can tell you with great certainty that Torrie at fastpartsnetwork.com is not a scam. I own a Taurus SHO, and FPN is a great friend to the SHO owner community. I don't see why they wouldn't be a friend to the Excursion community as well.

**Beast** · 03-23-2006, 07:21 AM

Do you need two? I have one that is in good shape I could sell you for say $100.

MotionMan · 03-23-2006, 10:42 PM

Oh, no, don't get me wrong, fastparts is totally above board, we are in contact now to buy these hubs, I am not sure where you got that impression, it is ebay that is a scam. fastparst has been fast, courteous and totally cool. Please do not get this confused with ebay. I really need two, anyone with two, or one more, please let me know. Fastparts has them for $230 each...new. I have read my replys over, I am not sure how the confussion came about but it is total confussion. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Heck, I emailed them at 10:30 and had a reply at 10:45, then a price at early am. Service that is unheard of in this industry. I could go on and on about how pleased I am with fastparts and I am not being paid for this testimonial. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Torrie has been great. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

DieselFan · 03-27-2006, 11:15 PM

My front hubs started making clicking noises, within a few hundred miles of each other, at about 80,000 miles. Rather than paying the outrageous price the stealer wanted for them, I looked on this board for alternatives. In my opinion, the Warn manual hubs were the best bet. I belive they were $179 for the pair. From what I read, they are stouter and much more reliable than the original hubs. And there are also detailed instructions on how to cut off the vaccuum hoses so they didn't sit there and "suck air". The only downfall was that they aren't automatic, but that wasn't a big deal to me if they were ultra-dependable. In fact, I'd rather not have the extra vaccuum hose plumbing running down to the wheels which would be just something else to break as I pile up the miles. My $.02...

So I decided at this point to tear into the Ford hubs and try fixing them myself. I figured if I messed them up further, then the Warns would be the way to go. So using instructions I found, again, on this board, I tore them apart, cleaned the parts in solvent, repacked the bearings, and reassembled. The noise went away and they work great. Until the next time of course. So to prevent this from happening again in the future, I'm setting myself up on a 20,000 mile or so PM to clean and repack. But the day even one of them go south, I'm buying a set of Warns.

MotionMan · 03-28-2006, 10:12 PM

I did buy new ones, see my post, and I thought of doing what you did but I kind of messed them up trying to turn them, I cracked the plastic that holds the pourous stone, and I crushed the pourous stone a little also so they are kind of shot. I may keep them "just in case" I thought of the Warn route but I really like the vacuum system and not having to get out and lock them, I use 4WD a lot, summer and winter. The dealer told me to turn the new ones once a week and more in the winter, at this price I will do this. Thanks for the tips, see my request for the swap, sounds like you are an expert at this. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

DieselFan · 03-29-2006, 12:14 AM

Naaa, not an expert by any means, just cheap... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

There's always trade-offs aren't there? I hear you about having to lock/unlock the hubs with the Warns. One added advantage some mentioned was the ability to leave the Warns unlocked, but use low range for things such as backing trailers, etc. And like you said, major disadvantage is having to get out in the rain and slosh around in the mud to lock the hubs, which always seems like the time I'd need to kick them in.

On the subject of 4WD use, an old-timer out in Utah tried to convince me that I should run up and down the jeep trails in 2WD and only use 4WD when I needed to get unstuck. In theory that was a great idea, but I could never make myself do it. If it was bad enough to need 4wd to get a little closer to where I wanted to go, I used it and took my chances. And yeah, I got stuck really, really bad a couple of times... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]