I purchased a 90 F-150 4x4 302 5spd a few months ago, and it recently started to snow here. It has manual warn hubs, my question is, is it ok for me to drive around with my hubs locked so I have have "Shift on the Fly" ability when it is really bad out? Also, is my truck capable of shift on the fly, i've always came to a complete stop when shifiting in and out of 4x4 cause I wasn't sure.

Thanks

 

Yes you can, I have a 1989 F-150 4x4 that used to have the junk auto hubs, I replaced them with some MileMarkers, and anytime I know I'll use 4x4, then I can just slow down, shift into neutral. Push clutch in your case. and shift into 4-hi. You do have to stop to go into 4-lo.

You'll just lose mileage with the hubs locked in.

Pastmaster's 1993 XLT 5.0 E40d 3.55LS Normal Cab/Long bed Loaded from the factory with aid of...MSd 6a ign/s.p. wires, blaster coil, Hypertech Chip, K&N filtercharger, Cat-back dual exhuast w/o mufflers, 3.5", echo tips, Accel distributor cap, Dark Mocha over light mocha. 5% Dark tint, Alpine Cd player/remote, Pioneer speakers.

toydestroyer1(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

 

I lock mine in first sign of snow and leave them locked in . I always slow down when i want to shift into 4 hi and stop when shifting into 4 low
Trouble

 

As the only time I shift into 4x4 mode is when I'm offroad, slow down is a relative term. I shift into 4h at any speed up to about 25mph, and I THINK (Not sure, going off something in long term memory) that you can shift from 2h to 4h at any speed up to 40mph. I make no guarantees about that speed. And you do have to stop and go through a rigamroll to get into 4l. This is all with stock manual hubs and a manual transfer case.

Daywalker
92' F-250 351 4x4 xlt 4.10 5spd sprcab lngbed

 

 

When I was stationed in Idaho I left my hubs engaged for nearly half the year due to extreme weather. It also gets the grease moving around even if you don't shift into 4 HI.

 

wwhen its snowing bad outside i lock in the hubs. i found that wwith this truck being my first 4x4 that i cannot go anywhere without 4 hi. reason being only one wheel (rear drivers side) turns. when in 4 wheel i believe my passenger front wheel drives. i found that a 4x2 (my old ford) is much better in the snow because of the limited slip rear and also better on gas.if i eveer get another ford i will get a 4x4 with limited slip rear which is great anytime.oh well i still love deep snow and being able to 4 wheel through it.

 

The hubs on my truck are locked in from october to march and I shift in and out at free way speed without slowing down. Don't know if I am supposed to or not but nothing broke in ten years. DF

 

I don't lock the hubs until I need them. Isn't it half the fun getting in it up to the armpits? Seriously, I only lock them when I need them, and I usually know that well in advance. If I haven't locked them for a month or so I'll do it just to keep them turning good. As for shift on the fly, once your hubs are locked you can engage 4 hi at pretty good speeds, however, I'll normally be going slower because the road conditions I'm on when I need 4X4 usually don't support high speeds (snowy, loose surface, bumpy etc.). As for 4 lo you should be rolling forward real slow, at about 1 mph, with the transmission in neutral
when you engage. Once engaged pop it back in gear. To get out just reverse the process (not the vehicle). I also find it real helpful to get into 4 lo way before I need it. You can't make much speed in 4 lo but you sure can power out of some real bad stuff that the 4 hi can't handle. Sometimes if you try to do the switch while you are in it you will get stuck, and if you are alone back in the bush that can really suck.

1992 F150 Supercab SB 4x4 302 AOD 3.55 31x10.5 All Terrain on Ford 15x8 Ralleys