I've noticed that my 03 F-350 4x4 has a very hard time of turning when the hubs are locked in and actually feels like its binding making it difficult to turn. I tried it on dirt and pavement (dry/wet). I took my concern to the dealership where they checked it out and said they did not see a problem. I explained to the service manager that the owners manual says (it is not recommended to use four wheel drive on pavement due to increased fuel mileage and unusual tire wear. it should say "Warning" do not use four wheel drive on pavement due to the likelihood of not being able to turn. He told me that all Fords are that way. Does anyone else have this problem or ever heard of this? I don't intend on running fourwheel drive on the road but would rather not take it out everytime i go from mush to dry and try turning.

 

Yes, that is the way it is. If it is in FWD on a hard surface you will feel the binding. You just have to get used to not turning as sharp if they are locked in.

 

Yes, that is the way it is.

Correctamundo.

Even my last (3) F-150 4X4's reacted that way.

 

Problem isn't specific to just Fords. You'll find this limitation on most any 4x4. You'll also find that driving with the hubs locked will reduce your fuel mileage by 1-2mpg. Lastly your find an all-wheel drive vehicle for the most part 'doesn't have this as an all-wheel drive system and 4 wheel drive are quite different critters.

 

How are you locking the hubs. If you use the rotary switch on the dash, you will lock the hubs and transfer power to front and rear wheels. If you get out and manually lock the hubs from "Auto" to "Lock" and leave the rotary switch in the 2WD position, you will then have locked the hubs but not engaged power to the front wheels. When I go hunting, I will lock the hubs and leave them locked and then turn the rotary switch when I need it.

 

Leave the hubs in Auto mode and you'll save yourself some fuel and wear and tear..... The hubs and the switch in the cab do two different things.

In Auto mode: When using the switch in the cab to turn on 4x4 the truck uses vacumn pressure to press the spindle into the hubs and in essense lock the hubs for you. It also of course engages the transfer case/transaxle directing some power to the front. When switching back to 2x4 mode, the transfer case disengages and the vacumn is released which allows the hubs to release. This engaging and dis-engaging of the hubs via vacumn pressure is the reason why you have to 'slow' down to get the auto-hubs to release as cintrigupual(sp) force will prevent the hubs from releasing.

In Manual mode: If you lock the hubs the hubs are always locked. Meaning there is some additional drag - not a lot but some. In addition the vehicle is harder to steer at slow speeds. That is to say, when in manual mode the switch in the cab only serves to engage the transfercase/transaxle. The hubs are locked no matter what position the switch is in.

So again, leave the hubs in auto mode, save some fuel, save some wear and tear and let the truck do the work for you. Unless of course you have manual hubs. Of course theres always the old rumor that manual hubs are 'stronger' then 'auto' hubs but I think most manufactures have solved that problem.

 

The problem with leaving the hubs in auto all the time is that if you are stuck and the truck has no forward momentum, the hubs will not engage. For them to engage, they need to rotate. I also use the manual postion if I'm in a situtation that I think it will be likely for me to become stuck. I want to know that when I turn the **** for 4x4, that it will be in 4x4.
I have a 2004 with a v-10 and strictly manual hubs along with my 2004 PSD and the auto/manual hubs. The v-10, I lock the hubs anytime I may take it off the road and leave it pretty much all winter. I haven't used the PSD for 4x4 yet other then to take it across a 40 acre field just to see the 4x4 work.
You will notice the hard/jerky steering even on gravel roads if you have the transfer case and hubs locked in.

I have stuck chevy, Ford and Dodge with auto hubs because of the auto hubs. I have driven 4x4 since I was a kid (jeep *****). I'm no expert in the actual mechanics of them but this has been my experience sine 1997 when I drove my first auto locking hub truck. I won't own a 4x4 now that I can't manually engage the hubs. I manage/live at at a camp with limited surface roads.
I have gone to mostly using atvs on the property because I leave less ruts and I'm rarely working by a road.

 

Exactly why I say I lock the hubs going off road. It can take as much as 45 seconds for the hubs and 4WD to engage.

 

I've always driven 4x4's and this seems to be a common concern that people new to 4x4's ask me about. All the folks that say it's normal for all 4x4's are absolutely correct. I can imagine it would be frightening the first time, but it is normal. All I can say is be thankful for power steering. Now, not to be disrespectful to Rangercd, but auto-locking hubs WILL engage with NO forward momentum. It will make the loudest, most god-awful clunk when it does, but it will engage. Being the knucklehead that I am, I have had to do this in several of my auto-locking vehicles when I've forgotten to put it in 4wd, Isuzus, Toyotas and Jeeps. The last time being in my '04 f-350 DRW CC a few months back when I got stuck in the sand driving on the beach in Mexico. I have no reasonable test for you to try it out, other than to get your truck stuck in 2wd and then put it in 4wd and give it gas. And because nobody bothered to tell me before I purchased my dually, I'll say it here, SAND AND DUALLYS DON'T MIX. And a big thank you to the nice family that bounced in the bed to get me going again.

 

The same thing! I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND.
When I engage the 4wd on my 2019 f-350 6.7 diesel, the front axle diff supposed be open, right? the same as rear one. When you pull the switch to lock - it locks just the rear one, this is the way how it works.
But the thing is when you engage just 4wd then front diff going just like it locked, but not supposed to, because this binding feeling on the sharp turns occuring just when diff is locked, otherwise it should be rolling with no problems when diff is open! Am I right, correct me please if not. Thanks

 

the is a 9 year old thread



there is no differential in the transfer case like an allwheel drive car

when turning in 4x4, one wheel has to slip and that is the bind you feel as the rear will slip first as its lighter

 

Ya really gotta love these 9 year old threads too!

Oh, and by the way, there's no differential in the middle of most "All-Wheel-Drive" cars......Jeep did it in former years as did GM in some 70's 1/2T 4x4 pickups and the selections were all wheel drive and 4-wheel drive "lock" (between the front and back.
Problem with the all wheel drive part was if any one wheel started slipping you wouldn't go anywhere and had to select "lock" to at least get 2-other wheels turning.

Nowadays, just about all "all-wheel-drive " cars use a viscous coupling between the front and back instead of an actual differential.

In the case of the 70's GM 1/2T 4x4, they warned to NOT use the front/back lock on hard dry pavement (because of "binding")

 

9 year old??

Yall must be seeing something I ain't.

 

It's a 19 year old thread. It was originally started in 2004.

 

To answer your question, The binding is because the cumultative speed of the wheels turning up front is different than the cumulative speed of the rear wheels. Thus the front axle drive shaft needs to turn faster on a sharp turn... but it can't. Inside vs outside radius