Hub switch won't unlock
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 195
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From: Redwood Valley, CA
Hub switch won't unlock
My truck was involved in an accident and required a replacement front axle be installed due to damage to the housing. The truck was in four wheel drive when my wife got T-boned and drove up over the median twice to avoid a head on. The shop that did the insurance work said they replace the axle with a low mileage used unit, but since then the hub switches aren't working correctly. I have taken it to them 4+ times to look at the issue and I keep telling them that the driver's side hub switch won't release, but I keep getting it back with the same problem. The most recent fix they came up with was to replace switches and electrical components. I am thinking that a vacuum leak in the hub may be to blame. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I am taking the truck back to them again this afternoon as the 1 year warranty on the repairs is up next week.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,450
Likes: 13
From: Forest lake minnesota
My truck was involved in an accident and required a replacement front axle be installed due to damage to the housing. The truck was in four wheel drive when my wife got T-boned and drove up over the median twice to avoid a head on. The shop that did the insurance work said they replace the axle with a low mileage used unit, but since then the hub switches aren't working correctly. I have taken it to them 4+ times to look at the issue and I keep telling them that the driver's side hub switch won't release, but I keep getting it back with the same problem. The most recent fix they came up with was to replace switches and electrical components. I am thinking that a vacuum leak in the hub may be to blame. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I am taking the truck back to them again this afternoon as the 1 year warranty on the repairs is up next week.
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 195
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From: Redwood Valley, CA
no idea what year the axle is from, but the truck is an '02. I am thinking that the hub switch is bad. The problem is that I don't want to fork out cash for new switches when the problem is with this replacement axle and everything worked perfectly before the accident. I replaced the vacuum lines from the knuckle to the frame after the shop had finished the insurance work. The factory lines were looking ragged and I took a shot at a cheap fix, but it didn't fix the problem.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,958
Likes: 4
From: Denver, NC
Not sure if the Older Auto-Hub axle works the same but 2006 (coil-sprung front) has Auto-Hub's too & my right side hub doesn't Un-Lock all the way on its own so ive By-Passed the Auto System.
When system is activated electronically it allows vacuum to lock your Hub's in & when de-activated the Hub is supposed to un-lock on its own (because vacuum is no longer engaging it) so iam thinking your 1 Hub is junk also.
Your lucky though its Cheap/Easy to convert to Warn Hub's on the older Leaf-Sprung Fronts, my 2006 requires what they call a Free-Spin Kit that cost a couple thousand $ which is why i figured out a way to just bypass the Auto for now
When system is activated electronically it allows vacuum to lock your Hub's in & when de-activated the Hub is supposed to un-lock on its own (because vacuum is no longer engaging it) so iam thinking your 1 Hub is junk also.
Your lucky though its Cheap/Easy to convert to Warn Hub's on the older Leaf-Sprung Fronts, my 2006 requires what they call a Free-Spin Kit that cost a couple thousand $ which is why i figured out a way to just bypass the Auto for now
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
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From: Blue Hill Township
Not sure if the Older Auto-Hub axle works the same but 2006 (coil-sprung front) has Auto-Hub's too & my right side hub doesn't Un-Lock all the way on its own so ive By-Passed the Auto System.
When system is activated electronically it allows vacuum to lock your Hub's in & when de-activated the Hub is supposed to un-lock on its own (because vacuum is no longer engaging it) so iam thinking your 1 Hub is junk also.
Your lucky though its Cheap/Easy to convert to Warn Hub's on the older Leaf-Sprung Fronts, my 2006 requires what they call a Free-Spin Kit that cost a couple thousand $ which is why i figured out a way to just bypass the Auto for now
When system is activated electronically it allows vacuum to lock your Hub's in & when de-activated the Hub is supposed to un-lock on its own (because vacuum is no longer engaging it) so iam thinking your 1 Hub is junk also.
Your lucky though its Cheap/Easy to convert to Warn Hub's on the older Leaf-Sprung Fronts, my 2006 requires what they call a Free-Spin Kit that cost a couple thousand $ which is why i figured out a way to just bypass the Auto for now
Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 195
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From: Redwood Valley, CA
I am unsure if the shop put the hubs from my original axle on the new one or if the hubs are from the donor axle. Either way I am thinking a salvage yard axle may have some issues if it has been sitting around and my original switches may have internal damage form my wife having to drive over the median @ 35mph a couple of times while in 4WD. Either way the 4WD needs to work as it did before the accident even if the shop keeps throwing parts at it. Luckily, I have a company truck that I drive daily allowing me to give up this one for repairs.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,391
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From: NorCal
But I do agree that the problem ftowelding is having is a bad hub seal or other internal problem with that hub.
To manually disengage a hub, you just need to rotate the dial on the hub from "Auto" to "Lock" back and forth 2 or 3 times then leave it on "Auto".
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Redwood Valley, CA
Yes I figured out the auto to manual lock to auto move to get it to disengage, but I am gonna take it in and get it fixed on State Farm's dime not mine. Thanks all for the input and advice. I had the feeling the problem was with the hub switch not the vacuum system as everything worked prior to the axle swap.
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