replacing stuck hubs

[mojoman77]

the hubs on my 02' f-350 psd 4x4 are totally frozen in the auto and i belive that one might be in half lock. what are the best to replace with and the best way to get the old ones off with out making the problem worse. i have tried to pull one off to see if i could unfreeze it myself but there was no way that them suckers were coming off with out some major stress. any suggestions. also warn says i can get totall manuals. my question with that is is this a problem since the current ones are auto and manual.

thanks for any input \

mojo

[super_stroke]

mine are stuck in the lock position thanks to tire dicounters' stooges. i'm gona replace them with warn or super winch hub's. i wish one of those two would make the stock auto hub's like we have now. why dont they??? are they

[Lone Ranger]

Hello Mojo Man,
Look, I am a bit out of date with all this new fancy gear, but in my last F-350 I did not trust the automatic hubs... I figured they would fail me when I was in two foot of mud and muck or in the middle of a river or something... Ha!

Anyways, my hub experience with it was that with about 150,000 miles on it the hubs just were a bit worn, sticking a bit, just did not feel dependable. I replaced them with WARN hubs, not much $... Then at least I knew for sure I was either free wheeling or locked in. They worked well, just needed a light grease that did not dry out, I used a marine grease, anyway they worked well until I sold the truck....

I have not opened up my 2003 hubs, but am still uncomfortable with the "automatic" feature and would probably want to lock them in if I was getting out into the poooo..... Which I seem to do quite regularly..... But then 4x4 exploring is my business... Thank God for tax deductions and Research and Development tax breaks....


Regards from Oz...

[mschn99]

to get the hubs out....take the metal clip out, spray the mating surface with the hub with a ton of break clean, grab onto the hub and rock it pretty hard with your hands while pulling, it will come but they dont come out easy. as far as the replacements.....the warn hubs will work, but you will lose the auto function. you dont have to modify anything, but if you turn it to four by it will never automatically lock the hubs after installing the manual warn hubs.........Marc

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by mschn99

to get the hubs out....take the metal clip out, spray the mating surface with the hub with a ton of break clean, grab onto the hub and rock it pretty hard with your hands while pulling, it will come but they dont come out easy. as far as the replacements.....the warn hubs will work, but you will lose the auto function. you dont have to modify anything, but if you turn it to four by it will never automatically lock the hubs after installing the manual warn hubs.........Marc

All Hail Marc, Ford Techie Guru!!! OK, Marc, is the automatic hub something you think is designed well enough to rely on in the extreme of conditions?? If so, why did they add on the locking feature in the same hub??? My last F-350 was just auto, no option... Now it is auto or lock? Just to make Old Fashioned Horseman like me feel more comfortable when trying to cross the swamp??? Where we inevitably are stomping through the mud dragging out a winch cable to the nearest tree that is always just 10 feet to far to reach...

[mschn99]

i would never rely on the auto mode in serious conditions....i would always get out and manually lock them in.......

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by mschn99

i would never rely on the auto mode in serious conditions....i would always get out and manually lock them in.......

Thanks for that Marc, as I suspected... Where some of you guys are more into big time street rod stuff we are more into what the city people denegrate as "Bush Bashing" exploring and serious off-road work as there aren't many nice roads out west ... Ha! We don't have Banks six gun stuff But we do have things like adjustable air-bag suspension over the springs on paddle switches and gauges in the cab for adjustable ride, and diff-locks, air compressor stuff, big winches, and monster driving lights to look for Roos and Cattle, camels, donkeys, and other obstacles that want to jump out in front of you... And Roos are no laughing matter here, the Big Red Kangaroo can stand about 6'-7' tall, more than a bug splatter if he comes through the windscreen to sit in the front seat with you.. Ha!

Best Regards from Oz...

[mojoman77]

i want to thank everyone for the input and i totally agree with you all i would rather have the manual hubs. now the only question that i have and would like to know what everyone thinks is this superwich or warn.

thanks
mojoman

odering superwinch in the morning unless i hear major horror stories only due to money .

[Lone Ranger]

Mojo,
Find someone with the Superwinch if you are going that way... I don't know, but looking at them they look like Chinese stuff... Really I don't know, but my Warn gear lasted and lasted. I have four Warn Winches right now, one 9000 lb on a 1989 Toyota Sahara I gave to my son. After a bunch of years, a solenoid quit and had to be replaced in the control box, but other than that, very good. In Oz here we really use the gear, a bit hard..

Sometimes cheaper is not the answer long term. In my longterm experience, I have found that a few bucks more sometimes buys twice the product. Quality is always a good investment.. Have a look at the two, especially if as you say money is an issue, cheaper may not be better... Ha!

Mind you, only my worth... Ranger in Oz...

[mojoman77]

the other reason is the guy from the local 4x4 shop suggested hard for the superwinches. he said he has been sending back a lot of warns but never a superwinch lock out. plus the price. i guess, worse case senario if they go bad or give me issues i will go with the warn. and take my lesson in stride.