locking hubs

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Jun 9, 2005 | 11:00 PM

BOOTROS

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Feb 2005

Posts: 42

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From: Mississippi

locking hubs

hey everyone, i have an f250 4x4 with electric and manual locking hubs, i recently put new eagle wheels on and covered the manual locking hub with a center cover, is this a problem for 4 wheel drive? thanks

Jun 10, 2005 | 06:55 AM

glafond

Mountain Pass

Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 194

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From: White Lake

You won't get the wheels to connect to the drive shaft without turning the manual hub.- No 4 Wheel Drive.
And you don't want to leave them in the lock position all the time, you will be spinning your front drive shafts.

Jun 10, 2005 | 08:19 AM

dhelm72

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Joined: May 2005

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If you have the automatic shift on the fly 4x4 (**** on dash board instead of lever on floor) you will be fine. Leave the hubs in automatic mode and just flip the ****. You still have the option of manually locking in the hubs if you are in a bind while you are already stuck and the hubs won't lock automatically. I've never had this happen to me and I have been stuck a few times. The auto locking hubs on these trucks don't seem to need to spin one rotation to lock in but you do have to wait up to 30 seconds for them to engage if you are sitting still.
If you ever need the manual feature you can pull the center caps off for that event.

Jun 10, 2005 | 08:48 AM

Spaznaut

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 1,276

Likes: 7

From: NE Tennessee

I thought with manual locking front hubs that the front wheels wouldn't be locked with the front axles unless they are engaged manually? So with those centercaps on hasn't he rendered 4x4 useless on his rig? He'd have to pull the wheel to engage? If you don't go off-road or need it then your probably just fine. They should make a centercap for your wheel for the hub to come out.

BTW, you weren't real clear if you had (push button) electronic 4x4 and manual hubs, or (lever) manual 4x4 and auto hubs. If you have auto hubs your fine.

Jun 10, 2005 | 09:40 AM

cloleson

Mountain Pass

Joined: Jan 2005

Posts: 176

Likes: 1

From: Southeast Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOOTROS

with electric and manual locking hubs

It sounds to me like he does have ESOF with auto hubs. However, mine have always been finicky, as has many others' on this list. Of course, they will refuse to lock only when you are chasis deep in mud or other such gunk. I would definitely get the center caps made for 4x4 hubs, just in case you ever need to lock them in manually.

Jun 10, 2005 | 05:02 PM

dhelm72

Freshman User

Joined: May 2005

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I have the Harley Davidson edition which came with center caps. My auto locking hubs have not failed me yet. Sometimes you have to wait 15 seconds for them to lock in. My center caps pop right off with a screwdriver in 5 seconds and snap right back on. If I'm ever in a bind and the auto hubs fail me I can just pop off the center cap and lock them in manually.
I'm glad Ford gives you the option of locking them in manually for peace of mind! One day I might need it.

FYI: On the manual only hunbs the option is Lock/Unlock. On the auto locking hubs the option is Lock/Auto. No matter what you select you are either in constant "lock" or automatic mode which should lock automatically when you twist the **** and unlock automatically when you twist it back to 2wd.

I think all center caps pop off and snap on easily. You have to pop off the center caps to get a wrench on the lug nuts in the first place.

Last edited by dhelm72; Jun 10, 2005 at 05:05 PM.

Jun 11, 2005 | 09:36 PM

jokerforever

Laughing Gas

Joined: Jun 2005

Posts: 820

Likes: 11

My 350 doesn’t have ESOF, but I worked with a fellow that did in his Excursion. He said he never had a problem for light duty winter driving, he just made sure that he was going very slow and driving straight, but that they wouldn’t engage every time when he was playing off road. If I was you, and planned on actually using the 4x4 for work or play, I would call up Eagle and ask them for some open center caps. Or try Ebay. Just remember one of the best things about these trucks is the fact they have manual hubs. Turn two ***** and you know your axle is engaged.