I have searched the site and found very helpful articles on the change from OEM style auto locking hubs to the Warn or Milemaker style manual ones. Since my wife will be driving the 2002 F-250 that we just purchased I don't want to try and convince her to get out in the uck and turn the center and then remember to reverse the process.

So, don't laugh, I have purchased the two FoMoCo auto locking hubs that will replace the frozen ones now on the truck.

My question is there any specific procedure(s) beyond what I have read on the manual series of removal, clean interior splines thouroughly, relube with hi-temp bearing grease, lube the new locking hub and reverse the removal process for reasembly?

Any cautions or helpful insight will be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance, Fx.

 

Just a note ..... you do realize that manual hubs can remain in the "locked" position all the time ---- whether the transfer case is in 4WD or not? You're wife would not have to hop out and lock the hubs when she wants to engage 4WD, and she would not have to unlock the hubs when she is taking the truck out of 4WD.

Reading your post, I was not sure if you understood that.

Good luck.
Jim

 

I would not write off your "frozen" ones yet. The best source for taking them apart and putting them together is Guszzle's web page: Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Autolock Hub Lubrication Maintenance Web Page

I also went to the wreckers and learned a few things. I ran into an Excursion that had hubs, but they were not manual nor were they "auto locking". They just worked on the vacuum. The centre piece would not rotate, nor where there markings for rotation but there was a dot on the outer housing.

I had one hub that once put in lock and then back to auto would not disengage the inner spines. So I put them back together after cleaning and lubing in auto and just did not turn the dial to lock. This way my wife and yours could turn the dial in the cab to 4x4 and the front will engage.

When you put it back to 2wd the front disengages, asuming that the vacuum system works. I don't think I would ever go to locking, just keep it in auto like the Excursion. BTW I am pretty sure that the Excursion hubs would fit your truck instead of buying new auto-lock hubs. Every once in a while I would engage 4x4 just to lube-rotate the front assemblies.

When you take the hubs apart, there is a plastic assembly that latches and unlatches by compression. Make sure that this plastic assembly is functioning properly. I had to slightly bend one of the steel fingers so it would work properly. If the assembly is latched it won't come apart, 2wd. If the assembly is unlatched it will come apart, 4wd. It should click between latched and unlatched because thats what the vacuum does. When everything is put together in auto, the inner spline should rotate. If not, the assembly on the outboard side of the diaphram may be sticking and you may have to push on the diaphram by hand while turning the **** to get the piece under the diaphram to move outboard for auto.

This makes more sense when you have taken apart and put together the hubs a couple of times.

Hope this helps.

 

You can probably fix the ones you have. I would try first. There isn't much to them. Many times you can free the dial also.

 

I never understood why so many here have knocked the Ford hubs and replaced them with manuals Warns or another brand when they fail. I mean if the auto portion fails then you just treat them as a manual, big woop. Why go out and spend good money for new manual hubs that will do the same job as the original failed Ford hubs.

 

Not only that, but the stock ones aren't hard to fix and are much more convenient. The wrecking yard should have some also.

 

They're hard to fix if the plastic center is broken.

 

Jumk yard.

 

Sorry but, Ha ha.

 

I can only speak for the Warn Premiums ..... but, they were built stronger than my stock '02 ESOF hubs.

A rock cracked the pot metal -looking steel in my oe hub, destroying it.

 

Are they hard to find in the junk yards? I've never shopped for one.