Need Some Backup!!!!

[jaymegriffiths]

My dad the super genius mechanic has argued that ford rangers have NEVER come with shift on the fly 4x4 and manual WARN locking hubs. According to http://www.warn.com/powertrain/company_milestones.shtml , Ford announced that its rangers 4x4 models will be equipped with Warn M250 manual locking hubs. A lady came in and the Hubs are broken, and will require replacment but he beleives that the Manual locking hubs found at the local parts supplier are NOT the same and I've reassured him they are. Not only that, but my freinds explorer has EXACTLY the same hubs, and his is straight factory. Its also shift on the fly. will someone please site something that shows that rangers HAVE had WARN manual locking hubs along with the shift on the fly found in this 1989 ranger?

 

[4x4junkie]

Well, they never came from the factory with shift-on-the-fly (SOTF) and manual hubs, but many, many, MANY people here have swapped the auto hubs out for manual hubs while still keeping the SOTF transfer case.
If he's thinking they will not fit, rest assured, they will fit and work fine. Just lock the hubs in first and then you can shift the transfer case in & out of 4WD all you want at any speed.

 

[fastpakr]

You lost me - the factory manual shift case isn't SOTF?

 

[4x4junkie]

Once the hubs are locked in, you can shift a manual case in & out of 4WD too, but you cannot do it if the hubs are not locked (you would have to get out and lock them in first).
To be truly SOTF, the automatic locking hubs are required, but as many here know, those hubs are not exactly super-reliable.

 

[fastpakr]

Ah, I see what you're saying now.

 

[jaymegriffiths]

Well, they never came from the factory with shift-on-the-fly (SOTF) and manual hubs, but many, many, MANY people here have swapped the auto hubs out for manual hubs while still keeping the SOTF transfer case.
If he's thinking they will not fit, rest assured, they will fit and work fine. Just lock the hubs in first and then you can shift the transfer case in & out of 4WD all you want at any speed.

See that what he says. I've seen enough people who dont know the difference between aoil and air filter who have the manual hubs and electronic shift t case, that I am SURE they came factory equiped with such. all im asking is for you to say, yes, the trucks came with an electronic shift t case AND manual hubs, which they did.

 

[4x4junkie]

Sorry, no can do...
I s'pose it's possible a DEALER could've installed the hubs before they sold it initially, but they didn't roll off the assembly lines like that. Any trucks factory-equipped with manual hubs came with the manual-shift t-case.

 

[jaymegriffiths]

Sorry, no can do...
I s'pose it's possible a DEALER could've installed the hubs before they sold it initially, but they didn't roll off the assembly lines like that. Any trucks factory-equipped with manual hubs came with the manual-shift t-case.

now what your saying is directly in line with what he says. tell me exactly where you refrenced that from?

 

[4x4junkie]

How about you tell me (and your dad) where Ford DID offer what you're saying, since you're the one that seems to say otherwise.


Tell us why Ford would want to increase production costs by putting something in a truck that would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever with it missing the other link in the system that would allow it to function the way it was originally intended (the auto hubs).

 

[jaymegriffiths]

How about you tell me (and your dad) where Ford DID offer what you're saying, since you're the one that seems to say otherwise.


Tell us why Ford would want to increase production costs by putting something in a truck that would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever with it missing the other link in the system that would allow it to function the way it was originally intended (the auto hubs).

Although this IS a good point, neither side has shown any proof so far, but i do have MANY vehicles i could show you with this setup. Why, if ford intended them to be shift on the fly, would a dealership destroy the whole intention of the auto hubs by installing manual ones? It just seems highly unlikely and in about 1/2 and hour of searching i came up with no real evidence for either side. Problem here is i see trucks with a certain setup. i say, thats probably how they were made. You (and y dad) say no. Yet neither of you have has provided any evidence even suggesting your side is accurate. I Already gave one site that seems to imply. Sort of. But i have seen BOTH. So I'm saying maybe the fact that manual hubs are an attractive option to the right buyer they could have been equipped from PRODUCTION witht the affore mentioned setup. Gimme some facts man.

 

[4x4junkie]

That link you gave above has absolutely no implication whatsoever (even vague) that manual hubs were ever fitted with an electric t-case.

Both the sales brochures, and Ford service manuals directly say that manual hubs (together with a manual t-case) was a "delete" option for the electric case & auto hubs (prior to this the auto hubs (together with the electric case) were an upgrade option replacing the manual stuff).

Anyway, I'm not going to continue arguing here with you, Call up Ford directly and see what they have to say.

 

[Jason]

Their seems to be some confusion between "shift on the fly" and push-button switching.

Push-button is shift on the fly, but shift on the fly is NOT necessarily push button. It seems everyone is referencing the ESOF (Electronic Shift on the Fly) transfer case.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm specifically stating that manual hubs didn't come with the ELECTRIC (push-button) shift transfer case. jaymegriffiths here appears to be saying otherwise simply because he's seen some trucks with manual hubs on them (most likely converted because of the very high failure rate of the auto hubs). If he's talking about a case that simply is capable of shifting in & out of 4WD at speed, then that's something totally different (ALL cases are capable of this, and I thought I had clarified this in post #4). I'm specifically stating that if the truck rolled off the assembly line with manual hubs, it also came with a real shift lever on the floor, not push-button junk.

 

[jaymegriffiths]

I'm specifically stating that manual hubs didn't come with the ELECTRIC (push-button) shift transfer case. jaymegriffiths here appears to be saying otherwise simply because he's seen some trucks with manual hubs on them (most likely converted because of the very high failure rate of the auto hubs). If he's talking about a case that simply is capable of shifting in & out of 4WD at speed, then that's something totally different (ALL cases are capable of this, and I thought I had clarified this in post #4). I'm specifically stating that if the truck rolled off the assembly line with manual hubs, it also came with a real shift lever on the floor, not push-button junk.

Im not saying your not right i just wanna see these brochures! if MANY were converted due to the high failure rate, why not just say that in the first place. I obviously dont know much about the factory options available. (foot in mouth) its just when i see NUMEROUS vehicles with this setup, it makes it easy to beleive. i agree with "jason" and im sure im just really confused. and stubborn. well i just find it difficult to beleive how many "converted" 4x4's there are. you have to admit there are a HUGE amount of rbv's with identicles setups to the one described. And i appologize if the fact that i don't/didn't want to just beleive you. without hard evidence its gonna be kinda taken your word for it. dont wanna make trouble, just here to learn,K?

 

[jaymegriffiths]

And for arguements sake I tried to talk to the guys at my dealership and they just stared at their stupid computer and toldme nothing. I even emailed ford and they said they didn't have a proper record and I needed to talk to a dealershipand they could refer me to the right person to get a hold of. Which I never bothered doing cause im tired of fords sad excuse for customer service. I don't have much of a respect for dealerships, or their service teams. Plus I rely on trs for info I probably could never get from ford. So your persistance is appreciated and maybe ill keep looking for an actual site to legitisize that. If thats a word...