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- Joined
- Feb 28, 2019
- Messages
- 31
- City
- Spokane Washington
- Vehicle Year
- 2003
- Engine
- 4.0 V6
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Total Lift
- Stock FX4 Height
- Tire Size
- 15"X 31"
Why were Manual Locking Hubs ever put on a Vehicle? Why are they still installed on the real work trucks like F-350's and up?
"Flexibility".
Who does not like having options? (I wished I knew how to show you's a video I have on my phone of what I have described below)
I needed to push a heavy trailer load of sheetrock up a very steep concrete driveway starting at a right angle from the street below. I had to walk this up slowly to control the trailer. Low Range with the hubs unlocked gave me the ability to walk it up slowly without binding up the drive train.
I also have an awkward concreate driveway that I need to back my trailer into quite often, and using Low Range is just nice.
And thanks for admitting the gas saving feature of not turning drive train parts unnecessarily. And I do feel things that are turning, are wearing.
Yes the front drive mechanisms are Sadly tiny and whimpy, not being the drag they used to be, but they still don't need to be turning all the time.
Why were they removed from the option list?
"Ignorance".
Somewhere in the 70's, Fathers did not seem to pass on the knowledge of what is going on below the floorboards. I lived in San Diego in this era. People were all the time getting stuck out on the beaches with their Land Cruiser, Blazer, etc. Hardly any driver knew to turn in the hubs. First they became an option for the 2% that knew what they did, then slowly they just got dropped as options, long before the drivelines became "light duty".
In conclusion, I am very thankful that Ford resisted the anemic logic for dropping the hub option for so long, that I have the option to install my beloved hubs on my '03.
"Flexibility".
Who does not like having options? (I wished I knew how to show you's a video I have on my phone of what I have described below)
I needed to push a heavy trailer load of sheetrock up a very steep concrete driveway starting at a right angle from the street below. I had to walk this up slowly to control the trailer. Low Range with the hubs unlocked gave me the ability to walk it up slowly without binding up the drive train.
I also have an awkward concreate driveway that I need to back my trailer into quite often, and using Low Range is just nice.
And thanks for admitting the gas saving feature of not turning drive train parts unnecessarily. And I do feel things that are turning, are wearing.
Yes the front drive mechanisms are Sadly tiny and whimpy, not being the drag they used to be, but they still don't need to be turning all the time.
Why were they removed from the option list?
"Ignorance".
Somewhere in the 70's, Fathers did not seem to pass on the knowledge of what is going on below the floorboards. I lived in San Diego in this era. People were all the time getting stuck out on the beaches with their Land Cruiser, Blazer, etc. Hardly any driver knew to turn in the hubs. First they became an option for the 2% that knew what they did, then slowly they just got dropped as options, long before the drivelines became "light duty".
In conclusion, I am very thankful that Ford resisted the anemic logic for dropping the hub option for so long, that I have the option to install my beloved hubs on my '03.
