i need someone who really knows how the 4wd system with auto locking hubs on my 01 dually works, i am talking to different shops and getting different answers, please someone who knows this system respond!!

thank you!

 

I have read a little about the auto hub set up, maybe you can post a question?

 

Before I go into a complete disertation on the system......it would be prudent to ask just what it is that you want to know?.....outside of the fact that it doesn't work very well.

 

since i have an 01 with 4x4 shift-on-the-fly hubs,(Lariat).. i was wondering,..

does this system use vaccum?

I wanted the manual shift but I got a killer deal on the Lariat. Now Im just afraid if something did go wrong it would be costly, but 4 years and no problems.

 

Yes, it does use vacuum to pull in the locking hubs. They do sometimes leak, and that can be a problem. Your hubs do have a manual lock position also, as you probably know.....but the complaint that I've heard is that because there is only about 45 degrees or so between the two positions, that they sometimes become unlocked during the times where your really working the truck. I havn't seen this myself, but it has been reported. The popular mod is to install a set of Warn Premium Locking Hubs. They are manual, and there is 180 degrees between the locked or unlocked positions. These hubs go for around $125.00 - $150.00 on Ebay. Everyone seems to like them for a replacement.

 

thank you guys

ok here is my dilemma, have 01 with auto , has 250000 miles on it, did rt front bearing about 15000 miles ago, started hearing weird noise about a month or 2 ago took it to the dealer twice they cannot find what it is, keep driving moise stays the same, like a metal on metal sound for just a second when going over a bump, well it finally broke on the highway, big grinding sound then go over a bump, fine
anyway axle on that side is trashed, seal gone where it hooks to bearing so it tore up bearing too even though it turns fine

in the process of all this i hear that the auto hubs can stick and burn up the bearing and axle, i am like what???? i don't really know what it would feel like if it is sticking and i am 70 % deaf so might not hear it, well get bearing and axle back on and am paranoid about hubs sticking now so make shop check them, although i understand that it can happen intermitently

well the right hub is original or is at least stamped 01, it seems to be working fine but the left one is stuck turning even though i pulled and plugged vaccuum lines , icannot get it to let loose even manually, i have no idea how long it has been like this

i do a lot of highway driving but do use my 4wd at least a couple times a month in mud or sand

if i got 250000 out of this last set of autos then i don't mind putting them back in, of course i don't know that they haven't been sticking?????/ i don't know what to do and i don't even knwo if i can get a manual set here and my work truck has been down 4 days already!

on diesel stop these guys are saying that they run with their hubs locked all winter and have no prob, BUT these are not the same system as mine, older trucks

the more i ask about this system , the more different answers i get as to how it functions

need input on what manuals are avilable and what is better, etc

thanks for your time!

 

Obviously, you've seen how it all goes together. Here's what I think happened in your case. The axle,u-joint, and the stub axle have no support except where it goes through the hub. Not the hub lock.....but the hub itself that is held into the steering knuckle by four bolts from the back side. It contains the wheel bearing. The stub axle goes through this hub, but isn't connected to it....has a couple of flats and a plastic spacer between them, and a clip ring. Then to add more stability, and support.....the end of the stub axle goes into the hub lock. And a keeper holds all of that together. The stub is connected to, or disconneted from the hub by a sliding gear that engages or disengages ( if all works well ) by a plastic clicking mechanisim similar to how a clicking ball point pin works agains a spring. The compressing force instead of your thumb....is the vacuum source that's fed to it.
Now....here's what I suspect happened. If the hub was wearing out....it would cause the wheel,tire,rotor...all to lean from side to side. This unwanted "slop" would cause the stub axle to bind, along with causing unwanted stress on the rest of the drive axle assembly. I would guess that the friction that would be produced could cause heat and seal failure. This would also cause a grinding sound as the disc rotor, bearing race, desintigrating bearing all contacted things they shouldn't. That's the only way that I see for this to happen. Hope this helps.