Help!!! I got into a big problem and I need help soon.My hub on my 02 ford locked and unlocked on the highway while in the middle of no where here in northern alberta.But now when its locked it makes a horrible noise Im in the middle of nowhere and it will cost a fortune to get anywhere .Is there a way to unlock the hubs permanantly and i will get yje manual ones when i get home ?I tried backing up and it worked for a while .Help me if you can guys.

 

Welcome to FTE, dardick.

If your hubs are unlocking when they should be engaged it's a vacuum leak.

If they are locking when they shouldn't it could be 2 things.

First, if the hubs have been apart recently they may now have too much grease. This will cause the autohubs to lock up but shouldn't make any noise.

Second, your needle bearings are having problems and are interfering with the locking mechanism. I suspect it is the second since you said it also is making a "horrible noise".

Basically, I'm guessing its time for a tow truck. Sorry.

 

Bad noise when locked = time to replace the unit bearing / hub assembly.

It's not rebuildable, time to replace.

 

Dynatrac "spin doctor" upgrade. Best money one can spend on an SD.

 

If you can get home in 2wd, you could remove the hub, just remove the big snap ring and pull the lock out. Then maybe cover the hub with duct tape?

 

thanks guys you are coming up with some great ideas and I am starting to really enjoy looking on this site and all the help you give and so quickly . I believe redford is right about the needle bearings and i might try to remove the hub like cluxs said .I already took the front drive shaft out on the highway now at a friends and finding tools and parts on new years day is horrible.Its a great truck lots of power and great mpg but just alot of 4x4 troubles .I just want to limp it home to were i can get what I need easier thanks

 

I feel for you, I've broken down on a holiday, nothing open and anyone that will help will make you pay thru the nose.

Clux made a great suggestion. When you get home I recommend Warn hubs.

 

Just to clear up something, this is not correct for the '99-04 SD's, that I'm aware of And even the later '05-up suspensions, I believe.

If the hubs are locked, they are locked. Without continuous vacuum.

The vacuum hub locks are given vacuum for an initial lock-up pulse of something like 45 seconds (or should be). The unlock pulse is half that, I always thought 10 seconds, but later found it's more like 20. The hub itself "latches" on the first vacuum pulse. The second one unlocks it.

Back to the original topic, if you're still there

If that needle bearing inside is bad, manually locking the hub will cause it to STOP making noise. It won't hurt anything to run with the hubs locked. Taking out the front driveshaft is good idea.

Which also means you might have to replace the axle stubs. The needle bearings went dry in my '01, and I managed to salvage the axle stub with a few hours of 80 grit (for only a minute or two), 600, then 1500 grit wet-dry paper

Sometimes, it feels like the hubs are locked when in reality the needle bearing is so bad that it's locking up against the axle stub. It may be free, and then you hit a bump, the axle locks up to the bearing, making lots of noise. Hit another bump, it might unlock and spin free again.

The grease used at the factory doesn't stay there long. I used salt-water-ok marine trailer bearing grease when I replaced the needle bearings. That stuff doesn't care about water. I used it on the front wheel bearings in my '74 highboy, and even though water got in, it never mixed with the grease like it would with "regular" stuff.

 

Thats it !! the noise comes and goes if i hit a bump it comes and then goes away should i still take the hubs out or should i lock them up and it will be fine for a while?warns are looking good to me.

 

Lock the hub and leave it until you can fix it.

It won't hurt the front differential, as long as you have good lube in it.

It might lower your MPG's a touch, but nothing significant.

When you pull it apart, if you find the needle bearing is bad, it's a number B-2110 National bearing. It can be driven out with a long punch/drift, and back in with a socket and a hammer (carefully).

You can't buy the needle bearing seperately from Ford. The only way to get it is to buy the entire wheel bearing, which of course, is expensive.

 

Thanks I will let you guys know how it goes will try moving tomorrow

 

Thank you for clearing that up.

 

No problem! I spent hours diagnosing my '01, turns out the hubs were already worn out - the plastic-to-metal latching mechanism had already worn off enough of the plastic that they wouldn't latch in anymore. So, went out and got Warns and haven't looked back