I have a 2000 Ford Super Duty 4x4. I have the automatic hubs. Is there a way to put my truck in 4-wheel-low with the front wheels disengaged. I tow a trailer on a regular basis. I would like to be able to back up a trailer with the control of low-range, without the bind of the front wheels.

Can anyone help? How do the hubs work? Vacuum or electric? If vacuum I should be able to put a vacuum valve on the line, if electric then just place a switch in line... will this work?

I dont think there is a way to disengage them. They have 2 settings on the hubs automatic and manual lock if the auto fails. If the auto work on a electric servo you could put in a switch to disable it so the hubs remain unlocked and you would have your 2 wheel low.

My only real question here is wether the hubs work off of vacuum or electric... If I know for sure which one, then I can make my own system. I can't get a straight answer from any Ford dealership.

apeters89, have you ever checked out the forums at www.ford-diesel.com? The have great info there for the superduty's. Here is a link to the post about 2wd low.

2wd low (http://forums.ford-diesel.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=25&t=001461&p=)

Brett

thanks for the info!

Ford automatic hubs are neither vacuum, nor electric. They are a passive system, cam operated. If the axle turns faster than the wheel, in either direction, then the hub locks itself. It unlocks when driven in the opposite direction, then re-locks in that direction after a few feet.

This means that the hubs will unlock if you try to rock yourself out after getting stuck, so you probably stay stuck. It also means that if you stress the hubs as they are locking (partially engaged) they will likely strip out, and be useless. Depending on differnece in F-R tire size and inflation, they can also unlock when you go from pulling to holding-back on a downgrade.

Auto hubs may also strip out if the grease gets stiff from lack of mantainance, or just cold weather (like nobody would ever want to use 4WD in the winter, right?) as the stiff grease prevents full engagement.

For any use other than driving on a snowy paved highway, Ford automatic hubs are useless. In the backcountry, where 4WD may be needed to get home, they are a serious liability.

Warn and Milemarker make manually operated replacements. Ford manuals are also an option....I think they are made by Warn anyway. Any manual hub will address your trailer backing application. Just leave them unlocked, and use 4-lo.

Well, according to the forum listed above the new hubs are electric. They may have had centrifugal hubs before, but they do not anymore...

Kevbo, you are thinking of the old style Ford hubs. The new style are electric.

JP

Originally posted by Kevbo
Auto hubs may also strip out if the grease gets stiff from lack of mantainance, or just cold weather (like nobody would ever want to use 4WD in the winter, right?) as the stiff grease prevents full engagement.


Kevbo, who told you to grease them?? You're supposed to lube the hubs with a thin coat of ATF. That goes for auto or manual hubs. Warn packages their hubs with a very thin coat of grease, but even they say that's all the lockouts should ever need.

Reminds me of another guy who was using channel locks to turn his lockouts b/c he'd packed them full of grease. ;)

I know now that you're supposed to ATF them, but for years I packed my Warn premiums and my autohubs FULL of grease and never had a problem. I mean I stuffed as much grease in there as possible. Ifigured the more grease the less room for water to get in. It seemed to work too.

Shame on me! Blush. 'bout time Ford addressed the weak hub issue.

Most of the broken automatic hubs I've encountered had never been off the truck before. They didn't last that long. Whatever the lube was was what they came with. I assumed it was temperature related, but it may be more with spinning and rocking to get out of snow stucks.

Originally posted by strong_like_tractor
Kevbo, you are thinking of the old style Ford hubs. The new style are electric.

JP
Do you have a 99 and up SuperDuty?
Anyone who has one can tell you that the hubs on the D50Front axles on all F250,F350 SRW are Vacuum operated. If you look in the wheel well, you will see 3 lines running to the wheel assy:
1)Brake line
2)ABS sensor wiring
3)Vacuum line to activated the hubs.
If you buy Warn replacement manual locking hubs, you must put a plug in the vacuum line to trick the vacuum switch.

Yes the old style hubs were automatic and usually considered a piece of junk, so Ford used Manual lockable vacuum actuated hubs on the new axles.

Feel free to contact Warn to verify this information.

Brian

Originally posted by BBrianR
Do you have a 99 and up SuperDuty?
Anyone who has one can tell you that the hubs on the D50Front axles on all F250,F350 SRW are Vacuum operated.

I am gonna have to check this out. I just bought a fairly plainjane F250 SD 4X4 XLT, and some brief tests in a gravel parking lot convinced me that the hubs are manual. I was unable to get any front wheel engagement behavior until I manually locked the hubs.

I like the ability to go 2WD low range for trailering purposes also.

If you have the lever on the floor for 4x4 then the hubs are manual. If you have the ESOF switch on the dash then the hubs are automatic with a manual backup. So if the automatic feature isn't working you can get out and turn the hubs to the locked position.

Brett

byerks is right, if you spent the cash to get the dial on the dash when you put it in four low the hubs are going to lock, now if the lever is on the floor simply unlock the hubs and back up. it sounds like the first option, you should be able to plug the vacuum line and use a set of hubs off of a model with the floor shifter, but then you have to get out every time you want to use 4wd, anyway if you want a set of factory non-auto hubs, i work at a body shop that just deals in builder super dutys to support my wheelin' habit and i'm sure we have a set we would trade. e-mail me at deadduck@sd.cybernex.net if you are interested

Yes, I have the automatic hubs, I guess I will try to use one of the methods suggested on the SuperDuty Forum. Hopefully I can find the wire they were talking about...