Super Duty Lockout Hub Upgrade and Vacuum Line Delete

[@deanheugel6896]

Worked perfectly on my 2002 7.3, bypassed the vacuum leak and vent controls returned, thank you

[@nicholasmaguire7468]

Appreciate all of your videos. Super detailed and helpful.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

I appreciate that! That's why I started this channel.

[@tone5959]

How do i stop my 449ss from clunking when they're in free stub shaft is ok the wheel hubs are ok the u-jonts are ok i am on my second pair

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

Unfortunately I can't give you a good answer on that without being able to see and work on your truck. I know I've got 2 trucks with these and neither has ever made noise. Are the thrust washers inside the hub on the shaft in good shape? Is your wheel bearing good? Do you have both the snap ring and the spiral lock ring installed?

[@Mule63]

Just changed over to these, still here a noise in the left front but everything checks out, could the vacuum actuator still be trying to kick in??

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

What kind of noise?

[@Mule63]

Like something trying to engage, but also sounds like gears! Drove after changes and right off had the same noise like gears crumbling, then drove again and everything was fine? Had left wheel of and everything seemed fine, no noise whatsoever! Hoping it’s vacuum related?

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

It could be a wheel bearing. Hard to diagnose over a comment thread. Does the sound change when turning? More specifically, swerving left and right at higher (45 mph+) speeds? The vacuum system does nothing with this style lockout.

[@Mule63]

@@darkhorseautoanddiesel ended up changing hub assy, cleared issue up.. thank you for the response 👍🏻

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

You're welcome. Glad I could help!

[@cortneybunge359]

Cant you just do all that and leave stock lockers and manualy turn them ?

[@davidharden9410]

Yes, no need to change them out, that's all I do is use mine manually but I will fix my vacuum leak, nobody wants to have to jump out into the mud or slippery ice and slip and fall just to lock in hubs

[@BUDM4N789]

Will the 4x4 esof switch still engage 4x4 if hubs are unlocked?

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

Depends on what you mean. It will still engage the transfer case, so the front drive shaft and axle shafts will spin at the same speed as the rear, but the front wheels themselves will not get any power transmitted to them, since the hubs are the mechanical link between the axle shafts and the wheels. This can be useful though, as it allows you to have 2 wheel drive low range, which I use frequently when backing trailers in my ZF6 truck since the reverse gear is a bit high for slow maneuvers.

[@BUDM4N789]

@Dark Horse Auto and Diesel interesting, my 4x4 got stuck in high. Then I tried 4lo and then it wouldn't get out of 4lo. I replaced the t-case motor but still nothing. Fuses/relays are good. I went to check the vacuum lines but they have been deleted. But switching from 2wd to 4hi and 4lo has always worked previously. Hubs are WARN and say Free or Locked. Do you have any ideas?

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

The only things I can think of is either a wiring/selector switch issue, or that the transfer case itself has a mechanical issue such as the mechanical part of the selector that the motor moves is seizing. The first thing I would do is take the motor off and try to move the selector manually to all positions. If that checks out good, I'd start testing voltage at the plug for the motor when the switch is moved. The vacuum lines will have zero effect on the transfer case. Neither of my trucks has had a functioning vacuum hub system for several years, as you can tell from this video where they don't even exist.

[@Mike-xn1bh]

@@BUDM4N789 I’m having the same issue, did you resolve yours?

[@BUDM4N789]

@Mike my mechanic traced back to the gem module not sending the correct voltage to 4x4 tcase shift motor and Ford doesn't make these GEM modules no more and ebay would be hit or miss so my shop is reaching out to module repair men. Also the gem module doesn't throw any codes just sending wrong voltage

[@alannorrell2569]

Is mile marker the only brand option to use? Mine is a 2005 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

Warn is also a good brand that I wouldn't be afraid to run. I just chose the Mile Marker based on price and availability. The Mile Markers are cheaper and can usually be bought at most auto parts stores like Auto Zone, which is convenient when you don't feel like waiting for them to get shipped in. I'm not sure if the Warns are better, but I know that the Mile Markers have performed flawlessly in my work truck (which sees a lot of 4x4 action and borderline abusive treatment) for over 2 years and 50k+ miles.

[@robertfrey3607]

They changed the hub assembly in 2005. This conversion probably won't work.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

@@robertfrey3607 Mile Marker makes them for 05+ trucks as well. The details will differ some, but the basic concept is the same. www.milemarker.com/collections/ford/products/549-hubs

[@alannorrell2569]

I have unfortunately ran into a number of other issues with this Ford F-250. The other repairs it needs has had my mind occupied.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

@@alannorrell2569 what kind of issues? I have years of experience working on these trucks.

[@waynejstuart]

After 6 years lol how have the mile markers worked for you?

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

Still working great! Actually had to use them yesterday on my work truck, which has had them on it for over 2 years and had a lot of hard use. 6 years?

[@Mule63]

The factory hubs were definitely bad, had to leave them in locked position all the time, left front would not go free!

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

That's pretty common. Both of my trucks had them seize up on me. I managed to get them freed up, but it wasn't worth the effort because they still didn't work right and it took a lot of time.

[@fishtailfuture]

Nothing wrong with the stock hubs. I don't get why everybody insist on trading them out when they have a Emmanuel Locke feature

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

Nothing wrong with them except vacuum leaks and seizing. The reason people like myself swap them out is because of those reasons.

[@fishtailfuture]

@@darkhorseautoanddiesel If the hubs are indeed bad. Sure. But most of the time they're not, but people still recommend swapping them out for absolutely no reason. The manual works fine for trucks. Also, it's over exaggerated how hard it is to replace or pay to have the automatic ones gone through. Often times it's just a solenoid and air valves. I just think it's dumb to tell everybody seem to do that. You should rip them out and replace them with manual hubs. Who the hell wants to get out of the truck when it's snowing and raining and muddy? Just fix them and they'll last if you take care of them.

[@randyjackson2127]

Emmanuel Locke is my favorite late 1600s explorer.

[@armedprophet3321]

Mile Marker hubs are garbage. Do yourself a favor and go with Warn hubs.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

I've got well over 100k miles on a set of Mile Markers on my work truck that sees a good bit of 4 wheel drive action, and some of it borderline abusive. On one occasion I pulled a 45 foot bus out of a ditch. I was on pavement in 4 low, with tires slipping. Never had a problem. Either I got lucky and got a good set, or you got unlucky and got a bad set. I'm not saying warns aren't better, I don't know, I just know my mile markers have never let me down.

[@armedprophet3321]

@@darkhorseautoanddiesel You better exercise them because they will freeze up if you don’t.

[@darkhorseautoanddiesel]

​@@armedprophet3321 No worries there, especially with winter coming! With the type of work I do, they get exercised pretty frequently even in the summer as well.