Repair AutoHubs on '91-'94?
 

Has anyone sucessfully managed to repair the autohubs on the early Explorer
(91-94)? Is there a repair kit anywhere? Ford wants something like $900
for new ones. I put Warn manuals on my '91 and the autohubs just failed on
my wife's '92. I'm completely happy with the Warn hubs but my wife has a
tendency to get all flustered when she has to get out of the car and turn
them. The first time she did it she forgot to release the parking brake and
drove about 50 miles with it on. Worst brakes shoes I've ever seen. The
last time she drove it she released the parking brake but forgot to turn the
hubs. It was driven about 5 miles in 2WD with the hubs locked but with no
apparent damage. I guess my point is that sure, the Warn manuals are the
prefered option here, but if there is a simple way to get the autohubs
working again my life would be simpler and have fewer repairs ;) At least
she always remembers to back up after switching back to 2WD with the
autohubs.

What kinds of bad things will (or should) happen if you drive in 2WD with
the hubs locked (Warn)? I've done it on purpose a couple of times when it
was raining and was only going a couple of hundred feet on pavement and then
back to the mud. Nothing seemed to be binding or make any wierd noises etc.

For that matter has anyone ever had to replace autohubs on an Explorer
(early model) that they bought new and always remembered to back up to
unlock the hubs after going back into 2WD and never abused? I'm guessing
that most of the hub repairs I've read about here were on Explorers that
were bought used, keeping in mind that they came from an era when it was a
status symbol to have 4WD especially if you had absolutely no need for it.
No doubt some of those previous owners either NEVER pushed the 4X4 button or
used it when they shouldn't have.

You find them let me know. I like manual stuff...but it would be handy
not to have to get out and engage/disengage them when I need them.

"Ulysses" > wrote in message
...
| Has anyone sucessfully managed to repair the autohubs on the early
Explorer
| (91-94)? Is there a repair kit anywhere? Ford wants something like $900
| for new ones. I put Warn manuals on my '91 and the autohubs just failed
on
| my wife's '92. I'm completely happy with the Warn hubs but my wife has a
| tendency to get all flustered when she has to get out of the car and turn
| them. The first time she did it she forgot to release the parking brake
and
| drove about 50 miles with it on. Worst brakes shoes I've ever seen. The
| last time she drove it she released the parking brake but forgot to turn
the
| hubs. It was driven about 5 miles in 2WD with the hubs locked but with no
| apparent damage. I guess my point is that sure, the Warn manuals are the
| prefered option here, but if there is a simple way to get the autohubs
| working again my life would be simpler and have fewer repairs ;) At least
| she always remembers to back up after switching back to 2WD with the
| autohubs.
|
| What kinds of bad things will (or should) happen if you drive in 2WD with
| the hubs locked (Warn)? I've done it on purpose a couple of times when it
| was raining and was only going a couple of hundred feet on pavement and
then
| back to the mud. Nothing seemed to be binding or make any wierd noises
etc.
|
| For that matter has anyone ever had to replace autohubs on an Explorer
| (early model) that they bought new and always remembered to back up to
| unlock the hubs after going back into 2WD and never abused? I'm guessing
| that most of the hub repairs I've read about here were on Explorers that
| were bought used, keeping in mind that they came from an era when it was a
| status symbol to have 4WD especially if you had absolutely no need for it.
| No doubt some of those previous owners either NEVER pushed the 4X4 button
or
| used it when they shouldn't have.
|
|

I prefer manual too. I'd like to replace the electric motor that engages
the transfer case with a lever. Is this possible? ('94 XL automatic
trans.)

I prefer manual too. I'd like to replace the flaky electric motor that
engages the transfer case with a floor lever. Is this possible?

I have yet to see a source for any internal parts for the auto hubs. Driving
with the manual hubs locked in but the transfer case in 2WD isn't harmful.
Before my current SuperCrew, it was the norm in my house to lock in the hubs
when winter came and rarely unlock them until spring. Gas mileage takes a
bit of a hit but if I were worried about gas mileage, I sure wouldn't have a
4X4 much less a truck. The oil pump in the transfer case is turned by the
rear output shaft so there is no danger of lack of lube. One caveate.... if
you have any loose u-joints in the front driveline, be they axle joints or
driveshaft joints, they WILL beat themselves to an earlier than expected
death.

