I have a 1992 F-350 CC single wheel 1-ton, that has automatic hubs. The truck is super nice for its age and was never really worked, the truck does not want to lock the front hubs in when I pull the shifter, it grinds and the front left pops like it tries to lock in but does and doesn't sometimes. It got me stock this past weekend. I took them out they were clean and not really greasey I washed them off with brake cleaner and put some 10w30 Valvoline on them and put them back together. It didn't help much........should I just switch to manual lockouts? I hate to cause the truck sits up tall and its a pain in the azz to lock and unlock them, but I will if it what I need to do to fix it.

Also whats the best conversion lockouts to buy also??

Thanks,

Richard

 

It probably spun the locking mechinism in the auto lock. You can spend some money and get exact automatic replacements or just go for the manual ones. It will give you the option to use the low side of the transfer case without locking in the front axle, but seems odd to me to do so, always had the front in pulling to help on the low side of the transfer case anyway.

 

I had the same problem, greased them up and they worked fine..........

 

If you cleaned them and not even try to lock . They r done. Not reliable to begin with (But I run them )They do have rebuild kits but never seemed to last long. The auto's will be Pricey to get used and new u could buy 2 sets o Warns . Any manual hubs will work fine if not a serious offroader. But the warns have been abused and then some by most here , And they like em.

 

Thanks.........for all the input!!! I will be checking into the lockouts, the truck just rolled 110k, going to keep till death do us part! Just not wanting to get stuck and the 4x4 not work to get Big Red out!!

Thanks Again!

 

i have come up with a real trick for my manual hubs. come winter (canada-snow and all) i lock my hubs at the first sign of snow and unlock them come spring. works perfect...no gettin out of the truck. lol. i know its not a trick but it is what i do. fuel mileage....i didnt calculate it but it was a negligible difference, one that i was fine with considering having to get out and shovel my tires out to get to my hubs to lock them.

 

Yes, I lock-in all my old Fords on the Farm and just jerk the the shifter as needed!! Thats a trick its self!!

 

Ditto on what Northern 7.3 said... I do the same thing and never worry when in mud, snow, etc. That said, as the truck is used less than 3k miles per year, the mpg impact is irrelevant. I also don't believe the hype some try to stir up about premature wear - when is the last time you heard/read about a front axle going bad? I never have...