One front wheel is locked in 4x4 mode

[Paulco]

While I was working to replace a ujoint on the front axle of my truck I noticed that my passenger wheel does not move freely, and when I do move it the front axle rotates. Before I start taking it apart and buying new bearings etc. anyone had this problem before? The hub locker does move freely and the other wheel works as expected.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Pull the locking hub and see what the damage is.
There's no need to get as deep as the bearings.

I found my passenger side would always be locking itself.
I finally swapped to Warn premium hubs.
While they do take a full revolution to engage, I found with the stronger detents they never moved from the 'Free' position.

I suspect that your locking hub has broken internally and is keeping the splines engaged.
Plastic parts have a habit of doing stuff like that.

[JimJam300]

Yeah pull your locking hub, if it’s not broken try to clean it up and re-grease, put it back in and try to spin it while unlocked.

[myrl883]

Pretty common. The hub uses spring pressure to engage, and plastic ramps to disengage. The plastic gets pretty fragile, you may need to find a new knob.

[Paulco]

Thanks everyone, I believe it was the hub lock it sprang off  when I disconnected it. I put it back together and hopefully that fixes it.

[Nothing Special]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

....  I found my passenger side would always be locking itself.
I finally swapped to Warn premium hubs.
While they do take a full revolution to engage, I found with the stronger detents they never moved from the 'Free' position....

I had the same issue with Warn standard hubs.  They were actually spring-loaded to the "lock" position and held with a detent in the "free" position.  One side (I think it was passenger) always locked itself.  Warn Premiums aren't spring-loaded to any position.  They'll stay wherever you put them, but have detents to hold them in the end positions (the only places you have any business leaving them).  I switched to Warn Premiums as well and haven't had any issues.

tcbaklash wrote

Yeah pull your locking hub, if it’s not broken try to clean it up and re-grease, put it back in and try to spin it while unlocked.

Be careful about regreasing.  Locking hubs don't like much grease.  They'll gum up and stick.  Just enough grease so you don't have metal-on-metal contact.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Also, if you get REAL cold weather use a low viscosity grease.
-20 will make them impossible to turn without pliers.

Stens or John Deere make '00' (or corn picker) grease that's all I use in snowblower gearboxes.