I just bought a 1994 F150 4x4 with a 302 and E4OD tranny. I've noticed that some people have replaced the auto locking hubs with manual locking ones. Why do people do this? Mine still has the auto locking hubs on it. Auto locking hubs seems to me a nice feature to have. Just wondering.

 

The number one reason people change them out is cause the manual hubs are a lot stronger.
Also because some people get sick of not knowing if the hubs are unlocked.
I don’t want to alarm you; auto hubs are plenty strong enough on the street, and mild off road.
If you don’t do much off road, and don’t mind the auto hubs, just use em till they break.

 

Anyone who is serious about offroading will install manual hubs as a replacement to the auto hubs. Auto hubs have a nasty habit of not engaging when you really need them although forgetting to lock your hubs in when your are wheel deep in mud....welll, D'OH ! The design of the auto hubs also leads to wear, to the point when they stop working. I have Warn premiums on my truck and they ae fool proof as long as the fool remembers to lock them in. I tried a truck with auto hubs and the engage button on the dash and almost had a coronary when the thing went BANG when I pushed the button to engage 4x4 at any thing faster than a crawl. I leave my hubs locked in most of the winter and can shift in and out of 4x4 at highway speeds at will, with no banging at all.

 

I would recommend the WARN manual hubs.
My old auto hubs went out twice, once while hunting and once on a construction site.
The Warn hubs have been in for years with no problems.
Gene

 

What's the cost difference between auto and manual hubs? Does that play a part in which people choose.

 

When my auto hubs went out on my Bronco, I had to buy the entire assembly, and it was ~$250 per side. The Warn premuims ran me $90 for both sides, a savings of $410. Yep, cost was a factor to me, but I also wanted to know for sure if the hubs were locked or not. Now my only problem is it takes longer than normal for the transfer case to shift back to 2WD when the hubs are locked.

 

My auto hubs went out in my 95 F150, and I replaced them with Warn manual hubs. They went out once, and this second set seems to engage about half the time. I have had it to two shops and the can't tell me why they only work when they feel like it. I don't know if this is a common problem. Anyone...?

 

Where can you buy the auto hubs? In looking at JCWhitney and various places, all I see are the manual hubs. Do you have to get them from a dealer?

 

Yep, dealer only item as far as I could find. I couldn't find a set of aftermarket auto-locking hubs to save my life.

 

>My auto hubs went out in my 95 F150, and I replaced them
>with Warn manual hubs. They went out once, and this second
>set seems to engage about half the time. I have had it to
>two shops and the can't tell me why they only work when they
>feel like it. I don't know if this is a common problem.
>Anyone...?


You could check to see if there is too much grease in the hub area. I know that will cause them to not work properly.

I would also look for worn parts on the internal pieces of the hub.



Good luck!


Chris

 

Any idea who makes Ford's auto locking hubs? Or any car makers for that matter? I'm sure they don't.

 

Ford sells an auto hub repair kit.
I think it contains the parts that wear out.
Again, I would recommend the warn manual hubs.
Thanks,
Gene

 

>Any idea who makes Ford's auto locking hubs?

I was talking to a tech guy at Warn just the other day and the subject of hubs came up. He said that they make the o.e. hubs for ford. Don't know if he meant automatic, manual or both.
-Cope

95 F-150 4x4
4.9L M5OD
Front Truetrac Rear Detroit
3.73 Precision Gears
Warn Premiums
4" Superlift Superunner

 

I emailed Warn and they said they do not make any auto locking hubs. I guess they only do manuals. Somebody has to make them though cause I'm sure that Ford and the other carmakers don't make their own.

 

When one of the auto hubs went out in my 94 Explorer the Ford parts guys said that Warn made the auto hubs as well as the manual hubs for Ford. In fact, he said that the replacement auto hubs were one of his best sellers (duh!). When the second auto hub went south, I replaced them with a set of Warn manual units for only about $200 (vs. $550 for a new set of autos). I guess it is time to swap out the autos on my 92 F-150 before next winter. Maybe I'll put the autos from the F-150 (they are still working, but I just don't trust automatic stuff!) on EBAY for someone who really wants auto hubs.