i got auto hubs on my 94 f-150 300-6 and 5 spd tranny and when engage the 4x4 the hubs grind really bad and then lock up. is this normal? can i rebuild this?

thanks

 

Mine have done that for a year. It's probably bad, but my 4wd has been going strong all winter with the snow, so I'm not going to fix it until they break.

 

No, swap them with manuals and have a rock solid drive train. If you have the three screw hubs you need the conversion kit, five screw hubs are a direct swap.

Adrianspeeder

 

Click my signature link & look in the Brakes & Hubs album.

 

The only problem with that plan is that you don't know they've failed until you go to use 4X4 and it doesn't work. At this point you will be stuck-
In a 4X4. This is highly embarassing, don't ask me how I know.

On a lighter note, my auto hubs have been absolutely trouble free for three weeks, now. Of course, they're no longer on my truck- that's why they're trouble free.

 

Probably almost as embarrassing as that one time my exhaust system became disconnected from my truck. Apparently we were supposed to WELD that one part... :o

Manual hubs are on my list, but since the last of the snow has come and gone (it's Washington, snow here is the dust after you scrape off your windshield), I'm going to wait until sometime this summer. Probably do it the same time I do my annual brake maintenance!

Steve83: I think I recall you suggesting some brands other than WARN. Any particular suggestions?

 

The other big name is mile marker. Standard warn's work for me.

Adrianspeeder

 

what happens if u dont run the conversion kit to go from three bolt to manual?

 

^ Either you'll never get it reassembled, Or you won't have any positive locking of the front wheel bearing nut, which will eventually back off. This will cause severe damage to the bearings, hubs, and/or spindles, and could easily result in a crash.

Go ahead and spend the 60 bucks on the conversion kit.

 

is the conversion kit just new spindle nuts and a spacer because i ordered my hubs with the conversion kit but my hubs fit in fine without the changing of the spindle nut and the spacer?

 

The kit is exactly that- two spindle nuts and the locking ring that goes between them. One spindle nut has a small pin sticking up- that is the nut that goes against the bearing, and the pin points to the outside (obviously) you then put the spacer on, with the pin through one of the holes in the spacer. Finish by installing the outer nut, and it gets torqued to about 160-200 ft/lbs. This locks the whole thing up, and keeps it from backing off of the bearing.

I believe (and the only way I'd know for sure is to take my truck back apart, which I'm not interested in doing) that even though the new hubs fit with the stock nuts, because the new hubs are shorter than the autohub assembly, they would not provide pressure against the semicircular stock locking clip. If that clip isn't pressed against the nut mechanically, it can slip out, and that's where your bearing nut can back off, causing the big bearing/hub/spindle damage and possible crash.

 

I haven't noticed any significant difference from one brand to another. They all offer the same LLT warranty that most people tout as the main feature of Warm Premiums. But why pay $120 for the same warranty that you get for $65 Milemarkers?

No, don't. Spend ~$50 from JBG.

 

About two hours of my time is all it took to disassemble everything, regrease, and it took care of that awful sound. No issues for over two years. Easy to do. Just don't lose anything and keep a diagram of the assembly.

 

i might try tearing down and grease to get me though the winter