I just picked up a 2005 F250 Diesel and noticed the hub was in the "LOCK" position. So now does that mean the previous owner have been driving in 4WD the entire time? Isn't that BAD for the truck???

 

When you fail to use a complete/useful/informative subject line? Yes. Yes, it is

As far as locking hubs, I wouldn't mind knowing The Answer to that one, but my guess is that if it's not in 4WD it won't hurt. Were both locked?

 

The hubs being in locked is not necessarilly bad. It all depends on whether the transfer case was also engaged.

When the hubs are locked but the transfer case is in 2WD, there is no real activity within the transfer case. Only the hubs and the half shafts will rotate. This may cause a bit of rumble and maybe a littler rougher ride and a little less gas mileage. In the long run it adds a bit of wear and tear to the hub and bearings on the half shaft.

The Ford manual for my 94 says to leave hubs locked if I might expect bad road conditions. This allows me to shift into 4WD on the fly.

If you have a manual tranfer case and it was in 4H or worse 4L all this time, then you may have problems, wear in tranfer case, and tires and drive line. But then it would be hard to drive under normal road conditions without knowing something is wrong. The ride will be very jerky in 4wd on dry roads during turns.


Recommendation from my maual and the Ford Truck Bible is that during normal road conditions you leave hubs unlocked and transfer case in 2H. If you expect bad road conditions you can drive with hubs locked and in 2H. When you get to bad conditions shift to 4WD per owner manual instructions. A lot of guys drive all winter in locked 2H with no problems.

I am not sure of the instructions for the Electronic Shift on the Fly systems(ESOF??) but I suspect as long as the tranfer case is not in 4WD all the above applies. You might have the ESOF, but I don't know.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

In the winter when i know I am going to hit snow or the roads are bad I leave my hubs locked in and the transfer case in 2H when I need some grip I pull the lever.

I have never had a problem with it hurting any thing.

 

Like Jim said, it is okay to drive that way.

Having said that, if I found a truck for sale that had the hubs in LOCK, I would be extra vigilant in checking over the 4WD system. It could be a clueless moron who drove it it's whole life with locked hubs. It could be a kid was playing around the lot and rotated the **** yesterday. Or it could be the hubs are seized and won't disengage. Assuming everything checked out okay, then it is not a problem.

 

before "auto" hubs became common, you were in for a messy day if you forgot to lock your hubs before finding a low traction spot...

 

I turned it back to "AUTO", it's been in 2WD the whole time I had it... and when I hit the snow this winter, I'll roll the dial to 4WD. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I will only need to LOCK the hub if the does not engage in AUTO... right?

 

That tells me you have ESOF, Electronic Shift On the Fly. So yes, you don't have to do anything to the hubs, just leave them in AUTO and they will engage when you turn the dial on the dash.

You can use LOCK whenever you want. You still have to turn the dial on the dash to engage 4WD. When I'm hunting for example, and will be in and out of 4WD over the course of a day or more, I leave my hubs in LOCK and don't change to AUTO until I'm heading for the interstate to go home.

 

It will add less wear to your stub shaft and it's a good little work out for your U-joints because they see little action in many cases. Let us know if they don't go in 4wd automatically.

 

Thanks again fellas, just went into the parking lot and threw her into 4WD via switch, left her in auto (hub) and heard it engage. So LOCK is pretty much a guarantee!

 

Take it to a gravel road or low friction surface, break the wheels loose and try it again in 4wd. It should lurch in 4wd.