I recently got a 1993 F150 4x4 w a 5.0 and a Dana 44-IFS axle. My rightside hub remains locked after shifting out of 4wd unless a) I shift back into 2wd and drive backwards for a few feet. Or b) I shift into 2wd and tolerate the horrible clicky noise that ultimately ends with a violent slam.

Now upon serious inspection my front diffy is actually undamaged. And my transfer is nicey-nice. I elevated the truck on stands and engaged the 4x4 and the problem pointed itself out clear as day. The right hublock clearly refuses to disengage with out excessive force and thusly I declare it shot.

Now I would like to fix this. I know the IFS shift on the fly hubs are notorious POS. And for that matter, I can't even find a place that sells them. Even my local Ford dealer says to change to some nice Warn manual lockers.

What is required to do the conversion? I have replaced the IFS hubs on other trucks when I worked at Monro, and they were super easy to do. But that was with the stock IFS hubs, not nice manual lockers. I assume there is a conversion kit available but I am unsure what exact manual hub I need and which is the right conversion kit. Does anyone sell a full kit that includes everything I need in a neat package?

Any help is much appreciated. It's gonna get icy over here really soon and I wanna get this done ASAP.

 

Have you read the owner's manual? That's the correct way to unlock ALL types of hub locks; auto & manual.That's not normal - you should be able to drive around with the hubs locked (auto or manual) so you can shift on-the-fly (with manual or ESOF t-case).When the truck won't stop without excessive force on the brakes, do you declare the truck shot? Maybe it just needs maintenance or repair. When was the last time the wheel bearings were cleaned/packed/adjusted?No, actually, they're notorious for lazy owners neglecting them for years, and then being surprised & angry when they've turned out NEEDING some help to work right. And that IFS uses the exact same hub locks as most other 1/2-ton trucks (Ford, Dodge, GM, Jeep...) with solid or independent axles.Those auto hub locks are nice Warns, and there's nothing nicer about Warn manual hub locks than any other brand. They're all built the same way, and all come in various levels of strength & quality, and all can be bought with LLT warranty. I've used MileMarkers with the top-end lock body and the bottom-end black **** (because I like the look) for years of HARD off-roading, and I've only replaced them once (free under warranty) in ~15 years.

So if you just WANT manual locks, then that's a good reason to convert, and it's not complicated. But there's nothing wrong with autos, and swapping to manuals won't prevent this exact same problem from reoccurring if you neglect them like these autos have been.

For everything you need to know (for either option), click my black Bronco in my sig and read the captions in the Brakes & Hubs album. Just count the screws holding your auto lock caps on.

 

I bought all new bearings for the truck the day after I got the thing because the previous owner said he only changed a bearing on the left side and he was not sure what bearing it was. I know it is best to change bearings in pairs, so I assume it could use all the bearings. I haven't noticed any bearing problems, or any other problems other than the sticking hub. Today I took the hub off and checked it out. I am not sure what is actually wrong with it, so I cleaned it up w parts wash and water and compressed air and re greased it and put it back in. The hub still whirrs loudly but now appears to actually spin the wheel. However, it still doesn't disengage unless I roll it backwards for a considerable distance (50 to 75 ft). All the noise occurs only when I engage the 4wd and it is entirely from the suspect wheel.

Do you suggest trying to disassemble and clean the hub and grease it again? I think I did a pretty good job this time, and the noise is a little quieter, but it is still annoying as hell. Plus when I slow down to a stop there is a lot of noise from that hub and a slam/pop if I stop and I have shifted OUT of 4wd and into 2wd without reversing first. The slam/pop does not occur if I am in 4wd and come to a stop, only if I go from 4wd to 2wd and then stop. If it does require a new hublock assembly, where can I get another automatic hub? And is it even worth it as the manuals look and preform so good? I think I like the idea of manual locks.

