Ford F-250 Auto Locking Hubs Problems? (Let’s See)

Most trucks like the Ford F250 come with locking hubs that aid in engaging and disengaging your wheels.

However, having in mind that no machine is 100% efficient, there are some problems you’d encounter using these locking hubs.

Furthermore, some issues are common with Ford automatic transmission hubs, so I’d be unfolding these flaws to you in this article!

Failure to engage the wheels or hubs of your truck is a common trouble with faulty auto-locking hubs. Unfortunately, your vehicle can even get stuck in the mud if this device has this problem. Also, a bad locking hub can equally prevent your car’s wheels from releasing when they should do so.

How Do I Know If My 4WD Hub Is Bad?

The hub is part of your car’s four-wheel-drive system that is automatically or manually locked depending on the hub type.

You’d notice it has locking hubs if you have the Ford super-duty series or a 4×4 truck. But how do you know if your four-wheel-drive hub has gone bad? Keep reading to find out!

When your 4WD hub breaks, it will start showing you some signs. Nevertheless, certain symptoms may be a problem concerning the entire wheel. Did you find out: Does Ford F-150 Come In Manual Transmission?

Nonetheless, I will mention specific indications of a bad hub.

#1. 2WD and 4WD System Works Intermittently

You’ll get a non-continuous and unsteady driving performance from a faulty hub. When the hub is in such awkward condition,  the vehicle would regularly disappoint you.

For instance, if you select the four-wheel-driving option, there’s a high tendency for your truck to return to a two-wheel-drive still.

This situation can even reduce the torque of heavy-duty speed trucks and cause slow movement of the automobile.

So, your four-wheel drive frequently works irregularly, it may likely be due to a bad hub.

#2. Noises from The Hub 

If you begin to hear grinding or slipping noises around the wheel area, it’s a symptom of a broken hub. Normally, this occurs when the hub fails to engage properly.

But surprisingly, it’s the good hub that makes the noise after the damaged one does not kick in.

In another case, the nuts that hold the wheel hub in place can get loosened up. When this happens, it may cause a grinding noise when you switch to Neutral.

This noise sounds like two gears that are no longer in excellent order, and that’s an indication of a defective hub.

#3. Not Engaging

A faulty hub may not respond to a four-wheel-drive operation when you need it.

Normally, when the hubs lock-in, your front tires will rotate on their own without the aid of the back tires.

With that said, a faulty hub may cause the front wheels of your Ford super-duty series not to pull.

#4. The four-wheel-drive becomes stuck

A vehicle’s automatic locking hubs may fail to disengage on rare occasions. But, when this happens, and you notice it, that indicates a problem.

On the one hand, using your car always on a four-wheel-drive system can cause poor fuel economy and fast wear on the hubs.

Finally, the front axle engagement switches are not on all vehicles, but they’re vital to the automobile where provided.

So, if you suspect that your hub or hubs are showing any of the signs above, have it inspected.

Can You Drive With Your F250 Hubs Locked?

Yes, knowing that hubs ought not to be used all the time. Besides, your wheels might get stuck if you leave the hubs in four-wheel drive while on plane roads.

However, this happens particularly when you’re at high speeds, and it will cause the wheels to stop turning. 

You may have heard that you should never drive with your Ford automatic transmission hubs locked because they can cause severe damage to your tires and rims.

However, others disagree, saying that locking your hubs does not harm the tire or rim.

The F250 is one of the classes of the 4×4 truck manufactured by the Ford motor company with the hub locking feature.

With the hub, you can either decide whether to go on a 2WD or a 4WD, depending on your situation.

Furthermore, when the transfer case shifts into 4WD, unlocked hubs automatically slide into position and lock the axle.

If it was a successful operation, both front wheels also become drive wheels.

And a locked differential is great for off-road driving since it helps in keeping both front wheels turning without regard to traction.

However, it can make your Super Duty Ford motor difficult to steer when driving and can cause a bad gas mileage.

It would be best to never use hubs on the dry pavement unless you drive at extremely low speed. If you do otherwise, it may cause damage to your vehicle in the long run.

For hubs to lock up, there must be pressure on the mechanism, like climbing a hill, and that is why you must consider deciding which drivetrain to employ.

How Do You Fix Automatic Locking Hubs?

When your hubs fail to lock, you will have to disassemble and inspect or replace the hub(s).

Nevertheless, before that, you should first run a test on the hub to know what’s the problem.

You can do this by holding the axle shaft steady and rotating the wheel backward to check if it’s releasing.

There will be a clicking sound if all is well as the locking mechanism slides back out, disengaging the hub.

Meanwhile, if there seems to be a problem with engaging and disengaging, you could visit 1A Auto’s how-to video library.

On this website, you’ll find tons of videos concerning how to repair car parts, including a hub.

Now, let me show you how to fix your automatic hub that’s making a grinding noise. The steps below are the DIY guides to get your automatic locking hubs fixed.

#1. Lift and Secure the Vehicle and Take off the Tire

To get your hub back to a normal sounding and working condition, you’ll have to check for weak nuts. Then, in fixing the problem, you’ll need to safely lift the vehicle.

The next step will then be taking out the front wheel from wherever you hear the grinding noise. 

#2. Take out the Cap from the Hub

On the loose wheel, there’s a cap in the middle of the hub. Pull out the cap and you’ll see the loose nut.

Ensure you don’t put any holes on the cap for moisture not to get in and cause corrosion. 

#3. Take out the Hub Nut and Clean

Now, remove the loose nut from the hub. The first step is checking the threads to ensure there are no damages.

Then wipe off any dirt or debris and apply some thread lock on it before tying the screw back.

#4. Torque the Hub Nut

Check the torque specifications for the nut. Then, tighten it as specified by the manufacturer. While you’re doing this, ensure the automatic locking hub isn’t moving.

In the end, insert the cap back on. Ensure you check again to confirm it doesn’t have any other damages or is in bad shape.

Finally, you can put your wheel back on and bring down the vehicle if all is okay.

Conclusion 

When you do not use Hubs properly, whether Ford automatic transmission or manual, they’re likely to have engaging and disengaging problems; in other words, you should not activate the mechanism regularly, especially when you don’t need them.

However, while a broken hub has its shortcomings, a good locking hub is of great use to heavy-duty speed vehicles.