No owners manual for reference, so can someone explain the correct procedure for engaging and then disengaging the 4 wheel drive. It has the manual locking hubs and is a standard transmission. Thanks

 

Standard meaning 5-speed or 4-speed?

Engage 4 Hi

Heres how I do it. Stop the truck, put the tranny in neutral, put the pull the lever all the way back to 4 hi. Drive.

Disingage:

Stop the truck, put the tranny in neutral. Put the lever in 2hi. My 4x4 light doesnt turn off, until I back up VERY slowly to here the pop. and the light is off. Your now in 2 hi.

4Lo engage

slowly rolling in od or d, put the lever in 4 lo. May have to play with it awile, mine likes to grind. light comes on. Do not go over 15?mph.

disengage-stop truck, put in 2 hi. back til pop.

Your truck may be different than mine. But my uncles 92 F-150 4x4 has manual locking and it works the same. FYI, my truck has the auto hubs. while your truck is stopped, turn the hubs to locked. ALso, it is very important NOT TO leave the hubs locked. I have heard that you can break them EASILY leaving them locked

Enjoy!!!


[This message has been edited by Pastmaster (edited 01-10-2000).]

 

Thanks Pastmaster for the info..when exactly do you lock and unlock the hubs? Lock them in and start your sequence and unlock them and start your diengage sequence?

 

Actually once you have the hubs locked you do not need to stop to engage 4hi. You can go between 2hi and 4hi at hwy speeds. ( just like shift on the fly) I tend to stay below 50mph when the hubs are locked however. When engaging or disengaging 4lo you do need to stop the truck. When I unlock the hubs, once in a while I need to back up a little to unbind them so it will fully disengage. The advantage of manual hubs are when unlocked you have a 4x2. No resistance of the front end turning. But when you lock em up is just like shift on the fly. 93 was a great year!!!

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97 F-250HD,PSD,reg cab,XL,4.10LS

 

Fishmaster: Would I be causing any harm, by stopping? I have a plastic (sticker) on my visor, that tells how to shift in/out, exactly like you said, but mine will only shift in or out, if the truck was at a complete stop.

 

Pastmaster,

I will jump in for a second. Except for my current truck , all 4x4's I've had were equipped with the manual lockouts. I have driven with them in the "lock" position many times. This causes no damage to the front end. It will however decrease MPG. Once the manual hubs are engaged (locked) you can change between 2hi and 4hi without slowing down. I usually let off the gas for a sec , pull the shift level to 4hi , and then continue driving. I've never had to stop to switch between 2hi and 4hi once my hubs were locked.

My current truck has the autolock hubs. These work exactly like the manual locks except I do not have to exit the truck to "lock" them in. I still have to stop (just like the manuals), but then all I do is pull the lever to 4hi..move forward about a foot or so to engage the hubs..then put it back in 2hi. At this point my hubs are locked just as if I had stepped out of my truck and turned them by hand. I can then drive all day in 2hi and switch to 4hi just by pulling the transfer case lever to 4hi.

When I am ready to disengage the hubs I stop and back up a few feet. I hear the hubs unlock and it is just as if I had stepped out and turned them to "free". This all happens if I have the transfer case lever in 2hi of course.

Sorry for the long post, but I don't see any way to trim it down. The point of it was to say that something may be wrong if you have to stop to switch between 2hi and 4hi if you already have your hubs locked in. Also that it does no harm to drive around with your hubs in the lock position while you are in 2hi, it would cause a problem if you were on dry pavement and had the lever in 4hi. The owners manual on a few jeeps and also the 1980 F-150 I had recommended locking the hubs once a month and driving for front end lubrication purposes.

Mike J.

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1997 F-250 HD (old style) Supercab 4x4 w/ 7.5l 460. Jacobs Electronics Ceramic 2000 plug wires, Side-gapped Autolite plugs,Synthetic Oil, K&N air filter,Cab/Clearence lights,Tonneau cover and bedliner are my only upgrades so far.

 

Mike, I really appreciate the Reply! I need all the info I can get. Any ideas what could be causing a situation such as mine? If I don't stop the truck, any forward gears will grind slightly, and it will not go into 4x4. I assumed Fords were this way, because my friends had other trucks, and theirs could shift under 5 mph. Is there a sensor or something that I need to replace to fix it? Maybe new fluid?

 

Pastmaster, are we talking about shifting from 2hi to 4hi? Should be no grinding at any speed. I agree with mj44, he's right on. I know of a couple fords with 120k and they shift smooth at hwy speeds. But all of these have manual hubs. The auto's IMO are junk! Even under moderate four wheeling you can blow them. Superwinch or warn make excellent replacements. If the grinding is in the transfer case a fluid change is a start. They all grind a little going in to 4lo.

my .02 cents.

 

Yep 2hi to 4hi. I never even thought about the hubs, being the problem. I will check on that. They look fairly easy to replace. Thanks again Fishmaster/Mjordan44!!

 

At this point the autohubs are functioning correctly. I don't completely trust them and will change them to manuals at the first sign of a problem. Like I had mentioned in earlier posts, this is the first time I have had them and maybe it is just a fear of the "new" that is holding me back.

I do not do any real heavy offroading. I go out about once a month do a few two-track runs (some mud and good hill climbing). The main use is daily highway commute and boat pulling during the summer. So if it is snowy the hubs are used and when I pull my boat out of the ramps.

Pastmaster, I also think you may need new lockout hubs. Also I was reading through your steps for putting your truck in 4lo. I cannot leave my truck in Drive while doing this. To engage 4 lo I must be stopped and in nuetral. At this point I pull the lever back until it stops, push down and pull it the rest of the way. Then I can put the truck in drive and go. I find that it is also better to turn off the OD at this point. Otherwise if you are climbing the engine doesn't like to stay in a low gear.


Mike J.

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1997 F-250 HD (old style) Supercab 4x4 w/ 7.5l 460. Jacobs Electronics Ceramic 2000 plug wires, Side-gapped Autolite plugs,Synthetic Oil, K&N air filter,Cab/Clearence lights,Tonneau cover and bedliner are my only upgrades so far.


[This message has been edited by mjordan44 (edited 01-14-2000).]

 

Is there any routine maintence for auto hubs? If there is, I am sure that it hasn't been done since the factory. Truck has 136k and its 11 years old. Switch to manuals?

 

I dont think there is much you can do for maintenance. Ever look through a 4x4 mag? They all use manuals because that is what stands up to the use. Go get the manuals! If my facts are correct the autos have a spring and a mechanizem(sp?) that is like a clutch. They wear out and are weaker by design. There isnt much to a manual hub, simple and strong.

my .02 cents.

 

I've never done it but I hear its easy. I've heard superwinch hubs are good also. I think if you go with warn you'll need an install kit. BYW warn makes the factory hubs on all fords.

 

Ya, actually I have a subscription to 4 wheel and off-road. I found a nice pair of MileMarker manuals. Any of you guys ever replaced these hubs?

 

They may be great, but I've never used them. Any aftermarket that I have ever had were Warn. These seem to be very popular and tough. I've never had a problem with them at all. I used to do very heavy off-roading (country style...ie lots of beer and muddy woods). The hubs have never failed, I've lost rearends and a tranny once.

Others may have different experience , but this has been mine.

Mike J.

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1997 F-250 HD (old style) Supercab 4x4 w/ 7.5l 460. Jacobs Electronics Ceramic 2000 plug wires, Side-gapped Autolite plugs,Synthetic Oil, K&N air filter,Cab/Clearence lights,Tonneau cover and bedliner are my only upgrades so far.