Leaderboard

If the hubs are locked, they should be functionally identical to the drive flanges the truck came with, or to any other brand of hub. I have heard of the auto-transfer-equipped trucks complaining when the hubs aren't locked--near as I can work out, this is because some of the auto transfer trucks read front wheel speed from a sensor at the front output of the transfer, rather than the ABS wheel speed sensors, so they get understandably confused when the front driveshaft isn't spinning--but this is the first I've heard of one complaining when the hubs are locked. The first thing I would do is confirm that the hubs are actually locked in. The Mile Marker hubs on mine (which I assume are the same 435s you're running) move the collar using springs, which allows you to turn the dial whether the innards can move or not (they'll pop in or out when the splines line up or when they're not under load). If the innards are bound up, maybe one of your hubs was stuck in the unlocked position--though this would only make sense if you locked the hub before going on the drive where it acted up, rather than leaving it locked from a previous day when it did not act up. I would take the hubs apart, check that the collar that locks the CV to the hub moves freely, and look for evidence of dirt, corrosion, or water (ice) that could've bound up the mechanism. The hub should not be packed with grease, but a little grease on the surfaces that slide may do it good. I added a little grease to mine when I installed them. Other than that, I would have a stare at the TF section of the '98 service manual, specifically the diagnostics. You may be able to get a code out of it the next time it acts up. I haven't looked through the troubleshooting for the ATX14A in a while, but I would not be surprised a wiring issue or sensor crapping out would give the same flashing, especially during winter. I had a failing ABS sensor on mine act up only in winter, presumably when it got wet.