I have a 04 350 psd 4wd with manual locking hubs. I live in Vermont where many of the main roads stay clear but traveling on and off secondary roads sometimes requires 4wd high. My question is how often should I luck and unlock the hubs. I have heard that some people lock in the hubs in the winter and don't unlock them for months. Wouldn't this cause excess wear? Any recommendations?

 

I have the manual hubs and leave them locked in most of the winter unless I do a long trip on the highway for several hundred miles. You lose fuel milage keeping the hubs locked which turns the front axle and shafts.

In my own opinion the front unlocked is less wear but locked it will reduce moisture damage to idle joints with winter weather conditions.

 

I'm not easily sold on things that are Automatic. But I do like my Automatic hubs.

That said, Maximum is spot on. But, , If you get a chance to watch a SD4x4 while on the road, you might notice that even if the hubs are unlocked, there's still a bit of rotation in the front drive train. Not to full speed, but just from bearing friction in the transfer case. So I don't think that things stay static if the rig hits highway speeds.

Two win/win options here:

• Install Automatic locking hubs. (which might just pay for them selves over time especially in convenience) (I've run locked hubs in the winter on pavement with other rigs and, I've suffered abnormal tire where and increased turning radius on dry pavement.
• Install a locking rear differential for more traction/equal torque at both rear wheels.

 

I had to replace a set of automatics on a friend’s truck after they engaged and disengaged under load and snapped the front axle short shaft. I have been a fan of Warn Hubs with no problems so far. Locking hubs are better than axle disconnects from my experience and hope Ford does not go with a system like that.

Each hub has a draw back.

Steve, you pointed out something I have never noticed so I will have to watch another SuperDuty.

 

Maximum, I noticed that on a SD when I was driving the wife's rig one day. (her Cherokee sits lower than my SD) The front drive shaft was turning just a couple revolutions every hundered yards or so at hiway speeds. I've noticed older rigs do that too.

One easy way to tell if your front pinion is turning when things are unlocked, is to make a chalk mark on the housing lined up with the yoke. Check it after a 50mph trek. You'll most likely notice that the lines don't line up any more. I used some cotton string tieing the yoke static once to see how much friction rotation was there on my rig. The string actually held for a couple of days and finally broke.

As for automatic hubs breaking things. I guess that I have to agree that they can be dangerous if not kept in check. I'd never lock in 4x4 on the fly if things were spinning out of control. It's always best to mesh things up when all rotating masses are stopped. That's why there is a manual selection for hub engagement. Other than that, when engaging 4x4, all drive train rotating masses should be running roughly the same speeds before things are locked up and power is applied.

 

I put Warn manual hubs in my truck as soon as I brought it home from the dealer along with a posi trac locker in the front.. I live in NJ and dont get a whole lot of snow or go off the road at all.. (i have a 86 f150 4x4 for the woods) so i rarely ever lock the hubs in.. Another problem with the auto hubs is they are plastic. If u ever have a wheel bearing problem or brake problem they will melt and be a problem to get out..So my 2cents is stick with manual it only takes 10 extra seconds..

 

I only lock my hubs when it is snowing, or I am on my way to an off-road site. Leaving the hubs locked in all the time reduces fuel economy, tire life, and, believe it or not, emergency handling capability. Plus there is the annoyance of having the U-joints jerk the wheel clear out of your hands when you're parking.

 

Steve

I had the automatics on my other truck with no problems. I replaced them when I hit 60,000. Friend of mine was backing his boat in the barn, an uphill grade, when the hub did a jump and snapped the short shaft.

I like the idea of a locker in the front. Been looking but not really sure what I would want. ARB maybe?

 

VT Diesel

I think the ideas posted here give you an idea of what to expect. I keep my hubs locked in winter weather because I am getting to old and lazy to jump in and out of the truck. For the last 2 days I have been running in 4WD for this weather.....freezing rain with a mix of snow and frozen fog....

 

Maximum,

Weird for that hub to have done that. Weird... I don't replace hubs at any mileage. Just clean and regrease every 50k or so.

As for the locker in the front diff... I've done it with a Ford Traction lock and once even installed a Detroit Locker in the front of a converted 1/2-3/4 ton Ford. (Yeah, 3/4 ton running gear with coil front suspension. Rode nice.) The only way I'd do it again would be an air locker if it's my pavement driver. If it's a farm rig, I'd go detroit at both ends.

With the Detroit in a Dana44 up front and the TracLoc in a Dana60 rear, I broke five axles in 2.5 years. Four of them up front. That was with the stock Ford large hubs of that era. (I set the spring preload and added an additional clutch ring in the rear TracLoc so "Limited Slip" was very Limited.)