I am new to 4WD with manual front hubs. How fast and how far can I drive with my front hubs locked while remaining in 2WD? If I leave for work on the snowy back roads and lock them in and shift into 4WD, then after a few miles get on a clear road, can I stay in the truck and shift back in to 2WD and drive for several miles without unlocking the front hubs? Does this cause damage? Thanks.

 

There is no reason that you can't drive as far and as fast as you want with the hubs locked. Mine have been locked for a couple of months now, because we've been getting off and on weather. I've driven at least one long distance trip over the mountain and a lot around town. The drive train is designed to handle it.

The only problem you should see is a slight fuel mileage drop, because you are turning a few more parts.

 

What he said. mine stay locked all winter long because road conditions can change quickly around here. mpgs go down a little... but i didn't buy a Superduty to be fuel efficient.

 

I've gone 80 MPH with the front hubs locked with no ill effect.

 

Thanks all for the quick replies. Good to know.

 

Mine stay locked through winter, b/c i'm in and out of 4wd. The mpgs go down a bit, but since I drive with a plow attached, the mpgs suffer anyways.

 

Also, you may notice a little more drive train noise with the hubs locked. This is normal.

 

Ignorant here. What is the point of having an auto and manual lock option on my 06 F350? In what scenario would you want to lock out the hubs manually when, by flipping the 4WD switch the hubs will lock automatically?

 

The manual lock serves as a backup to the automatic system. The automatic system isn't perfectly reliable. It is, in my opinion, no where near as unreliable as people will say. It's probably one of the more reliable automatic systems I've seen. However, if it fails, you could be stuck. So you have the manual option.

I tend to lock my hubs when we're having the kind of weather we're having right now and leave them in. It is pretty much guaranteed right now that I'm going to see ice somewhere and, while my hubs lock 99% of the time, it's that 1% when I hit a spot of ice that can really ruin your day.

Otherwise I keep them unlocked and allow the automatic system to do it's job.

It is a good idea to lock your hubs occasionally. The dials can freeze up from not being used, and if you have a failure of the auto system, then you're really stuck.

 

Does anyone know who makes manual hubs for a dually. I have a 2001 f350 V10. Warn and Mile Marker's application charts say they are not for dually's. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

I'm not familiar enough with the dually. Is there something about the front axle that is different than the SRW?

 

David, makes sense, thanks.

 

The manual hubs can be locked in for long periods of time and the truck can be driven at high rates of speed with no ill effects to the axle or front drivetrain.

I live in the south where there is no snow, but I will still lock my hubs on occasion and drive in 2wd for long distances of 100 miles or greater. For instance, if I'm going hunting on the weekend, I sometimes lock my hubs on Friday afternoon when I'm getting gas and groceries before heading out. That way, when I get to the lease, I'm ready to pull the magic 4wd lever and use it as needed- 4x4 Low or 4x4 High- no stopping except to engage 4x4 Low.

I have not observed any noticeable fuel mileage losses while running down the road with the front hubs locked that go outside of normal economy fluctuations we all see. One tank might be 12.5mpg and the next one might yield 11.8mpg whether the hubs are locked or not.

I run with my hubs locked quite a bit because, in my opinion, more can go wrong with a front axle that's stationary for long periods of time than one that's spinning. Front axle u-joints freeze up and rust from lack of use. So do the ***** you turn to lock the hubs. I think it's good for the front ring and pinion gears to move and circulate the lube inside the differential housing. Late model GM and Dodge (or Chrysler/Fiat/whatever they are now) front axles turn all the time and have no way to un-couple the front drive axle from the wheels.