4 wheel drive operation?

[strokin' fool]

I have a 1999 PSD 4X4 and the 4wd button did not work. I bought a new electric shift motor (that is what Ford said it needed) and it now works, but I have to get out and lock my hubs? I thought that automatic hubs were supposed to be "automatic" when you turned the 4wd knob. I have look at the hubs and they say "free" and "lock". I have owned other vehicles that had 4wd and you either had to lock the hubs for them to be in 4wd or if you turned the switch, it locked. I was told that my F250 had the automatic locking with the manual backup? Is that true and if so, is there a problem? I have seen other hubs on another F250 and the hub says "Auto" and "lock". Just curious

[jwiger]

my '05 has auto/manual hubs but i don't believe they were using those back then. BTW the DANA 60, 35-spline front axle is new for '05

[strokin' fool]

Thanks for the answer. I just was unsure.

[Rodslinger]

Just an FYI;
The only time my '05 has ever been in the shop was for a "clunking" noise in the front end on sharp turns. It turned out one of my "auto locking" hubs decided not to auto unlock itself. The weird thing about this was that I had MANUALLY locked and unlocked them, because I knew I was in a place where I might need 4 wheel drive, so I didn't even rely on the auto lock. Oh well they fixed it and I've probably used 4X4 ten times since then and all has been fine.
Oh and welcome to Powerstroke.org Strokin'!

[Mike OB]

Stroken' fool: Mine is a 99 and it has auto hubs, they say lock and free, they don't engage until you are moveing - the wheel must turn for them to engague. If you try to make them slip in gravel on take off they won't. Get on some wet dirt and get them rooling then punch it and see if they will throw dirt or mud from the front wheels. Good luck Mike OB

[Bai]

I have an 01 F350 and my automatic hubs haven't been working quite right either. During the summer I found a leak in the vacume line on the left side. I replaced that and the auto hubs worked fine. Then yesterday when I left in the middle of the night to plow the first years snow the auto lock didn't engage and I had to lock them in manually??

[Cobrajet]

I have a 99 PSD F250 and they do say lock and auto.
I did have a problem with them not working so I took
them apart and soaked them in WD40 and they work
fine now.

machman

[99Smokin73Stroker]

Ahhh WD40....mans third best friend after a beautiful woman! And first place goes to? Mmm....Ice cold!!

[00powerstrokin]

ford put a tsb out on the auto locking hubs. you have to take them a part and grind 3 grooves on the inside of the big plastic washer to let air by. they are vacuum activated. mine weren't working and i did this now they work like a dream

[super_stroke]

mine no worky either. mine dont say any thing on them, lock or free. you can hear the T case engage. and i read some where that if there is a vac. leak that the heater dosent work right. also when it was in 4 hi or 4 lo it would spin all for from a dead stop and its a 2000. any way got any ideas?