Hello Jeff and welcome to FTE

By front lockouts sticking do you mean that they stay locked in when they should not be or that the axle freezes up (as in will not turn as it should?) By "spindle gears" are you refering to the splines on the axles where they extend through the spindles into the locking hubs? I'm not aware of any gears other than the ones inside the diff (ring, pinion, spider and side gears) I'm not sure what exactly you're describing. You should be able to drive with the lockouts locked without damaging anything. Perhaps you could be a bit more descriptive. People on this board know everything there is to know about the Dana model 50 front axle in your truck and could undoubtedly help.