Ford 4x4 question: LOCKED or AUTO ?

[Snobdds]

This gets so many people and my father included. I've had to explain it to him so many times that I now put a "how to" sheet in the truck with him.

Some basics:

The hubs should always remain in the auto position when driving normally. It's not clearly marked on the hub, but just remember to turn the dial left to unlock (auto) and right to lock. The dial on the dash tells the transfer case actuator motor what position to move the linkage to for high range or low range. It also will engage the vacuum switch for the auto locking of the hubs if the dial is not already in the locked position. The hubs are vacuum operated if in the auto position. The system is designed to fail in the locked position. If you have a vacuum leak in the system, the hubs will stay locked in. If you don't think anything is working, just create a vacuum leak and the hubs will lock in. In reality, Ford did a great job of making a fail safe system that will fail in the locked position.

For operation: First always keep the hubs in auto. If you are driving and anticipate needing 4wd, just slow down, let off the gas and switch the dial to 4Hi. That is the only range you can select while moving. The truck needs to be moving to engage the hubs in auto and 4hi. If your stopped and need 4wd, then to be safe, just lock in the hubs (turn to the right) and put the transmission in neutral, then move the selector to either 4hi or 4lo.

I like this system a lot better than my F150 with full auto hubs. I like to be able to manually lock the hubs if needed.

 

[dieselcrawler]

The 'auto' setting is ONLY the hubs. The transfer case is not Auto, it's in 4x or 2x, as controlled by the driver via the dash knob.

Edit: snobdds, great explanation, you beat me to it.

 

[JMER817]

Take a pic of the hub and inside selector please

 

[k0ua]

This gets so many people and my father included. I've had to explain it to him so many times that I now put a "how to" sheet in the truck with him.

Some basics:

The hubs should always remain in the auto position when driving normally. It's not clearly marked on the hub, but just remember to turn the dial left to unlock (auto) and right to lock. The dial on the dash tells the transfer case actuator motor what position to move the linkage to for high range or low range. It also will engage the vacuum switch for the auto locking of the hubs if the dial is not already in the locked position. The hubs are vacuum operated if in the auto position. The system is designed to fail in the locked position. If you have a vacuum leak in the system, the hubs will stay locked in. If you don't think anything is working, just create a vacuum leak and the hubs will lock in. In reality, Ford did a great job of making a fail safe system that will fail in the locked position.

For operation: First always keep the hubs in auto. If you are driving and anticipate needing 4wd, just slow down, let off the gas and switch the dial to 4Hi. That is the only range you can select while moving. The truck needs to be moving to engage the hubs in auto and 4hi. If your stopped and need 4wd, then to be safe, just lock in the hubs (turn to the right) and put the transmission in neutral, then move the selector to either 4hi or 4lo.

I like this system a lot better than my F150 with full auto hubs. I like to be able to manually lock the hubs if needed.

Got it. A good explanation.. I just gave a good explaination of how the Chevrolet system works, and it is obviously nothing like the Ford system you have outlined.

 

[Snobdds]

Ford does not have full auto hubs on F250 or F350, therefore there can not be auto 4WD or a system that puts the truck in 4WD based upon wheel slippage. The F150 with full auto hubs can do this.

 

[k0ua]

The last Ford I had was the 92 explorer, and of course it did not work anything like any of the above, You engaged 4wd with a pushbutton on the dash, and the hubs were and autolocking thing, but when you went into reverse this unlocked them. Which was near worthless for rocking a vehicle out of a mudhole as when you hit reverse the hubs would unlock.

 

[k0ua]

Ford does not have full auto hubs on F250 or F350, therefore there can not be auto 4WD or a system that puts the truck in 4WD based upon wheel slippage. The F150 with full auto hubs can do this.

Thanks for getting us up to speed on the F150 4x4 system..

 

[mjw357]

Thanks, everyone.

Have a safe and happy 4th!