Not to tell you how to run your house (but its coming, anyway...).... Mrs
mechanic knows EXACTLY how the scene will play out if she doesn't pay
attention to the instrument cluster and what it is trying to tell her on a
regular basis. We tend to give our cars pet names and "personalities" (that
may be true to a point but it has little to do with relationships),
forgetting that they are machines... machines with lights, guages, dipsticks
and sight plugs that need to be looked at...




"Ulysses" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone sucessfully managed to repair the autohubs on the early
Explorer
> (91-94)?

"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
news:UL_Gd.107531$dv1.80765@edtnps89...
Driving
> with the manual hubs locked in but the transfer case in 2WD isn't
harmful.

That's good news. For sunny days my wife got a Nissan Frontier with a 4 cyl
engine and 5 spd manual transmission. That one we bought for the gas
mileage ;-)

When looking at the auto hubs I can't "see" anything wrong with them, other
than the fact that they no longer lock. I can't even see how they are
supposed to work. Nothing is broken and nothing appears to be worn or
stuck. It seems like one day they work and then suddenly they are only good
for pencil holders on a workbench. What makes them lock onto the axle? Is
the axle actually moving into the hubs when 4X4 is engaged?

> Before my current SuperCrew, it was the norm in my house to lock in the
hubs
> when winter came and rarely unlock them until spring. Gas mileage takes a
> bit of a hit

Later that day...

Here's what I did to determine if the auto hubs were bad: First I marked the
front driveshaft and axles with chalk to verify that they were turning while
in 4WD. All checked out OK. After having driven it a ways in 4WD I jacked
up one side and tried to turn the wheel. It was solidly locked on the axle.
I then jacked up the other side and it was trying to catch but not quite
making it. So, assuming that the front differential slips under no traction
situations and would prevent the good hub from turning this would in effect
render the truck to be 2WD. Is this correct?

Maybe I should have payed the extra for faster shipping on the Warn hubs....


>

The term "differential" should be the clue... this allows one wheel to spin
at a differnet speed than the other while still providing power to both.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm should help. On the old Exs,
pushing the button engaged the transfer case but NOT the hubs.... these work
on an over-running clutch principal. If the front wheels continue to turn at
the same speed as the rear wheels, the hubs will not engage. However, if the
front friving axle spins faster than the front wheel, the hub should engage.
We need to remember that these hubs are pretty low on the evolutionary
scale. They were early attempts to make motoring easier for the general
populace and entice non-machine people into more comples machines.

Turning the wheel by hand with the driving axle stationary will have no
effect.... a faulty hub is a faulty hub and any number of symptoms can
appear.


"Ulysses" > wrote in message
...
> Later that day...
>
> Here's what I did to determine if the auto hubs were bad: First I marked
the
> front driveshaft and axles with chalk to verify that they were turning
while
> in 4WD. All checked out OK. After having driven it a ways in 4WD I
jacked
> up one side and tried to turn the wheel. It was solidly locked on the
axle.
> I then jacked up the other side and it was trying to catch but not quite
> making it. So, assuming that the front differential slips under no
traction
> situations and would prevent the good hub from turning this would in
effect
> render the truck to be 2WD. Is this correct?
>
> Maybe I should have payed the extra for faster shipping on the Warn
hubs....
>
>
> >
>
>

Thanks for the link. I'm reading it now :-)

Well, I have a different opinion. I like autohubs - really convenient.
Hate getting out in snow to flip the levers on those manual things.

The manual hubs will be inherently more trouble free if you tend to not
take careful care of the automatic ones. But I would much rather press
the button, here it engage, then feel the wheel lock. I think its kinda
cool.

As for how they work, well these things are really clever and you kinda
have to have a mind that can visual machinery with three degrees of
freedom. But when you do figure it out, you'll feel good because most who
try, never do.

As for parts. We have a couple of 4WD shops here in town and none of them
know anything about autohubs. That's a good thing because they are always
replacing perfectly good autohubs with manual ones. Most shops throw the
take-offs in a corner rather than throwing them away. Just go ask. I
purchased 6 sets of auto hubs for my Ram Charger (more than a couple of
years ago) for $20.00 Ended up with a lifetime supply of parts.

I expect to do the same for my Explorer and similarly end up with a
lifetime supply of parts. Just look around and ask.