Ford 4 Wheel Drive Question

Manual lever on the floor with locking hubs is the most trouble free setup by far. No issues at all with my 2004 F-250 SD, or my '79 Bronco. Every person I know with dash switch (vacuum axle disconnect) systems has had issues and problems with them. They are expensive to repair as well.

Grit dog wrote:

Ductape wrote:
There is more misinformation on this thread than you can know.

Fords with auto hubs use vacuum to unlock. A broken hose will lock the hubs.

Knob on the dash you have auto hubs vacuum operated for sure.

Lever on the floor may have manual hubs, may have auto vacuum hubs, depending on year and options installed.

^This.
And basically the "locking hubs" that are on every truck with auto locking hubs are for bling. Took a while to understand. I think Ford glommed onto the "built ford tough" look and has basically made an unnneded feature a selling point. Although when the auto locker c raps out which is known to happen (who uses vacuum operated anything anymore? Lol) the bling lockers will still work

Kind of like the ding dongs that are still installing locking hubs on the newer Rams with the center axle disconnect. A lot of $ to keep 2 u joints from turning!

Actually the locking hubs on my Super Duty have both auto mode (they engage via the switch on the dash) and manual mode (Used if the auto feature fails you have to get out of the truck and turn them to lock mode). This is the best and most robust setup of the three IMO. It's very rare that you see a Super Duty that's front axles are spinning during 2 wheel drive mode. I believe the GM trucks front axles are designed to turn during two wheel drive mode and I see a lot of rams front axles turning during two wheel drive mode as well.

Also if you would like the aftermarket makes some really good locking hubs for the Super Duty's as well and I for one am glad Ford didn't mess with a good thing with the '17 Super Duty's.

At 115k miles and almost 5 years I haven't had a glitch with the electric shifting system on my Super Duty. Actually had to use it last Saturday while pulling my boat out of a slippery boat ramp.

I think that most of the problems with auto locking hubs go back to the '90s. One thing that is not well known is that some Fords with 4wd have an "automatic setting" on the selector switch. In F150's you have to get Lariet trim or above. I have been enjoying that in my F150. As best as I can tell in automatic it locks in the hubs but holds off on the transfer case until it detects rear wheel slippage. Then it engages the front wheels as needed. It is especially useful when driving on surfaces that have spotty traction and you can't decide if you need 4wd because of the slick spots or the good traction areas will damage your transfer case. The new Fords coming out have a lot more modes of operation that I haven't seen explained yet but I know that one is all wheel drive which could be useful when it is too slippery for 2wd but not slippery enough for 4wd.

rjstractor wrote:

BenK wrote:
Push button is not able to switch on the fly much above 3-5 MPH

I don't beleive that to be true at all. I've owned vehicles that could shift on the fly at 50+ mph without issue. Now, if you're referring to shifting into low range, this has to be done at a near-stop regardless of shifter type.

agreed. I've shifted my s-10 and both my duramax's in and out of 4hi at 60mph no issues at all.

I like my manual locking hubs and manual shift, yea I know I have to get out to lock the hubs I just do it when I leave the pavement. I can use 4low unlocked hubs and it can be towed 4 down really easy, just put the transfer cast into natural

I'll take the stick on the floor any day. It's so easy and simple. Switches on the dash with all the related hardware are a solution in search of a problem. Pulling the lever on the floor can be done with one hand in 2 seconds without taking your eyes off the road.
I don't like center consoles anyway.

Ductape wrote:
There is more misinformation on this thread than you can know.

Fords with auto hubs use vacuum to unlock. A broken hose will lock the hubs.

Knob on the dash you have auto hubs vacuum operated for sure.

Lever on the floor may have manual hubs, may have auto vacuum hubs, depending on year and options installed.

^This.
And basically the "locking hubs" that are on every truck with auto locking hubs are for bling. Took a while to understand. I think Ford glommed onto the "built ford tough" look and has basically made an unnneded feature a selling point. Although when the auto locker c raps out which is known to happen (who uses vacuum operated anything anymore? Lol) the bling lockers will still work

Kind of like the ding dongs that are still installing locking hubs on the newer Rams with the center axle disconnect. A lot of $ to keep 2 u joints from turning!

There is more misinformation on this thread than you can know.

Fords with auto hubs use vacuum to unlock. A broken hose will lock the hubs.

Knob on the dash you have auto hubs vacuum operated for sure.

Lever on the floor may have manual hubs, may have auto vacuum hubs, depending on year and options installed.

ducksquasher wrote:
Thanks everyone...a little lost with the locking hubs portion. So the shifter and the dash dial will not engage the same? I figured that they would serve the same purpose just in a different format? If you want true locking 4WD low you still need to get out and lock the hubs with either, correct?

You do not need to get out and lock hubs, for 4H, or 4L, with the dash dial. The electronic shift on the fly has a vacuum operation to lock hubs when dial is turned, hubs set to auto. If this system fails, due to hitting an obstacle/whatever, which has caused damage to the vacuum line, you will then have to get out to turn hub from auto to lock. An example...driving through a picked corn field, catching vacuum hose on corn stalk. No...I do not drive in corn fields.

Jerry

ducksquasher wrote:
Thanks everyone...a little lost with the locking hubs portion. So the shifter and the dash dial will not engage the same? I figured that they would serve the same purpose just in a different format? If you want true locking 4WD low you still need to get out and lock the hubs with either, correct?

If you have the shift lever, you have manual locking hubs that need to switched over to lock to use 4wd. If you shift the lever to 4wd high or low while unlocked, it will still be in 2wd with these manual hubs.

If you have the shift knob, the hubs will automatically lock if the knob is turned to 4wd high or low. You can also lock the hubs manually so they do not disengage if you are rocking the vehicle in 4wd, but there is no way to disengage the the axle to use 2wd low.

Whether you have the lever or knob, you can shift out of 4wd to 2wd, but the the front axle will continue to spin without power unless you have the automatic hubs set to automatic. If the manual hubs are engaged or the automatic hubs are set to lock, the front axle will spin even though the driveshaft is not powering it.