lane

i'm going to appoligize up front for the simplicity of this question - sorry

just bought a 93 f-150 v8 (think it's a 351) short bed 4x4. i've owned a few 4 wheel drive trucks before, but they've always had autolocking hubs where you simply flipped the 4x4 switch on the dash and you're good to go.

my current truck has the auto switch on the dash for 4x4 and 4lo and manual lock hubs. my question is do i have to lock the hubs for any 4 wheel drive use? can i simply hit the 4wheel hi on the fly and be in four wheel drive? also, if they have to be locked for any use (hi or lo), should i lock the hubs before engaging the 4hi/4lo or engage then lock the hubs?

again, sorry for my nievity & any information would really be appreciated!

lane

tonkatruck66

if you want ANY four wheel drive, you must lock the hubs. the whole idea of manual locking hubs is to engage/disengage the front wheels front the front axle shafts. this stops items that arent need in 2wd front not rotating thus creating less wear and better gas mileage. and you should always lock your hubs BEFORE you put it into four wheel drive.

and it wasnt a stupid question. you just simply didnt know. lol

tonkatruck66

oh, and you can look at your motor and if it says "5.8L" on top of the motor, it has a 351W, if it says "5.0L" on top, its a 302, which is also in the winsor family.

wde3477

^^ yep.

Should the roads be 'iffy', I leave the hubs locked in, then switch from 2WD to 4WD as conditions dictate. It's bad practice to leave in 4WD on solid pavement - the front end needs to be able to slip a little on turns.

Oh, and welcome to the site! Glad you're here, lots of good info to be had.

lane

wow, thanks for the warm welcome & the rapid replies!

thanks!

so, leaving the hubs locked if the roads are on/off demanding the 4 wheel drive won't harm anything? that is good news, for obvious reasons. i'll be sure to keep them unlocked during normal driving conditions.

thanks once again,

lane

smp5937

Along this thought, could a 1988 F150 4x4 Manual hub be changed over to an auto locking hubs without changing the whole front setup?

tonkatruck66

that is a question im not sure of.

reasonable logic would tell me yes since its basically taking auto hubs off and putting manual ones on, but in reverse. but on the down side of that, your gonna get a lot more wear and tear on your front end driving around town along with a little less gas mileage.

just htought of this, did 88's come with auto's or where they manual? because if it came factory with manuals, i doubt it can be converted to automatic. but then again, ive never heard anything about it.

smp5937

Well, mine is an '88, and it is factory manual hub setup...

David4202000

my truck has auto locking hubs and i wouldnt suggest converting over tto auto. first off they are alot weaker than manuel hubs and half the time the dont even engage all the time. i have to roll about 10 feet before mine fully engage.

tonkatruck66

yeah, got stuck because girlfriends dad's explorer didnt want to lock in. manual is worth the 2 calories burned while locking the hubs.