2005 XLT, 6.0, auto trans, auto hubs SOTF.

I took my truck in to the dealership for brake job on front of my truck and they told me that my hubs weren't releasing. Actually, it may have been just one hub stuck as they said that it needed replacement. Anyway, they said I could run it for a while but should get it done at the end of summer. I had noticed last winter that the 4 wheel drive seemed to NOT engage unless I was going at closer to highway speeds (not engaging at very slow movement) and it seemed that when I would come to a stop it appeared to come out of 4x4. Hard to tell though as there was no indication other than occasional slippage on excelleration. I had thought maybe a vacuum leak but the dealer is telling me that the hubs are not coming out of 4x4???

Last week I set my fifth wheel trailer in some soft soil and put my truck in 4x4 low to back in to the spot, just in case of traction/drag issues. After setting the trailer, I couldn't get the 4x4 low to release and had to drive a short distance in 4x4 low before noticing the gearing was low, then looked at the dash and saw it was still in 4x4. I turned the **** in and out of 4x4 until it finally came out but it made a gut wrenching grinding sound (transfer case maybe) when it came out. Not sure what the heck that was all about but I haven't put it in 4x4 since.

Do these factors indicate a stuck hub or is there something else, maybe in the SOTF system, that would cause these erratic symptoms? I'd hate to replace a hub if the issue was something completely different.

Thanks in advance.

 

I'm sure you already know this, but to shift in and out of 4lo you need to be in neutral and your foot on the brake.

Sometimes it takes a few minutes to shift out of 4lo, and it's been common to me at least to have weird grinding noises happen when it does it.

For the hubs, if you still have the Ford auto hubs, it's really easy to replace them with Warn manuals. I did that on my 2006 F350 a few years back.