Ok, I have 4x4 and I want to know if I leave the manual hub caps in the "LOCKED" position will that cause any problems in the long run, IE will I damage any thing or can that cause any thing else to break?

 

If I'm thinking of it correctly, yes it will cause extra wear and tear. Basically when they're locked, the front axles are connected to the wheels and that causes the front diff to spin at all times - as well as certain gears in the transfer case. When they're unlocked, the front wheels are free-spinning.

I guess that's the easiest way to think of it.

 

other then hurt your fuel mileage it shouldnt hurt anything.

 

geez you guys are quick, 5 min and i already have a responce , ok so the gears and all that should be fine as is just as long as im not thrashing the truck? i just want to be assured that leaving the hubs locked won't cause my truck to break down and strand me some where...

 

It won't cause your truck to break down. Some argue that it will cause your front end to wear out prematurely, but I've never heard of anyone saying they wore out their front end. It will definitely affect your mileage though.

 

ok any ideas on how much mileage may vary if they are locked versus if they are not locked?

 

I know when i forget and take off down the road it handles like trash. There is no mistaking when you forgot to unlock them. I have a dana trac-lok limited slip in mine though so yours may act different. My 84 is just an open diff front end and I cannot tell when it is locked in going down the road. I have drove 40 miles at the time with them locked in and it never hurt anything as long as you transfer case is in 2h.

 

Why do you want to drive around with them locked?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. It's one thing if you're driving in snow and want to be able to shift in/out of 4 HI when necessary, but driving with them locked year round? Why?

 

its just a question i wanted to ask and get an answer for as i didn't know and wanted to educate my self more lol, i don't plan on locking them till any snow hits and even then i don't think it will be a big deal with my truck since our storms (even tho been bad lately) don't last long so i plan to keep them locked in winter incase I need the 4 wheel drive part...

 

Bah, just run out and lock them real quick while holding up traffic. That's what I plan on doing.

 

Typically, if I actually have to lock mine in, there isn't any traffic to hold up.

 

I actually had to do that once and had to be carefull not to slip and fall in the process. Everybody was tryin to figure out what the heck i was doing.

 

lol i could only imagine some of the looks you would get..i love my auto hubs but also hate them because i dont exactly trust them

 

I think a few people knew. I've had to pull over and do it once or twice too. One time I was coming out of a backroad in a part of Nevada that couldn't really even be called rural as it implies someone lived in the area. It was remote. I pulled out of the trailhead and stopped by the side of the road and a Nevada highway patrolman just happened to be passing by. He stopped and asked if everything was alright and I told him I was just unlocking the hubs. He said be safe and went on his way.

I do miss that Bronco though.