Manual Locking Hubs Usage Questions
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2023
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Manual Locking Hubs Usage Questions
So I just learned that my F250 has manually locking hubs. I'm still getting my head aroudn this. Does this mean that every time I go from dirt (that I need 4WD on) to pavement, I need to get out of the car?
How do people handle this usually? I don't want to hold up traffic if there are people at the stop sign behind me. And if it's really cold and wet I prefer not to get out obviously.
But the manual says you MUST not put it into 4wd if the hubs are not locked.
Also, how do I go backwards to unlock the hubs, if there's someone behind me at the stop sign?
Obviously, I'm getting at the fact that the muddy dirt road I take has traffic and a stop sign leading up to an 80mph highway that I need to floor it as soon as I'm on usually, at least mid-day. I just can't get my head around how I'm supposed to do this.
How do people handle this usually? I don't want to hold up traffic if there are people at the stop sign behind me. And if it's really cold and wet I prefer not to get out obviously.
But the manual says you MUST not put it into 4wd if the hubs are not locked.
Also, how do I go backwards to unlock the hubs, if there's someone behind me at the stop sign?
Obviously, I'm getting at the fact that the muddy dirt road I take has traffic and a stop sign leading up to an 80mph highway that I need to floor it as soon as I'm on usually, at least mid-day. I just can't get my head around how I'm supposed to do this.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Chillicothe
As stated, you can leave the hubs locked and just put the transfer case in 2wd.
Where so you live that a dirt road intersects a 80 mph highway? Montana?
And is the dirt road so bad that you have to use 4wd to travel it? Or, are you using it as a precaution? I have yet to travel a dirt road ( even a snow covered muddy one) that needed 4wd every time I was on it.
Where so you live that a dirt road intersects a 80 mph highway? Montana?
And is the dirt road so bad that you have to use 4wd to travel it? Or, are you using it as a precaution? I have yet to travel a dirt road ( even a snow covered muddy one) that needed 4wd every time I was on it.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,511
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
as said, if you go off road a lot just leave the front hubs locked and use the transfer case to go into an out of 4X4.
and you do not have to back up to disengage manual locking hubs, just turn the **** to free and they are unlocked.
backing up to unlock is a "soccer mom" 4X4 thing
and you do not have to back up to disengage manual locking hubs, just turn the **** to free and they are unlocked.
backing up to unlock is a "soccer mom" 4X4 thing
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https://www.cumminsforum.com/threads...no-oil.185173/
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2023
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> just leave the front hubs locked and use the transfer case to go into an out of 4X4.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
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Joined: Jun 2021
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> just leave the front hubs locked and use the transfer case to go into an out of 4X4.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
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Lead Driver
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> just leave the front hubs locked and use the transfer case to go into an out of 4X4.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
Interesting! So everyone is basically telling me this, and so I guess it's true.
What about taking corners? Don't you get the weird sensation of locked hubs?
Also, how is tire wear?
Why would anyone NOT lock hubs, if it's totally safe to just drive on highway at 80mph all the time with locked hubs? That's 90% of the driving I do, highway 70mph or higher.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 5,221
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even with an open front end in 2wd you still will have more jerky turning. its just how that is. its less pronounced when in 2hi because the the wheels are driivng the axle instead of the the axle driving the wheels, but its still spinning your shaft and those u joints and the more extreme the angle on a u joint the more harshness there will be
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
The outer u-joints in the front drive axles really don't like to rotate while flexed at thier limits at full steering lock so best advised to avoid doing that when the hubs are locked. The front driveline on these trucks is designed as a part time system, it wasn't designed for continuous use or seemless high speeds operation like newer trucks, so depending on the health of all the joints in your truck it could run fairly smoothly at HWY speeds or very badly with a lot of vibration and noise and with a pretty serious hit to fuel milage.
That said there are plenty of members here that lock thier hubs in the fall and leave them that way all winter, I did this with both of my F150s and didn't have any issue travelling at 70mph with the hubs locked but I rebuilt the frontend of these trucks with all new parts and greasable U-joints and made a point of greasing them regularly. For me the only indication I had that the front end was rotating was a subtle gear whine that wasn't there in 2wd.
That said there are plenty of members here that lock thier hubs in the fall and leave them that way all winter, I did this with both of my F150s and didn't have any issue travelling at 70mph with the hubs locked but I rebuilt the frontend of these trucks with all new parts and greasable U-joints and made a point of greasing them regularly. For me the only indication I had that the front end was rotating was a subtle gear whine that wasn't there in 2wd.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
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From: Roseville, MN
My rule of thumb is to lock the hubs before I start out if I think I might need 4WD and unlock them when I know I won't. On rare occasions that ends up meaning I have my hubs locked for days at a time. Which is fine. But for the most part I don't tend to need 4WD for longer than a day or two at most, so I unlock the hubs to reduce wear slightly, improve mileage slightly and eliminate the slight vibration in sharp turns.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2023
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My rule of thumb is to lock the hubs before I start out if I think I might need 4WD and unlock them when I know I won't. On rare occasions that ends up meaning I have my hubs locked for days at a time. Which is fine. But for the most part I don't tend to need 4WD for longer than a day or two at most, so I unlock the hubs to reduce wear slightly, improve mileage slightly and eliminate the slight vibration in sharp turns.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,511
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
My rule of thumb is to lock the hubs before I start out if I think I might need 4WD and unlock them when I know I won't. On rare occasions that ends up meaning I have my hubs locked for days at a time. Which is fine. But for the most part I don't tend to need 4WD for longer than a day or two at most, so I unlock the hubs to reduce wear slightly, improve mileage slightly and eliminate the slight vibration in sharp turns.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
If I needed 4wd day-in and day-out I'd leave the hubs locked for long periods. But I don't need it that much.
here in New jersey top speed in 65, and I rarely drive over 55
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 400
Likes: 57
From: Saskatchewan
I believe the modern trucks do not unlock the hubs. The switch on the dash just controls the transfer case and the front dif spins all the time. The primary difference would be that most front axles now-a-days are CV joints, especially in IFS front ends, which don't bind up like cardan (u-joint) steering axles can. I think the manual hub systems are supposed to be tougher and they are simpler, which should be more reliable and less maintenance. If the rear dif can spin at 80 MPH on the highway, why wouldn't the front handle it, too?