'06 King Ranch FX4 Lariet 6.0L


Just replace front drive shaft (Cardan joint was broke). 4wd was working great. Had to haul the dump trailer on a semi slippery day. Had 4wd High on running around dumped load. Brought to new job, backing trailer into light fluffy but slippery snow. Noticed a Clunking when wheel was turned and not the normal Slipage skip.


Looked and looked Driveshaft is good Ujoints where done just over a year ago.


Brought in to shop, shop said my Lockouts are toasted Left them in the locked position too long, instead of Auto? U joints are toast and a tie rod end is junk. My hubs move easily from Auto to Locked. I feel like in Auto I can't get 4wd to work, but locked it goes into 4WD.


Anyone tell me what to look for on the Hubs? Chips on gears etc?


Thanks!

 

You should not leave the hubs in lock. When you do this you are locking the two front wheels and this causes binding when turning, which breaks things. Hubs should ONLY be locked off pavement or in conditions with little traction.

If the hubs are not working in AUTO that should be addressed. Routine maintenance will keep that function...well, functional.

Almost no one maintains their hubs, and instead opts for aftermarket versions (which are not available for 05+ axles). People claim "manual hubs are better, I know they are locked."

Well, my hubs lock 99% of the time in Auto. If they dont, they still lock manually, just like those aftermarket ones.

I've gotten off point.

If the hubs are shot, it should be obvious when you pull them.
Replace the hubs, keep them maintained, and only lock when AUTO fails to engage in 4x4.

 

Thanks, yeah I never really understood, these hubs. Everything else I have owned where manual.

I'll pull tomorrow see what I got left!

 

There is very little to go wrong with the hub itself. There is a big diaphragm in there but other than a spring and locking mechanism. If your careful you can nearly disassemble the entire thing. I took mine apart and cleaned and lubed them if you u joints are shot it more than likely took out the inner hub seals. Once they go out the hubs don't hold vacuum which you need to auto lock the hubs.

 

You can leave the front hubs locked without damage due to binding, the front axle differential lets them turn at different speeds to account for turns, etc. Now, I have no idea about what other damage might occur from leaving them locked inside the hub. I've left mine locked for as long as six months, once. Many people leave them locked all winter. The binding that occurs in 4WD is between the front and rear axles, they get locked together and have no differential action.

Brian

 

I leave my hubs locked all the time, especially in the winter when it is cold out.


That does not hurt them. Transfer case is till in 2wd.


Front end is an open diff so the wheels will turn at different speed etc as needed.

 

I leave mine locked all winter too. I want them to work when I need them to work.

 

I always wonder about reports of leaving hubs locked. I can't pukk out of my driveway with locked hubs without getting the grinding noise. Have to make wide turns also to avoid binding. We are all paved with no dirt or gavel roads here in NYC.

 

I know people that never unlock their hubs and other than a loss in fuel mileage there is no damage. I suppose eventually the u-joints at the ends of the axle shafts will wear out, but that shouldn't happen for a very long time. Maybe if you have a tendency to turn the truck with the wheels at full lock the binding could mess something up?

 

Are your hubs locked and truck in 2wd or 4wd when this happens? You shouldn't get binding in 2wd even if your hubs are locked.

 

I believe there will be some binding when in 2wd with locked hubs. The u-joints at the axle ends are still turning and they will eventually bind.

 

What Scott(senix) said above about the open differential. When in 2wd it should behave the same whether the hubs are locked or unlocked in regards to turning radius.

 

Never any binding in 2wd with the hubs locked manually. Even at full lock.

 

I thought you would sill get binding.

Otherwise why do we have locking hubs? Just make them always locked by design and just put it in 4wd when needed.

 

With your hubs locked your axles are spinning, so more resistance, worse mpg's, etc. With hubs locked and in 2wd the axles aren't locked to each other and each wheel can turn independently of each other, so no binding. The transfer case being engaged in 4wd is what locks the axles together and causes binding in turns.