Does anybody miss manual locking hubs? (2013, auto, manual transmission, fuel)

[pikabike]

I miss many retro things, but manual locking hubs are NOT one of them.

Just curious if anyone prefers them, and especially, why they do.

(You probably have to be old to even know what these are.)

[doc1]

I had them on an '02 Ford F250 I owned up until 2013 and I don't miss them.

Even though I would disassemble and grease them at the proper intervals, near the end I kept a pair of channel locks handy to make it easier to engage them.

[HWTechGuy]

I retrofit them on my last truck because the auto locking hubs were problematic and expensive to replace when they failed.

I prefer them.

[doc1]

Originally Posted by HWTechGuy

I retrofit them on my last truck because the auto locking hubs were problematic and expensive to replace when they failed.

I prefer them.

I had heard the same thing when I ordered my '02 F250 so I went with the manuals.

[Rivertowntalk]

I have them on my F250. On occasion, they have frozen and will not engage. I now leave them locked in for most of the winter and only engage the transfer case when needed. I don't drive the truck that much. I would not miss them.

[Brian_M]

I specifically installed them on my truck for durability and reliability.

The reality of the situation is that 99% of people don't need 4x4 with any frequency. You can save on wear and tear and save a little on fuel (I think I spent $100 on my hubs, ~16 years ago). Think it *might* be bad enough to need 4x4, lock the hubs in at home and drive away. The system now functions as the same shift-on-the-fly as normal. Don't need them? No harm, just unlock them again whenever.

*shrugs* It's just one of those things like manual transmissions...

[Vision67]

I taught my wife how to get out and lock the hubs on my 1977 International Scout II.

But we were young back then.

So I guess I don't miss them much.

[eric johns]

I still have them and still use them. Really old, but always reliable 4Runner.

[HappyRider]

You mean the kind that you had to get out in the mud and turn the thing, by hand? I remember them on the 70s Blazers and always thought it was a dumb way of engaging 4WD, or am I misunderstanding what "locking hubs" means?

[HWTechGuy]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

You mean the kind that you had to get out in the mud and turn the thing, by hand? I remember them on the 70s Blazers and always thought it was a dumb way of engaging 4WD, or am I misunderstanding what "locking hubs" means?

The hubs engage the wheels to the axles, you still have to shift the transfer case into 4WD. Like so many things - a little common sense goes a long way, the idea is to lock the hubs ahead of time. When I lived in PA, I'd lock them when we got our first snowfall and just left them locked for the rest of the winter.