My stock hubs work fine, but for future reference, are there any higher quality, rebuildable hubs that work with the ESOF system?

I use my ESOF frequently. For example, my driveway and my cul-de-sac/street can be snowy/icy but the main streets can be fine. So I'll use the ESOF to go into 4x4 for the first couple of minutes of my trip, then switch it off. On the way home, I'll re-engage it for the trip up the street and driveway.

I wouldn't want to have to hop out of the truck every time I wanted to switch.

 

I mean this in good faith........

Why is everyone always replacing parts on Fords and/or American vehicles with aftermarket stuff??? Why should we bail Ford, GMC, Chevy, out of their bulll$hip situation because they under engineer their vehicles. I own a Lexus, Mercedes, and a Porsche, besides my 2004-X and yes I do put some money in my other (3) cars here-and- there, but I use OME, because they make quality parts. I been on this site for a while now and sometimes I just shake my head in discuss because of what “WE” as owners put up with.

Example: Ford knows that the “ungreasable” ball joints have failed for decades, but they still “stick it too us” with the crap balljoints, they know the steering gets sloppy after 40,000K on the SD, but they want you to replace the whole front end, instead of just tightening the steering box (simple fix), they have known for years that simple things like the door lock actuators are CRAP, but they do absolutely nothing. I could go on and on!

This site is the best, I really mean that....but it seems like just a place to vent, rather than a place to make a difference. As a group we should “GANG” up on the auto industry and DEMAND them to make a difference. Make a vehicle that does not nickle-and-dime the average “Joe” to death. Thanks to the f-ing greedy upper management....all the down to the management (butt kissers managers)on the assembly floo,r and the cry baby “greedy union workers” we pay for their Fine Living?????????????????.

Nuff-Said

 

Now I'm not the expert but a simple explanation, years ago you had the manual hubs and a manual transfer case. When you had the hubs in the unlocked position it released the wheels from the front drive shafts allowing the front wheel to "Free Wheel".

You were then in 2 wheel drive. When you locked the front hubs to the locked position, it bound the wheels to the axles which in turn rotated the front drive shaft. This unlocking allowed for better gas mileage and less wear and tear on the front differentials.

When you needed Four Wheel Drive you locked the front hubs and put it in 4 Wheel High or Low on the manual transfer case. Kind of like another transmission after the engines transmission to transfer power to the front and rear wheels.

Now the Ford ESOF (Electronic Shift on the Fly) is vacuumed controlled with a diaphragm inside the front hubs that pulls the hub into engage it when it's in Auto position with the touch of a button instead of having to stop to engage the manual transfer case.

Now most people never touch or serviced the hubs and they have a tendency to get stuck in whatever position they are left in. So when you decide to either change it's position or service it because of something malfunctioning, they don't work.

Now Ford in there infinite wisdom will sell you new hubs for 300-400 each side or you can buy a manual aftermarket hub for 150-200 a pair that doesn't have the auto locking feature.

I'm sure I missed something and someone else will be more than happy to fill in the blanks.

Sorry for the long winded post....

 

thanks steve. so basically if my esof doesnt work i can manually do it from outside of the vehicle? so like a backup? and people without the outside hubs are pretty much screwed?

 

No, not exactly. If you have a problem with the ESOF either electronically or machanically you still might have trouble with Four Wheel Drive.

Everyone has the hub selectors from the factory, same as your setup. The differance is you have an electronic shifter not a manual transfer case.

No one has the manual transfer case with the Ex, it's all Electronic the choice that people make is fixing or replacing there hubs with aftermarket and lose the EOFS.

I hope that was a little clearer.

 

I'm with you on this. My hubs ESOF works fine, but they are frozen in the auto position. I have not yet attempted anything to free them up, part of it is because I'm afraid I will make them not work at all by playing with it.

I am ok with using aftermarket replacements, but I don't want to lose the ESOF feature... I wouldn't mind locking the hubs before I think I need 4x4 (altho it would be an inconvenience) but I mostly want it for when my wife drives the X. If the roads are slippery I don't want her to have to think of it ahead of time or pull over to lock the hubs.

 

There are currently no after market hubs that will work with the ESOF system,Ford is the only hub that is ESOF operated.The after market hubs have to be manually locked outside the cab.With the exception of the 4x4 purists,I bet some guys would keep the ESOF system if someone made a high quality replacement.

 

Just perform the guzzle maint on them before you try to un jam them and possibly break something. The link is on page 1. Very easy to do, as I have experienced myself. The other option is to find used hubs from auto wreckers.

 

I have the mile marker 449ss on my X. My stock ones were sticking so I wanted something that I could rely on. Well worth it. And it only takes about 15 seconds to get out and lock em. I still have my stock ones in my basement.

 

Before I would give up on the ESOF hubs I would do the maintenance as referenced by Sddesigns in post #13. I had a bad hub experience last week in the snow with my X. My ESOF would not stay engaged in 4wd. The hubs were stuck in auto and I could not manually lock them in. I finally got some liquid wrench(or WD40) and a pipe wrench and sprayed thoroughly in the cracks of the hub and ever so slowly worked the hub until it started to move. Then I locked the hubs in. I do like the ESOF hubs better than the old auto hubs because you can manually lock them in. I have not had good luck with Fords Auto hubs. They do not seem to work for me when I need them. My 96 Ford F250 Autohubs would stick and not engage in below freezing weather sometimes, causing alot of aggrivation. I ended up having them replaced under warranty, I wanted them to replace them with manual hubs but they had to replace them with stock autohubs. Next chance I get I am going to take my X to my local mechanic and have them lubricate the ESOF hubs so I can turn them with my hands. Sometimes it helps to read the manual and understand what you have to do to engage them. I realized that you should not shift on the fly in below freezing weather but rather stop put it in neutral then turn the switch, similar to turning from 4H to 4L. Sometimes it takes a few seconds for the vacuum to "lock" the hubs in.

 

I agree...once you do it once. it's probably a 15 minute job per side. Just follow the instructions.

 

And it's not a big deal to leave the hubs locked while you are driving on mixed surfaces and switching between 4HI and 2HI. You'll lose some efficiency because the axles and front drive shaft are always turning, but you won't do any damage because the front diff allows mismatched speeds between the front wheels. Many 4x4 vehicles have permanently locked front hubs, including the Expedition.

 

Well said, you can leave them locked, you'll just lose a little bit of fuel mileage. I offroad mine in the snow and last season couldn't shift in 4WD which was a major issue. I did the Dynatrac Free-Spin conversion with the Warn hubs to remove any concern.

 

Is there any need to put the truck in reverse and back up twenty feet
like with the old automatic hubs in order to get them to disengage?

Even my other truck (1991 F-350 Centurion) with manual Warn hubs
seems to need me to back up in oredr to get it to disengage.
I didn't expect this with manual locking hubs - but they seem to
hang up.

The hubs on my Excursion (2000 7.3L PSD) will only lock manually.
I need to see if there is a leak or a blown fuse in the power supply
to the vacuum pump (I used to hear the pump running, and haven't
been hearing it lately - it sounded like a small 12V air compressor)

 

Nope - does it right away.