Auto Hub Question
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 444
Likes: 4
Auto Hub Question
I know I am going to get rocks thrown at me for this question but here goes.
Right now my truck has Warn premium hubs on it. I can get a set of new auto 4x4 hubs for a decent price.
Are the auto hubs really that bad? I have had my fair share of 90s ford trucks with the factory auto hubs and they seem to be ok. Sometimes they would stick but nothing a hard reverse wouldn't fix.
Thoughts?
Keith
Right now my truck has Warn premium hubs on it. I can get a set of new auto 4x4 hubs for a decent price.
Are the auto hubs really that bad? I have had my fair share of 90s ford trucks with the factory auto hubs and they seem to be ok. Sometimes they would stick but nothing a hard reverse wouldn't fix.
Thoughts?
Keith
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,402
Likes: 38
From: Bonita Springs FL
Every auto hub question can be answered with "switch to manual hubs" and no question can ever be answered with "switch to auto hubs".
Yes, they are that bad. They are extremely unreliable and if you are ever in a situation where you depend on your four wheel drive to get you out of a spot, you really don't want to have auto hubs on your truck.
Yes, they are that bad. They are extremely unreliable and if you are ever in a situation where you depend on your four wheel drive to get you out of a spot, you really don't want to have auto hubs on your truck.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 601
Likes: 1
From: Chicagoland
I don't usually get into these discussions but what you are asking is crazy. You already have Warn Premiums and you want to go back to autos? 
Sure living with manuals is a little different, but not as bad as it might seem. If you even think you might need 4x4 for the drive ahead then lock the hubs before starting out. Shift the t-case from inside the cab as conditions warrant: 4x4 as needed, 2x4 otherwise . Rolling in 2x4 with both hubs locked isn't going to hurt anything.
Sure living with manuals is a little different, but not as bad as it might seem. If you even think you might need 4x4 for the drive ahead then lock the hubs before starting out. Shift the t-case from inside the cab as conditions warrant: 4x4 as needed, 2x4 otherwise . Rolling in 2x4 with both hubs locked isn't going to hurt anything.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,670
Likes: 13
From: Sand Lake, MI
My 95 still has the original autos and yea they work just fine, rarely use 4by with that one but have never had a problem when I do.
I have no plains in the foreseeable future to install manuals on it, however I'd never change it back to autos with manuals already in place.
The main concern I have with the autos is they unlock relock with every direction change, that could prove bad in the mud in a "rock it hard to free it" condition. For heavy off road use I'd swap them for manuals that remain fully locked until unlocked.
I have no plains in the foreseeable future to install manuals on it, however I'd never change it back to autos with manuals already in place.
The main concern I have with the autos is they unlock relock with every direction change, that could prove bad in the mud in a "rock it hard to free it" condition. For heavy off road use I'd swap them for manuals that remain fully locked until unlocked.
Carpenter Local 745
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,794
Likes: 11
From: on da beach
I wish Warn still sold the automatic/manual hubs that were offered in the 80ʻs.
I had the experience of my auto hubs unlocking on my Brocno while I was driving on sand. The Bronco got stuck and it had to get a tug from a Toyota pick up truck, a very sad moment. The day after that I bought some Warn hubs and never looked back.
You know, to each his own. Auto hubs may fill your needs, just keep the manuals.......just in case.
I had the experience of my auto hubs unlocking on my Brocno while I was driving on sand. The Bronco got stuck and it had to get a tug from a Toyota pick up truck, a very sad moment. The day after that I bought some Warn hubs and never looked back.
You know, to each his own. Auto hubs may fill your needs, just keep the manuals.......just in case.
Carpenter Local 745
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,794
Likes: 11
From: on da beach
(some hubs may require an adapter kit)
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 444
Likes: 4
Thanks for the answers everyone. I am sure I am going to keep the warns, I was just bouncing around the idea because the auto hubs sure are convenient.
Its odd that no one can make a good reliable auto hub.
Keith
Its odd that no one can make a good reliable auto hub.
Keith
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