 

oh yes, it has five torx bolts on the hub cover

 

No, it's not necessary to replace all the front wheel bearings at once; if only one side needs it, that's all it needs. But I'm not talking about the wheel bearings causing the problem - I'm saying that servicing the wheel bearings allows inspection/service to the hub locks. Did you read the captions in that photo album? You shouldn't pack the hub lock with grease - just a light coat on all the parts is enough.

But until you ID the actual problem, changing the locks may not fix anything, but it'll certainly cost at least $80; more if you pay someone else to install them.

And you don't need any "conversion kit" since you have 5-screw auto locks.

Autos perform almost the same as manuals; better in that you don't have to get out to lock/unlock them, and that you can shift-on-the-fly from 2H to 4H if you have an ESOF t-case - worse in that they unlock & relock each time you reverse direction. But both are susceptible to neglect, and that's what caused your trouble.

If you can't find any in your local junkyards, e-mail me thru my SMN profile or my profile here. I have some spares.

 

No doubt it was neglect that caused the problem. I cleaned the hub and just put a light coat of high-temp bearing grease on it.

Okay, it does not exhibit any bearing problems so far. Like no bearing noises and the seals (on this side at least) look pretty good. I am pretty sure it's just this hub.

I couldn't find the album, but I am new to this website, I must have been looking in the wrong place.

Anyways, thanks Steve, you the man! You have help me greatly to better understand the problem. If I can't find the hub anywhere, I will most certainly e-mail you about your spares.

 

Sweet! I found the album. Nice job! This makes it much much easier to understand. Today I will post pics of what my hub looks like.

 

The captions contain a lot of info, and some have links to other pics, so scroll all the way down.

 

I took my truck to the tranny shop and they confirmed it was definitely the hublock. Then I went to what felt like a billion parts stores before I found a complete set of MileMarkers (it seemed every kit I found was a big mess and most were missing hardware). I purchased a set of 104 Supreme manual hublocks which look almost identical to the ones in the album. My question is, what are the two big and two small snaprings for?

Also, it is possible to do the hublock install straight on the ground w the wheels still on?( I took the old hub out and cleaned it w the wheels still on the ground, can I install these new spiffy hublocks the same way? what do you recommend?

 

Whoops, nevermind. I figured it out.

 

Yep - all the answers to post #9 are in that album.

 

And so the hublocks continue to be an issue. Apparently there is supposed to be a splined spacer between the lock body and the axle bearing lock nut to prevent the stub axle from sliding back and forth in the hublock body. The Mile Marker instructions said to omit the spacer on some axles, which seems to make sense as with the spacer installed there is no way to install the hub body snap ring (the one that fits in the groove in the spindle housing). It seems as though the spacer would fit nicely on the snap-ring side of the stub axle, however, the spacer is too tall and obstructs the lock ring in the hub body causing the hublock to be partly engaged at all times, thus making it impossible to put the lock in free mode.

Finding an appropriate washer/spacer seems to be impossible. Is it okay to leave that hub locked at all times since the other hub lock works fine? Or, is anyone aware of an appropriate washer or spacer, and where would I find one, or will I have to fabricate my own?

 

If your gonna be driving it all over town no you dont need to leave it locked all the time... Even though it want turn the differential (ring and pinion) it will still turn the spidergears and they want be oiling aswell as normal and you will eat them out...

 

It is currently impossible to leave the left hub locked as the stub axle will slip back and forth in the hub and result in banging. I am trying to find a spacer to fix this. Best I can figure I will have to make one from a piece of pipe. Without the spacer there is 1/4 inch too much axle slide/play. And there is no way to put the stock spacer behind the aftermarket hub. I wanted to put the stock spacer on the front of the axle shaft behind the snapring, in front of the hub but the spacer is 2mm too big in diameter. Machine shops I have talked to say they cannot machine my spacer down 2mm in diameter because it is hardened steel. In the mean time I have a clunking hub that I cannot lock.

 

I've never had a problem putting that spacer back in. The trick is to hold the u-joint outboard while installing the small snap ring over the hub lock. Those diagrams show it.