So my SD has the stick on the floor for 4x4. My question is, do i need to go out and lock the hubs everytime this winter or can i have them locked but in 2wd? First 4x4 ive had besides my s10 blazer.... barf

 

yes u can just leave the hubs locked for the winter, then just shift into 4WD as needed.

just be sure to unlock the hubs about once a month for a short drive to make sure everything has a chance to free up and not get stuck/frozen into place.

also dont forget to unlock the hubs come spring time. or you'll just be spinning the U-joints for no reason

 

Awesome. Now, do i need to stop and shift into neutral before going into 4hi or is that just lo?

 

I believe you can change from 2Hi to go to 4Hi without going into neutral. But in order to go to 2hi to 4lo you do need to put it in neutral. I am not sure though I have ESOF on our 02 F250 and all our trucks with the shifter on the floor our 80s and 90s.
Trav

 

you can shift on the fly (well driving) so long as the rear wheels are not spinning. lock the hubs and shift in/out as needed. mine stay locked all winter but i'm also in 4x4 all winter.

 

Thanks for the advice all!!!

 

i dont see the point of unlocking them? i run mine locked 6 months(about 5k miles) out of the year every day and every spring they go right back to the unlocked/auto position without issue. same way i've done it with my '91 f-250 and all my excursions.

 

My hubs say "auto" and "lock" on them, I don't have to actually turn them at all unless for some reason they don't engage on their own. You can check yours to see what they say...

 

He has manual 4x4 (lever), you have electronic 4x4 (switch).

 

Yea. Mine is manual. Which i think id rather have. Lol

 

FYI, in the "auto" you can only go into 4hi, you have to lock the hubs for 4lo

 

This is incorrect.

You can go into 4 low with the electronic system with the hubs in auto. You have to stop, put the truck in park or neutral with your foot on the brake, and flip the switch. My 2000 and my 2011 both work this way.

 

I lock the manual hubs first snow. I leave locked until spring. I shift the lever to 4x4 as needed, but do so when stopped with trans in neutral. Been doing this way for 6 years and so far, so good!

 

Interesting mine will not go into 4 low without locking the hubs

 

I'll admit I've had my fair share of times that it wouldn't go into 4 low. Sometimes I'd have to coast a bit in D, then flip it to N, come to a complete stop (brake pedal depressed), then flip the switch. It seemed that if there was any bind in the system, it wouldn't engage.