<<Question: Can anything get damaged if the truck is shifted into front wheel
drive without the hubs being locked?>>
Well, yes and no! As long as the struck is not moving you engage front wheel
drive without damage. Once engaged, you can drive it without damage. If you
engage it while going down the road, prepare to hear some unpleasant sounds
and if done too much for too long, prepare to replace a very heavy transfer
case. Manufacturers who equip their trucks with locking hubs suggest that
each month the hubs be engaged for a specific amount of time to promote
oiling in the front differential. Many people simply leave the hubs unlocked
and engage the transfer case to promote this oiling. It works just fine
unless the neighbor kid was playing with your hubs and locked them in. I was
the same neighbor kid about 30 years ago. As a word of advise, simply
engaging the hubs or front drive with the hubs unlocked for only a few
revolutions will certainly lube everything up but does little to cook off
condensation. Drive several miles and allow these rotating parts to warm up
and your front drive axle will last longer than the truck. As another word
of advise for those of us that drive our truck almost daily, use unlocking
hubs! There are so many benefits to these things it's unbelievable. I don't
think you will find anybody with these hubs that has anything bad to say
about them.
Kenneth Engle
Loxahatchee, FL U.S.A.
AM General M-35A2
Fruehauf M105A1
(and a cool shop phone)
http://hometown.aol.com/recovry4x4/myhomepage/photo.html
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