Need advice on buying manual locking hubs

[Malchi]

Ok, I have a 91 with the auto hubs that is having issues. I recently took them off and cleaned them, only to discover that one of them was broken. So, I bought a used one from pick-a-part, cleaned it, and put it on. Now, my 4x4 works sporadically. Took it to the snow a few weeks ago and the hubs kept going in and out of lock, and clicking a lot. Junk.

Anyways, on ebay there is a fellow selling the Mile Marker Supreme 428s for $69.95 with free shipping. Not a bad deal, I guess. But, I have someone who has a pair of used OEM locking hubs for $103. Looking at them I don't see any kind of manufacturer marking. I understand that the OEM Manual hubs from Ford were actually manufactured by Warn, but these appear to have been painted all black and I can't see any way to determine if they are actually Warns or not.

Now, for the record, I do not do any hard core off roading. Mainly just fire roads around the San Bernardino mountains in the winter in the snow. And a little playing around in the sand from time to time.

So, can some of you experts chime in and give me your opinion? would you buy the new Mile Markers or the used OEMs that are most likely Warns?

I need to make a decision today if I can. So, any help would be greatly appreciated. And, I am on a tight budget, so new Warns are out of the question. I have less than $150 to work with, and that includes for the conversion kit, which someone has Mile Marker kit on ebay for $40. I assume that should be good enough,eh?

 

[Maniak]

If your old hubs were bad, they may have damaged the threads on the end of the axle. If those are bad, the hubs won't stay locked.

I only have experience with the warn manual hubs.. both Ford OEM and the typical warn manual ones listed for the 1st gen explorer. So far, every one from the junk yard has worked.. (I have 2 spare sets now).

~Mark

 

[Malchi]

If your old hubs were bad, they may have damaged the threads on the end of the axle. If those are bad, the hubs won't stay locked.

~Mark

Hmmm... I have thought of that. But I was giving benefit of the doubt that the hubs would mess up without harming splines. I will look at them.

So, you are saying that even used Warns would be just as good as new Mile Marker, or better?

 

[Verno]

I'd go with the OEM ones. I bought a used warn once and a used mile marker once, the M-M seemed to break way sooner than the oem or warn one

 

[westfield]

I just bought new mile markers, I'm waiting for the conversion kit. I also got the shiftster...I'm going fully manual ! I have had too many auto hub 4x4's...chevy and ford and all the auto hubs crapped out at the worst possible time...Add the stupid electric transfer case motor and this auto system was a cluster ###### from the get go...I don't do any heavy off roading...just some beach stuff on nice sand...

 

[burning_soul07]

I bought the same mile markers from ebay to replace the factory Warn ones. One of the 2 factory hubs was completely torn apart inside of it. The mile markers have worked all winter so far.

And also, this is my wifes truck, so really no hard core playing going on other then the occasional wheel spin from slippin and slidin. She also keeps the hubs locked at all times and just switches the 4x4 off and on between dry pavement and our back snow packed alley.