Previously on my quest to tighten our Excursions suspension I upgraded our steering stabilizer setup. Once swapped I lifted the Excursion off the ground and assessed other front end components for wear by checking for play in the wheels when alternating force on the tires from the 9 and 3, then 12 and 6 positions. Happily both sides felt solid which ruled out ball joints and tie rods. Next, I gave the wheels a free spin off the ground and listened for anything dragging and found that something was off. Looking under the vehicle, I found the front driveshaft was spinning with the tires. Something that should not occur unless 4wd is engaged.
Auto Locking Hubs Seized
If you look at the center of front wheels on most 2000’s Super Duty trucks you will find aftermarket manual locking hubs are more common than OEM autos. The reason for this is a poor design decision by Ford as the 4wd system engaged via vacuum which gave owners fits. Vacuum systems have been used for ages, but better solutions exist in modern days. They are prone to leaks in the lines and failure at multiple points. Also, they are a nuisance to diagnose and fix. Our Excursion had front hubs that were locked up due to a system failure. This can cause excess wear and tear on the transfer case and front axle over time if overlooked. Additionally, at highway speeds can cause the front end to feel looser due to components being engaged. Fixing these locking hubs would be one more step in reducing the wandering feeling while towing on the highway.
Warn Manual Lockers
Rather than attempt to patch the vacuum system and replace the hubs with the problematic OEM Auto lockers, I followed suit with so many others an ordered a pair of manual locking hubs. The idea here is decreased complexity. If I want to engage 4wd, I need to walk to each front wheel and turn the knob in the center cap rather than rely on vacuum pressure to turn them for me. A slight inconvenience but a much more reliable setup. I ordered the standard Warn Hubs as I did not feel I was a serious enough off roader to spring for the gold premiums (although I love the all metal aspect of the design). Warn is hands down the most well known name in regards to lockers so I felt confident in the decision.
Install was quick and easy. I once again had my son as my trusty sidekick an got both sides on in less than 45 minutes. The most difficult aspect was removing one of the hubs that simply did not want to leave their home. Once removed, a snap ring and some allen bolts hold it all together and in theory you are done with the install.
Test drive was a mixed bag after. The steering was noticeably tighter which told me I was on the right track, however, I heard a new sound. As the wheel speed increased a rotational dragging came through. At first I thought I installed a snap ring wrong and redid the whole project when I got home. No difference in noise. I then returned to the internet for solutions and found the most logical explanation was that I had at least one bad wheel bearing. Evidently I disturbed the beast and it was fighting back!