# leaving hubs locked



## stcroixjoe (Feb 10, 2006)

how bad is it to leave the hubs locked when your in 2 whl. drive? when plowing in 2 whl. drive or should i just leave it in 4 whl. while plowing


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## yzf1000_rider (Oct 24, 2003)

Imo If You Are Going To Be Pushing Snow Might As Well Have It In 4wd So The Engine And Trans Have To Work Less. Not Sure But Someone On Here With A Lot More Experience Then Me Will Also Let You Know.


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## BSDeality (Dec 5, 2005)

leaving the hubs locked won't kill them instantly but over the course of time it will wear them out. We had an explorer with vacuum actuated hubs and we replaced them with manual Warn ones. I would leave them locked but in 2wd for the winter. I would unlock them if I was doing a lot of highway driving (some vibration issues) and there was no snow in the forecast.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

With them locked all the time your turning the whole front axle drive train.It adds more wear and tear to the front axle parts. _Those parts are not easy to replace_. It drops the MPG of the truck when you don't need 4X4. Auto hubs tend to die because they are always "ratcheting" when they engage.They are not meant for forward and back motion for hours at a time.
I have manuals and have always had them. I keep them cleaned and lubed so I have never had a problem with engagement.


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

Thats right Mick. Keep it cleaned and lubed. How gross. HE HE, LOL.


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## EIB (Oct 30, 2002)

When it bad weather, I drive with the hubs locked. That way I can go from 2wd to 4wd or the other way, with the lever.

I wouldn't worry about wearing out the front end parts. Chevrolets are designs without locking hubs. They are always spinning the gears in the front end. True is does decrease your fuel milage, but vary rare you'll wear them out. Think about the rear diff in the truck, you're using that all the time.


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## Rickco (Dec 5, 2006)

You will get a little more wear on your front end parts but it's minimal Not worth locking and unlocking,Your turning radius will not be as tight when locked in but that is the worst of it. Keep em locked in until you're done. It's also a good idea to lock your hubs an from time to time,for a few miles, in the good weather. This will keep your front axle turning,which is how the lube is moved around to the front end parts.


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## stcroixjoe (Feb 10, 2006)

thanks for all the info guys


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Mine get locked before the first snowfall and unlocked after the last snowfall. Then once in awhile in the summer if we get stuck.

Long highway drives without any snow, I will unlock them.


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## BobC (Nov 5, 2004)

Mine stay locked for the whole winter also. During the summer they are locked for off road and unlocked when I get home. The only time I unlock in winter is when in clear weather I hit highway for hr. plus trip and put back in before it reaches it's next plow job.


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