I have a 02 excursion that the hub on one side is totally seized to auto. It works, but ive already have had a vacuum hose fall off and you never find out these things till you get stuck. What are the cheapest hubs to buy , should i but auto locking hubs or just manual lockers?

 

well i would say warn is the way to go, but you will have to get out of the vehicle to lock them in to obtain 4x4-also they will set further inside your front center cap, not flush like the factory crap!

 

I went to my friendly Ford tech who had a couple lying around that he took off. They worked too. In any case, I don't want to go with manual lockers because the time I need it to lock is when there is crap on the ground. That is the worst time for me to get out and trek stuff into the cabin.

 

my 02 7.3 excursion had the same problem. I went with the warn premiums.

it only take a couple of seconds to lock them. or just leave them locked if you think that you're going to need the 4 wheel.

 

-just remember--leaving them locked engages everything, which ya don't wanna do on anything but a loose surface!!

 

I have had my hubs locked in on my 99 F-350 for 137,000 miles, and on my 00 Excursion for about 60,000 miles. I have owned 4x4's for 21 years now (Yes, I am 37 yrs old) and I have never unlocked hubs. Its an old wifes tale about wearing out front ends and all. If the T-Case is in 4x2 and the hubs are locked you have absolutely nothing to wory about. If you did, in 20 years I would have been able detect a failure of some sort!

I had a BroncoII with 187K miles on it with the hubs locked. At one point I had to replace the needle bearings in the frunt knuckles because there was mud/dirt/rust in there and the bearings fell apart. I believe the cast was about 120 for all new seals and all new bearings. This was caused by my excessive use in deep mud, creeks, and general off-road use.

I like the MileMarker or Warn Premium hubs. Manual hubs are nice because they flat out work......forever. All metal, no worry about vac lines, and you can lock them in come fall and unlock them come summer.

In my 975 HP sled pull truck I am running a set of Mile Markers with 2,700 lbs on the front weight bar that extends 60" in front of the front axle. I did bust one of the mile marker hubs once while pulling last summer, so I now have mile markers welded solid :]

 

I agree with fordtrk, I lock-em come fall and unlock-em in the summer, if I think about it! If I go on a long trip, and remember, I will unlock them, and yes, 38 yrs old and had 4xs for ever also, never a problem. If your tranfer case is in 2wd, tis no trouble.
Leaving them locked does not engage everything, shifting the Transfer case to 4wd engages everything, until you pull the lever, or turn the dial on the ESOF the Ex's have, the front axle is still separate from the rest. I would buy the Warns or Milemarkers, and just lock em in the fall and leave them, when ya want 4wd turn the ****!

 

ya all better put yer rides in the air, with the hubs moved from auto to lock if yer system is operating properly, yer front axles and drive shaft will spin-thats too much unnecessary movement when i don't want it. i have a 01 ex and 01 f350 both with esof and thats how mine work!! (with esof in 2wd)

 

Gone 4x4,

If your truck is on 4 jack stands with nthe T-Case in 2wd, the front will not spin....unless your truck's t-case is broke! The front output shaft in not engage unless you select 4x4...so your front tires will remain still. On the ground...the road rolling past spins the tires...and if the hubs are locked...like mine are....the front driveshaft of coarse does spin. Too much unneccesary movement....ok....whatever.....

 

-ok you must be in a different tax bracket then me, i don't want anything moving unless i ask it too--whatever

 

But you can lock the hubs and throw away the key..... it wont kill ya....and it wont kill your ride. So feel free to buy OEM hubs, or aftermarket hubs.... and feel free to use the auto lock feature, or use the manual locked feature.....feel free to leave them locked or get out and lock them if/when needed. Bottom line is that your going to be OK no matter what you choose.

 

--gone's point!!

 

--fordtrk's point!!

 

both good points!!, thats my point!

 

I have heard both ways, go with what your comfy with, 6 of one,,,, half dozen of the other,,,, try it both ways and see if you notice a difference. Depends on your driving, I stay mostly up here in the mtns. with an occasional trip to Fresburgo, for me, I leave them in lock. However, when we took her truck to TX, I did remember to "unlock/auto" them. When I have driven any of my trucks on a long distance, i.e. road trip, at some point and time I might think about it and unlock them, and I might not,,,, 6 of one/half dozen of the other,,,, never did a scientific study on rotating mass and what drag there might be involved, but never had a problem either way!
So whats my point,,,, life is like a box of choc-o-lates!!