I was thinking about getting manual hubs. Which ones are the best ones to get? Should I get them if my auto ones are working fine?

 

I got Warn Premiums from amazon for about $200 to my door.

Your autos will stop working eventually. Personally if I could still turn the dial on the autos to ensure I had 4x4 even with a vaccum leak I would keep the stockers.

 

So I am a little stupid here could someone please school me.

How do my hubs currently work?

I assume that when they are in the Auto position I turn my dial and as long as I have power going to the drive train (and they are working correctly) it should engage. If I turn them to the locked position then they are locked in for sure. Does the vacuum still need to work to lock them in?

Little confused here.

 

Only the stockers will allow the "Automatic 4x4". It actuates via vacuum line. Any aftermarket hub will remove that feature. You'll have to het out and twist them. I always install warn premiums. Never have had one fail. Part Number 38826 lists for your truck and install pretty easy. LostMyBeer is a new proud owner of some new chrome and gold hubs

 

Kind of. In auto, you're relying on the vacuum system to engage the hubs. This is where the problems usually come in. It is a weak vacuum signal and any leaks will render it useless. In lock, you've connected the hubs to the front dif and driveshaft, but not the transfer case. The transfer case is engaged when you turn the dial in the cab. That is the clunk you hear. No 4x4 until the t-case is engaged. So, in lock, when your driving around the, the front drive shaft will "free wheel". No real harm, truck works a tiny bit harder since there are more moving parts.

So, installing manuals or running in locked acomplishes the same thing. You need to stop, lock, and at some point throw the switch. If you got with a set of WARNs you will notice that they are significantly better built, no plastic, the oem hubs pale in comparison.

Personally, I would advise anybody to lock their auto hubs if they know they are headed into bad roads. I would not trust my rig/life to the notoriously flakey ESOF system.

 

I am the proud owner of some new Premuim Warn Hubs, the best part is they actually work. I also had the assistance of BoyerCustomTruck. Did a few other things in the shop besides the hubs too.

 

When the warn hubs are in the Unlocked position, is there any drag on the truck?

 

Nope, none at all.

 

On my truck i have the stock hubs but i always have to get out and turn them...i assume because they have a vacuum leak. Is there any advantage to switching to warn manual hubs since i still have to get out and lock them?

 

Yeah, the ESOF hubs can remain locked in even when they are in auto postion and no vacuum going to them. Ask me how I know(Was wondering where my fuel mileage went)! I just greased them about 10k miles ago. All this on top of all the problems I have had with O-rings. I will be getting a set of the lower grade Warns ASAP. I'm going with the lower grade Warns just because I want the 1/4 turn instead of a full turn.

 

A word of advise if you don`t know where the vaccum leak is. Pull the vaccum lines off the hubs and where it comes off the frame. Then plug those lines. What happens when you throw the 4x4 switch on the dash it applies vaccum to the hub as well as engaging the t-case. If the leak is in the hub because of a bad seal there is a good chance that you will be pulling in a small amount of moisture since the the hub is supposed to be air tight when vaccum is applied to it. Eventually you will start to get corrosion inside. If you do get warn hubs make sure the the knuckle that the hubs go into will hold vaccum before you remove the stock hubs, that way you will know that the seals are okay. Roy

 

deemac - From the looks of your pic you wheel hard. WARNs are much heavier duty than the oem. No plastic in the WARNs, more than you would like to think in oems. FWIW WARN 11690s also work for our trucks. They'll save you $50 over the premiums, but the premiums are better looking.

 

warn premium i love mine i put em on about 2 weeks ago served me really good wheeling today

 

i dont have the switch on my dash, just the manual transfer case shifter on the floor. Are the hubs still vacuum operated or are mine maybe factory manual hubs or something?

 

Yours are factory manual Deermac.

I love my Warn Premiums they look good and lock easy. You can go with the regular warns they do the same functions and are just as reliable.