I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the manual hubs. I understand that its much easier and chrysler (read dodge and jeep) does have the auto hubs right but ford doesn't (I'M SORRY) if your ever stuck in the snow and have to put it in 4 wheel drive when stuck trying to rock your truck out will explode the hub leavin you in two wheel drive hell. The auto hubs engage and disengage by screwing in when in drive and unscrewing when in reverse so rockin back and forth unlocked it in reverse then rammed it into lock when when tryin to go forward......at least thats my understanding of it. All I know is that my bro got screwed w/ his 95 because he did just that and I ended up havin to pull him out of like 3 inches of snow w/ my 79. I have never had problems w/ my warn manuals in either my 79 or my bros 95 (we replaced the autos when they exploded). I hope this gives ya somethin to think about. I'm not promising its all right but thats my experience w/ em.

 

To disengage an auto hub you have to back up about 10'. I have engaged 4wd when starting to bog down in deep wet red Georgia clay and in a few places in January and February calling on Caterpillar in Lafayette and in Mossville just above Peoria. If you want manual hubs, fine. Drive responsible, plan ahead and don't abuse the truck by slamming it back and forth. Before selling building materials I sold austenitic stainless steel bellows to Caterpillar and Cumming as well as tube exhaust parts. Have been a guest in winter, hunted your area and even eaten in the best steakhouse I've ever been to, and for the life of me, I can't remember the name. When we would take 74 to Peoria and go up to Mossville, oh well, I just plain forget. Off the track anyway.

 

I wasn't talkin like just plain hammerin on it in reverse then slammin it in drive but just rocking it tryin to get some forward momentum was enough to shatter the hub

 

I was with a friend once and got in the mud, he reached down to lock his auto locking hubs and nothing happened. I also have family that bought a 4x4 because they live in the mountains and needed it for the snow. The hubs were vacuum activated and useless at higher elevations (where the snow was). I've never had any problems with manual hubs.

 

I'll be going manual. Last night fixing my door handle rip-off I performed a week ago I went to engage 4WD to get my truck up into the garage. right side engaged ok..but the left one held back and then littlerally slammed in, you should have seen the grimace on my friend Mitch's face when he heard it. I groaned too..

Maybe I should put them on Ebay for a person to rebuild?

 

Drive flanges are an alternative to AutoHubs if you have an open front diff. This one is out of a 79 Bronco. I had auto hubs in a 97 F250 HD (Dana 50) and the original set was replaced under warranty, the replacement set was also replaced under warranty . . . with Warn Premium manuals. That rig had a manual shift tcase though.

 

Aren't drive flanges basically permenant locked front..?

 

Yes, popular in rural areas with umimproved roads. Your front axles, differential, and drive shaft are always rotating when moving. The t-case controls 4wd power to the front diff.

 

I would stick with the manual hubs. I had them in my 79 F250 I would lock them when the snow hit or was going playing but I left them in all winter. If I wanted 4wheel drive all I had to do was reach shift it to 4 hi. This saved my but more than once. When you are going around a curve thats banked the wrong way on a hill and the rear end starts coming around it's sure nice to be able to put it in 4hi and have it straighten out. Probally should have been there in the first place but had not had any problems up till then.

 

Back when auto hubs first came out, GM and Ford used identical Warn units, so this does apply:

My dad had an '85 suburban 4x4 when I was younger. It had a lever case and auto hubs with 32-11.50 AT's. We'd head out camping on completely unimproved roads where 4x4 was an absolute necessity.

I remember him always loving the convenience, but also being uneasy about the auto hubs. He always thinking they were going to go out on him, but he never had an issue. When I was 10 (and so was teh suburban) he was almost to the point of not carrying a set of drive flanges in the glovebox. But then we were on the way out from a campsite one weekend. One of the front wheels caught a little air, came down, and there was one hellacious racket as the hub shattered and the cap flew about 10' into the woods. We weren't doing more than maybe 15 MPH and the wheel didn't come anymore than a foot off the ground. The tire just hit the ground under throttle and that was it.

Put the flanges on and drove home like that. It got a set of manuals as soon as we got home. After that, he refused to own anything with auto hubs that would see rough use until about a year ago (it's been another 10 years). He decided he needed something that would get in and out of the snow and take him fishing, but never see any real hardcore use. Picked up a nissan xterra and I KNOW one of those tires has never seen air. But just in case, he was sure to see if a set of manuals was available for it before he bought it.

Moral of the story: Autohubs are great for the convenience factor, but keep them well maintained and always keep some sort of backup just incase. Even with my warn manuals, i still keep a set of drive flanges in the glove box (same ones that we got the suburban out on, and have been in the glovebox of every D44/10bolt equipped vehicle we've ever owned)

Justin

 

Well this may mean something, maybe not. I have a Dana 50 front TTB and I keep hearing about the Dana/Spicer 44. I just got done checking the Warn web page and the 3/4 ton HD front end has much beefier auto hubs than the standard Dana/Spicer 44 front end. Mayhaps this is why I've never experienced a problem with everday use in all types of climate/terrain and at 240,700+ miles, with maintenance every spring and fall. I have gotten serious air on the front end, and no, not on purpose, I was running about 40 mph in a high growth pasture with the property owner and his foreman who was snakebit when we hit a terrace that he failed to advise me of. Quite the little shock as it were. She held together. Still doesn't explain my '96 Bronco with autos on a 44 front end, though.