ExV10 - ok thanks I didn't try it on the road, lord knows I got enough issues without driving around with 1 hub locked and 1 unlocked on purpose. Kind of manual hub - transfer case novice really figuring this out as I go. Appreciate of your input. Will see what the camera tells me on the rear shaft here in a bit.

 

A camera won't show you anything. Check your front wheel bearings by jacking it up and shaking the wheel to check for looseness and just replace the bad one if there is one bad.

 

How's the gear oil?

 

Gear oil? As in oil in the Gear Box? I don't know about oil, haven't actually checked, but did tighten it up last week. Well I didn't had to have someone help me - I couldn't break the nut on the top off to even get to the adjuster. But he says he turned it about a full turn - in two stages. Steering was loose and that did help. Any chance tightening the gear box too much could cause a humming/roaring sound at high speed??

 

Or did you mean Differential oil/gears?

 

He means in the differential. Check for fulness and contamination. The steering gear is normally called the steering box.

 

Differential is fluid is full and clean, no shavings. Is play in the right front wheel when pulled from 12 and 6, on the drive shaft balance - no wobble with the camera test. I was using the camera to look for an out of balance shaft not the hub unit.

So new hub next week. Hoping it fixes things finally.

 

The camera won't show an unbalanced shaft. It sounds like that wheel needs a new wheel hub like the mechanic said. Look into that some more.

 

Hubs and Rims 16x8 American Racing Rims are scheduled to go on this Tuesday after the holiday weekend. May be delayed because I discovered today that my new rims need push through center caps and 2" long closed end lug nuts. Another c-spot gone an should have late next week.

So my question is should I go ahead and have my mechanic do the hubs, mount/balance and install the new wheels and just have him use the current lug nuts. What is on there now are just OEM lugs for an Excursion or any F250 truck and are covered by OEM caps. The new rims need the push through caps and XL studs that you need to have in Chrome if you don't want it to look silly.

Would using the smaller standard lugs to mount these wheel with no center caps cause any issues? The kugs for the new wheels are conical 14 x 2 closed end chrome. Other than it looking stupid will driving it with new hubs and wheels with the standard lugs on it - hurt anything?

I can pull the wheels, insert the caps and change out the lugs when those items arrive, just don't want to drive it around if using those shorter lug bolts will damage anything.

 

That's a lot of work, I would look deeper into the nut situation. I would only replace the bad front hub (if there is one). What if you wanted to go back to stock wheels?

 

I can still later go back to stock wheels - just would have to change lug nuts and caps back. Lugs are the same on current hubs and new hubs. The problem is the new wheels have beveled (conical) lug holes and the original wheels have flat so the current lug nuts won't work, plus with the new rims the lugs are exposed so I need cap end nuts that are chrome. I am going to do both front hubs, not passing on the deal to put 2 in with free labor and found a really good deal on 2 Timken front hub assemblies.

 

You cannot use your factory flat lug nuts on lug centric wheels that require conical lug nuts. You will damage the conical seats on your new wheels, they may not tighten down correctly, and will probably vibrate terribly in the road. Wait until you get new conical lug nuts. I had to wait for mine to come in when I switched to lug centre wheels. Im impatient but it was something I had to do.

 

You must use the nuts that are for the wheel. Cone for cone, flat on flat. I thought you said you had to change lugs which is why I said that's too much work.

 

Update - the Ex has two new front hub units, new rims and a road force balance done. The roar is gone! The front passenger hub was completely shot. Down to new tires and finishing the restoration of the frame (posted pictures on that here) https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...and-after.html and then the Ex will be complete.

Rust photos post