Auto hubs stuck in locked position??

[Jasonburton]

Well I put my 97 F250 in 4wd last night, and now it seems like the hubs may be stuck. I noticed vibrations while driving and binding in the steering on the way to work. When i got under the truck I attempted to turn the axle shafts and driveshaft and nothing would turn. What can i do to fix this?

[1dieselman]

If you backed up a few feet and they didn't disengage I would say pull them apart, clean and lube them and reinstall. Others would say change over to manual hubs. I've been using the auto hubs for years, haven't had any problems but I do keep a spare just in case.

[madpogue]

^^^^^ +1; keep in mind that the auto hubs are centrifugal. They won't unlock after shifting the t-case to 2HI until you've backed up something like 10 ft. But manual lockouts are the way to go anyway. Nothing like knowing for sure whether you're locked in or not.

[Dr.Evil]

Originally Posted by madpogue

manual lockouts are the way to go anyway. Nothing like knowing for sure whether you're locked in or not.

Yes they are! I've put right at half a million miles on three Ford 4X4's with manual hubs and never had a single problem with any of them. Plus you can convert to manual hubs for about what it costs to repair ONE auto hub.

I've NEVER heard of anyone converting to auto hubs from manuals but many people have converted to manuals that had auto's.

[1dieselman]

Originally Posted by Dr.Evil

I've NEVER heard of anyone converting to auto hubs from manuals but many people have converted to manuals that had auto's.

Guess I would be a first then. I converted my truck to auto when we first got it because my wife was driving it mostly and I really didn't want her getting out of the truck on the side of the road to lock them in.

[madpogue]

Originally Posted by 1dieselman

Guess I would be a first then. I converted my truck to auto when we first got it because my wife was driving it mostly and I really didn't want her getting out of the truck on the side of the road to lock them in.

Well, how often do you get into a situation where you need the 4x4, but didn't anticipate it before starting out? Up here, if there's any chance you'll need 4x4 on a given trip, you lock in before you set out. Some fellas just keep the hubs locked all winter.

[1dieselman]

I certainly understand that where you are located. Here in Arizona I've been in situations where it will be sunny and 60* and thirty miles up the highway will be snowing its azz off. Actually that happens quite often here.

[Jasonburton]

Thanks for all of the quick response! I did back up after I took the truck out of 4wd. And several times now to try to get it unstuck and nothing. Does anyone have a write up on removal, cleaning and reinstall of the hubs? Should I just use brake cleaner? Lube with grease?

[p_ferlow]

this is an old post so i'll revive it.

passenger hub stiff impossible to rotate so pulled it apart very little grease inside. but after pulling all pieces out of hub, the dial is still only turnable by pliers!

how do u get the dial part out for lube cleaning?

can't figure out how to remove rubber membrane bottom of hub inside.

[1dieselman]

Try adding a few drops of light oil (atf or 3in1 etc.) in the gap between the dial and hub body on the external side. That should loosen it up. The o-ring in there is probably dry and full of dirt.

[p_ferlow]

Ok. Gave up for now, pulled the big gear and stiff smaller diameter spring outta the hub body, put it back together so I can at least drive without it dragging my mpg from 17-18 down to 12mpg!!

I ordered a pair of new hubs off ebay from Brand New Set Pair 2 Auto Locking Front Hubs 2000 2005 Ford Excursion | eBay (Tasca autoparts) Just under $400 bucks! Ouch.

Manual hubs don't interest me. If u get stuck in snow on the road or hwy not that safe to get out and lock the hubs or if you wanna rip it off the lights in the rain to show someone up... I like my auto hubs. Hey... they're over 10yrs old so whatever.

I'll try soaking the stiff dial and def gonna do the same for driver's side hub after I got the new ones installed. Keep at least one for a spare.

[Patrick Feeley]

I'm another manual hub fan. My wife usually drives the truck, so if the weather looks iffy (we do get snow here), I just lock them. After that it's just shift on the fly! Cheers!

[madpogue]

^^^^ Yup, lotta guys just lock their hubs around mid-December and leave them locked 'til spring.

Another cool feature of manual hubs - "2LO". If you need to reeeeaaaalllly creep along, say when backing a trailer, leave the hubs unlocked, throw it in 4LO, and you have a nice creeper gear.

[Dr.Evil]

Actually running in 4WD with the t-case in 2-hi is a good idea every month or two for a few miles. Keeps the u-joints on the frt drive shaft & axle from tightening up.

If I knew I might need 4WD I'd lock the hubs before I even got in the truck when I left the house. If I needed 4WD it'd be to get up the slope of my driveway to the road. Only takes 15 seconds to pull to the side of the road, give the lock-outs a quarter turn to engage/disengage the hubs and be back in the cab.

If you want to "Show Off" just leave them locked in and use the T-case for "Shift-on-the-fly like Partick says.

About 2-3 weeks after I got my first 4WD, '78 F150 SWB reg cab, 300-6/NP435/NP205 t-case/9" rear axle/Dana 44 mono-beam frt axle.... Wife drove it out to her sister's place. In that part of the midwest they "OIL" roads in summer, stinky black tar they have to heat to 140-160 degrees to spray down on the roads. She was driving along the ditch off the oiled part of the road and the frt wheel dropped into a hole. She figured out ALL by herself from the instructions on the driver's sun visor how to engage the frt hubs, shift the T-case, and backed right out of the hole.

I don't think Dodge has offered lock-out hubs for 20 yrs on their 4X4's, and Chevy/GMC hasn't had them for almost as long. It really doesn't hurt a thing to run in 2-Hi with them locked in. Costs maybe 1/2 to 1 MPG is all. And if that's not O-K, why are you driving a 7000# truck to begin with?

[westvandude]

I posted by accident on my old username "p_ferlow", anyway, bought the new ESOF AUTO hubs from Tasca.

Essentially they are fancy manual hubs if you really want to look at it but I spent enough years in my Toyota pickup getting out in pouring rain, mud, snow to lock the hubs in so been-there-done-that. No manual hubs for me.

I gotta replace the vacuum lines in the wheel wells on my truck... you get black fingers just touching them lightly and they feel like poo.

ESOF diagnosis here:

How To: Find and Diagnose ESOF Hub Vacuum Leaks - YouTube

How To: Find and Diagnose ESOF Hub Vacuum Leaks - YouTube

Try that if Guzzle's esof hub clean/lube doesn't fix it.