locking front hubs?
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Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 65
Likes: 3
locking front hubs?
i have a 2017 ford superduty diesel lariat with four wheel drive shift on the fly. when would i ever need to lock in the front hubs on the wheels? do they do more than the simple 4high or 4low?
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 471
Likes: 4
When you put it into 4Hi or 4Lo the hubs while hubs are in AUTO vacuum is sent to the axles hubs and will pull them to lock. Also at the same time a electric motor will put the transfer case into gear. If for some reason it should ever lose vacuume the transfer case will go into gear and the front don't go into lock. This is when you turn the hub to lock position. Several people reported that they had trouble getting it to go into 4x4 the first time because everything is tight. Then once they got it in it was easy to go in after every time. About once a month, at the beginning of a trip when I'm going on a hour ride I put it into 4Hi at under 55mph on a straight road for 1 mile to keep everything lubed and in working order. Then back to 2Hi so it has time to pull back out of 4X4. Some time if you put it in and turn it off too soon it don't have enough time to pull back to 2Hi and you end up with a hub in the AUTO locked position. Remember when it is in AUTO and locks the dial does not turn only the inside workings locks the hub. Hope this explains it.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
My understanding is different. If you are stuck the front hubs will not engage in auto until the wheels rotate 1 revolution. So to engage while your vehicle can not rotate the front wheels you need to engage manually at the hub. Any one else verify this?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 701
From: Minnesota
Interesting! And seems quite plausible.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: Calgary, Canada
Not necessarily true. Even if you lock the hubs at the wheel it still needs to turn a bit in order to line all the splines up inside. May not be a full rotation but it needs to rotate a bit.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 114
Likes: 5
From: Miami, Fl
Ok rookie question I guess but you guys are shifting while driving? I put truck in neutral prior to going into 4 wheel drive hi/lo. Is this not needed. I don't use the 4x4 often at all. How should I be shifting into 4 hi/lo just to exercise the truck?
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 471
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You can go to and from 4Hi either stopped or up to 55 mpg. To go into 4Lo you must go to neutral, place foot on brake, speed register 0 mph and you may be asked to pull forward slightly.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 471
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I see no difference if the wheel spins a revolution or if the axle rotates in the hub. I have never had to roll the wheels for the hubs to lock up. They did have hubs a long time ago that you had to roll forward and back up until they locked up and in locked. I have had both manual hubs and transfer and ESOF. What I like about the manual is you can put the transfer case into 4Lo and not lock the hubs so that you can creep when moving trailers.
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