I know on the Superduties they have manual locking hubs, now i was wandering can u drive normally with them locked or do they have to be free when not useing 4wd??? And im also looking at buying a used 1999 F250 4x4 with the V10 whats yalls opinion on the truck and the hub question???

 

You can drive with them locked in. As a matter of fact I believe it is recommened to do it on occaison to keep the front end lubed.

 

Thanks for the info, since ur a superduty man what do u think of the 99 F250s???? And by the way how does ur truck sound with straight pipes???

 

I am on my 4th SD in 11 years. I won't use anything else to tow. The 6.0 sounds like a jet with straight pipes, not really what you would expect, but it is great. I have had a 2000 SD (7.3) I never had any problems with it. I don't have any experience with the V-10, but I am sure others will chime in soon.

 

Do u have a sound recording of ur pipes?? if i would like to hear them i like the sound of the turbo spulling.

 

I have a 99SD 4X4 ith the V-10 and it is the best truck I have ever owned. Go to the V-10 forum for sound clips with all different kinds of exhaust mods.

 

My hubs have been locked since the snow fell a week ago. Doesn't help the mileage any though.

 

When I go to the mountains or expect to run through snow I lock my hubs in advance. Like Ken said above it does hurt mileage and you SHOULD keep your speed down a bit but it is also a good idea to do it a couple times a year anyway for the reasons RJB1 stated.

BTW, even the F450 comes with optional electrically locking hubs but I don't know if they are any good. I guess I'll find out when Ford makes me one.

 

Thanks for the info guys, How dies it hurt mileage? And why would you have to keep your speed down?? Just wondering because im interested in buying a F250

 

It hurts the mileage a bit because you now have an axle, differential and driveshaft connected to the front wheels. (That is what the hubs do, allow you to connect and disconnect the front wheels from the drivetrain). You have a few hundred extra pounds of metal to spin now.

No power is going to the front driveshaft yet. That doesn't happen until you shift your transfer case.

This system operates the same way as the F-150 in your signature.

 

It hurts your mileage because you have to drive the front CV joints, axle, differential, gears, and drive-line. You should keep your speed down because MOST of the owners manuals I've read said to limit the speed in 4WD and you are now turning ALL those parts even if the transfer case isn't engaged. My guess is the front drive-line angle in most of our trucks isn't optimum for higher speeds. On every truck I've done it on you could feel it at any speed over 50 mph. I usually keep my speed down to 55-65 when I'm operating in lock mode.

 

Top speed isn't really an issue when just running with the hubs locked.

The front driveshaft does have a slight angle to it where it connects to the front of the transfer case, but there is a CV-style (double u-joint) joint so that's not an issue.

My SD, I've had (and did just the other day) gone up to 90MPH with the front hubs locked and it can NOT BE FELT AT ALL.

If you have any vibration from the front driveline with the hubs locked, get it fixed, something's wrong.

Mileage? Not enough to matter. I run with the hubs locked plenty of times, and the ONLY time it really matters is when you do a lot of stop-and-go.

The friction from the front driveline is almost nothing compared to moving a 7000+ lbs vehicle. With the hubs unlocked and transfer case in 4x2 (2-wheel drive), try turning the front driveshaft by hand. It should be nice and smooth and if you spin the driveshaft fast enough and let go, it should spin on it's own a half turn or more. If it's ratchety or in any way not smooth (with the front wheels pointed straight), again, something's wrong.

The rotational weight of the front driveline MAY effect your mileage is you're doing a lot of stop-and-go.

Wear on the front driveline? Nothing to be worried about. Like someone else said, it's recommended to lock the front hubs once a month or so to keep everything lubed - including the seals.

Matter of fact, the little needle bearings inside the front wheel bearing where the front axles ride are turning when the hubs are NOT locked. So, without the hubs locked, you put a lot of wear-and-tear on those needle bearings. Nothing to be worried about

With the hubs locked, and the wheels turned, you will feel a little knocking or other noise. This is NORMAL - the front axle u-joints are not CV joints, and the rotational velocity of the axle is not constant so you will get a little weird feeling (or noise) with the wheels turned, hubs locked, and moving. Again, not an issue.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do! And report back when you get the truck