When to lock front hubs

[Iamnewatthis]

Noob question. Does it matter when I lock the front hubs?
Are you supposed to lock them before or after You put the TC in 4H?

Also, Ive been putting the TC in 4H when the main shifter is in Park but read another post during a search that people put it in 4H when in Neutral. Does that matter.
Tried to look at operator manual but the TM's are down.
thanks.

 

[wikallen]

Lock the hubs when you think or know you want 4wd. Shift into 4hi in anygear, anytime really. But to shift into or out of 4 low you will need to be in neutral.

 

[kevin-m1008]

wikallen is correct

I would also lock them in every month or so to lube up the front end.

 

[armytruck63]

There should be a set of instructions on the back of the driver's sun visor, if you still have the original.

 

[K9Vic]

My hubs have been locked since last week Tuesday when the first ice & snow hit Dallas/Fort Worth. You can go from 4X2 and 4X4-Hi while moving, do it all the time when I need more grip between snow/ice spots in the road.

 

[Iamnewatthis]

Thanks everyone!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Lock it in before you get stuck. Then you won't have to get out in the mud and muck for 4x4.

 

[Barrman]

I know you were waiting for this. Read the -10 TM. It does a great job of telling you how to start, drive and stopthe truck and how to work everything on it along with everything that could have been on the truck.

 

[OL AG '89]

"I know you were waiting for this. Read the -10 TM. It does a great job of telling you how to start, drive and stopthe truck and how to work everything on it along with everything that could have been on the truck. "

Kinda harsh on the guy Tim, you presume he hasn't read the TM like SOOOO many before him.....

 

[aspann]

In his defense, he did say he tried to look up the manuals but the TM's are down.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Whats a TM?

 

[Iamnewatthis]

In his defense, he did say he tried to look up the manuals but the TM's are down.

Yes there are guys on here who just lay in wait to say ,"read the TM".

Food for thought to those that do;
1. Read a guys entire post before jumping in with your "read the TM"
2. Sometimes, you need a quick answer rather than spend time going thru the TM.
I.E. the truck is warming up and the wife is waiting to be driven to work and you just thought of your question cause you knew you were going out to lock the hubs.
3. I have learned more by just asking a simple question and getting a straight answer
in minutes than i have culling thru the TM's for and hour.
4. This is the only sight were people routinely do that. I have never asked a question on
a gun forum and had a guy tell me go read the manual. It is assumed on any web site that is hobby specific that people like to share their knowledge and will tell you.
5. If you dont know the answer why bother to post anything at all?
6. When I know the answer a guy needs I just tell him. I dont tell people to go read the TM when i could just tell him.
7. I am new to here and new to this, but i am an expert on other subjects and while i reccomend certain reading materials for sure, again, i just give a guy an answer.
just saying
and oh ya, when i posted this question i had already looked and the TM's were down, as well as used the search feature and didnt find anything like it in a timely manner.
thanks again to those who took the same time to actually answer as it takes to say "read the TM"

 

[KsM715]

I see the "RTFM" thing as a training issue. The more threads where guys tell people to read the manual will help the new guys from asking the same question that 10,000 other people have asked. The manuals are available on many different websites.

 

[Sasquatch]

The guys telling you to RTFM are the guys that have been on here the longest and will be able to help you when you have a real problem that the manual doesn't have the answer to. They are on here all the time and get tired of answering questions that have been asked thousands of times and can easily be found with a search or a quick look at the index of the TM's.

Learning to figure stuff out on your own in the end will make you more familiar with your truck and making it a lot easier to own a 25 yr old MV.

 

[TCUCV]

I have had my hubs locked before taking off on a drive but the last time I did, it was making a knocking sound every once in a while during a turn. Any idea why this would happen?

I've driven with my hubs locked before and no problems...I haven't tried it again, but maybe I should. Any suggestions would be great????

 

[Blue2actual]

I have had my hubs locked before taking off on a drive but the last time I did, it was making a knocking sound every once in a while during a turn. Any idea why this would happen?

I've driven with my hubs locked before and no problems...I haven't tried it again, but maybe I should. Any suggestions would be great????

When you lock your hubs, BOTH wheels will be turning at the same speed all the time, until you unlock them. When you are turning, the inside wheel naturally will want to slow down while the outside wheel be...in essence pulling the vehicle in the desired directed. Any time your hubs are locked and are driving on pavement, you will get a shudder or wheel hop because each tire is will be moving at a different speed due to the turn...When that happens, SOMETHING has to give and thats where you get a shudder or wheel hop. While occasional wheel hop is not a BAD thing, I wouldnt go any further on pavement with locked hubs then I had to. Off road isnt that big of a deal, as loose dirt is more forgiving on axle shafts and slpines then asphalt. just my

Hope that helps.

 

[kevin-m1008]

I have had my hubs locked before taking off on a drive but the last time I did, it was making a knocking sound every once in a while during a turn. Any idea why this would happen?

I've driven with my hubs locked before and no problems...I haven't tried it again, but maybe I should. Any suggestions would be great????

When you lock the hubs in and do NOT put it in 4wd the only thing you are doing is locking the axles to the hub/wheel. Which in turn, turns the front axles, R&P, front driveshaft. These parts are not under power they just turn with force from the road.
I would check the following.
1. The axleshaft U-joints.
2. Driveshaft U-joints and driveshaft
3. Locking hubs spindal bearing and bearings in general if you have not packed them recently.
4. Remove the inspection cover and check the differential.

Knocking sound is not normal, but getting steering wheel shudder while turning while in 4wd on dry pavement is common and normal.

YMMV

Good Luck

 

[TCUCV]

While it happened it was more of a shutter and it did shutter the last time while driving fairly straight, I'm think you might be right Kevin, it could be a u-joint or hubs needing to be re-packed. Although I did take it wheeling right after this happened and nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than the normal light whine noise every now and again(which a lot of people on here claim to hear as well).

 

[Pawnshop]

Lock the hubs BEFORE the snow and ice come and the selectors freeze, ask me how I know...

 

[kevin-m1008]

Lock the hubs BEFORE the snow and ice come and the selectors freeze, ask me how I know...

LOL
same here I was glad I had a can of de-icer in the glove box.