Factory Locking Hubs

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Factory Locking Hubs

User811780
This post was updated on .

Can anyone tell me if these are factory or aftermarket?  I obviously need a new dial (both sides) but I’m not sure of the brand.

1981 F150 4WD 300 I6 C6 Regular Cab Long Bed
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
You need to insert an image or something.
Are the locks red plastic? Do they say Ford across the bar?
 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

User811780
The photo would help I guess. Thanks, I've added it.
1981 F150 4WD 300 I6 C6 Regular Cab Long Bed
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
The lettering on the hub part appears to me to be Ford OEM.
Others may have an opinion...

Unfortunately I don't believe Ford ever sold the lock dials (handles?) separately.
Gary made a post about this not long ago.
 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I agree, Jim.  That looks factory to me.

And you are right, they didn't sell the knob separately.  Here's the illustration and you can see that 1K104 is the base part number for a whole bunch of parts, including the knob.  And there's no number for the knob itself.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
Long ago Superwinch (with the blue plastic centers) were the closest to stock I could find.
Now the choice is basically Warn or Mile Marker. Both have Regular and Premium lines....

When my SW passenger side kept locking on its own I went with Warn Premiums.
The 7/8 turn is a bit of a hassle but I haven't had a problem

Edit to ask: Gary have you ever used Billet 4x4 in Tulsa?

 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I like the 7/8 turn.  One set I had took something like 1/4 turn and they were hard to engage.  These are easy.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

BigBrother-84
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
I agree too, looks identical to Big Bro's ones, which are factory.
Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Nothing Special
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
(I started writing this yesterday evening, but got pulled away.  Much of it was said by Jim and Gary since then, but not everything, so I'm repeating them a bit.  But...)

The Ford OEM hubs were made by Warn.  Unfortunately Warn doesn't sell that model anymore.  They have their Standard hubs with a black plastic handle with 1/4 turn to lock and their Premium hubs with a brass metal handle and 7/8 turn to lock.  (The Ford OEM Warn hubs had a red plastic dial with 7/8 turn to lock.)

I've had several sets of Warn Premiums, and will likely get them again.  The two down-sides I've found to them is that they're expensive and they aren't the easiest to turn.  It's not that they are THAT hard to turn, but the "handle" on the dial isn't very big and it can be hard to get a good enough grip on it to turn it, especially if you are wearing gloves, or if you've smashed the hub into a few rocks so it jams up a bit (but in that "hypothetical" situation the hubs on my Bronco still function fine, they're just a little harder to turn).

I've had one set of Warn Standard hubs and won't ever buy another.  They were easy to grip and turn, even when wearing mittens.  But there's a spring in them that biases them to the one position and a detent that holds it in the other.  Hopefully.  In the pair I had one would spring back to the "default" position.  Right now I don't recall with certainty if the spring held it in the "free" or "locked" position.  I THINK it was locked, which would make it a smaller problem than if it came unlocked aoutomatically.  But still not something I wanted to fight.

Superwinch, Mile Marker and Yukon also make hubs.  I don't know much about any of them, but I tend to think of Superwinch and Mile Marker as making "almost as good" parts for a lot less money than the top competition, and I tend to think of Yukon as making "a little better" parts for more money than the competition.  But those are just my "tendencies", so take them for what little they're worth.
Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks
"Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears
"Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires
"the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10
"the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

User811780
Thanks for all the info, much appreciated!!
1981 F150 4WD 300 I6 C6 Regular Cab Long Bed
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

myrl883
Red knobs  are definitely OEM Ford. They were built by Warn, but are different from the current ones that Warn sells.
Early Ford had red knobs and were 7/8 turn. Next generation  had red knobs and were 1/4 turn. The last series used through '96 had black knobs and only used 3 screws to hold the caps on instead of 6.
I don't know what year each was introduced, but as assemblies all years are interchangeable.
Ford Parts Monkey since 1985
1981 F100 Flareside - Black, 302-4V Roller/AOD
1986 F150 Flareside - Medium Fire Red 302/AOD
1989 F150 Standard Cab 4x4 - Dk Shadow Blue 302/AOD
1993 F350 4x4 Crew Cab - 7.3 IDI/ZF-5
I think it's a sickness...
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Bruce moose4x4
Bob, I have the premium Warns also. New truck to me this winter so I finally had to lock the front end. My old cold fingers didn't like it. I remembered they used to have some handles for the lockouts. Found this one and have it ordered.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1412375487/4-x-4-manual-locking-hub-tool-warn-dana?click_key=07bfabeca0232e7944108e65ffe915675eddf28d%3A1412375487&click_sum=bff080d5&external=1&rec_type=cs&ref=pla_similar_listing_top-5
Bruce aka Moose--1978 F250 LWB Flareside, Dana 60's w/ 4:10's, 460, c6
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Nothing Special
I've known of those, but I don't think I'm going to get them.  While it's not EASY to grip and turn the hubs, it's not that hard.  And I probably wouldn't bother to dig the handle out, so I might as well not have it.  But it would definitely make it easier!
Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks
"Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears
"Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires
"the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10
"the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

Gsmblue
I have warn premiums on the 150.

I like the look of the super winches and found some NOS on eBay so they are on the Bronco. Both work well.
1985.5 F-150 XL Explorer standard cab 5.0 EFI AOD 4x4
Daily Driver. We call her Eunice the Ute.

1982 Bronco XLT Lariat 351W AOD 4x4
Code name Esperanza, or Espy to her friends. Please see my Project thread for the blow by blow.

1984 F-350 XL Centurion crew cab 460 T19 4x4
"Eylza Dual-little"
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Re: Factory Locking Hubs

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
In reply to this post by Bruce moose4x4
I've considered making something like a spud wrench to turn the knobs when it's bitter and my hands don't work, but I always have my tiny Channelocks and just slip them open.
I don't care a bit about appearance and I'm not going to ever read the brass knobs.
I'm really surprised that there's a market for a niche item like that, but thanks for bringing it to our attention.  
 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.