Is there any advantage to using the manual hubs instead of the auto ones for offroad? When driving in snow or mud it is just so much easier to drop him into 4wheel than to get out and lock um up. Are they not as strong or not as dependable as the manual hubs?

Auto locking hubs are convenient but somewhat tempermental.  Since they lock and unlock by driving backwards and forwards for short distances, you can inadvertantly unlock auto locking hubs while maneuvering on the trail.  So for offroading, they can be tricky.

For clarification, autolocking hubs - like those found on many Sidekicks and Trackers up to, say 1998 (I think) are different than the electrically-acutated front axles on newer Sidekicks/Vitaras/Tracker/XL7s.  In these electrically acutated units, there is a solenoid-driven device that connects the longer front driveshaft into one solid piece when the transfer case is placed in to 4 by 4 mode.  In two wheel drive mode, the solenoid disconnects the outer half of the axle shaft from the inner half (inner and outer referring to the differential end and the wheel hub end) of the axle.  Jeeps and many other full-sized pickup trucks have these types of axles.  The hubs on these vehicles are permanently attached to the front axle shafts.

There was a post on another forum recently in which the poster confused the electrically-acutated locking axle with an electric locker.  A locker is a system that causes the differential to "lock up" so that both wheels turn at the same speed no matter what type of traction either wheel is experiencing.  A locker is always part of the differential asembly itself.  I am sure that someone may wish to debate this, but for more than 99 percent of the multiple-wheel powered vehicles in production, the above statement is true.

Hope this helps!

Well, I've wheeled with auto hubs for the last year that I've owned my rig and just recently I was out in the snow doing some steep hills and having to take several runs at it while doing this my hubs quit working. All of a sudden I was without 4wd by myself. I was lucky to get back to the road in 2wd. Last weekend I switched to manual hubs and I like the comfort of knowing that once they are locked, I definitley have 4wd. It may seem like  a pain to have to get out of the cab to switch, but definitley worth it if you wheel!!!
Jim

My auto hubs weren't engaging correctly and also not letting me engage 4wd smoothly (there was a weird crunch when i'd shift), so i swapped them out for manuals and the noise went away and they for sure stay locked in until i disengage them, which makes me prefer them.  The autos were handy on the road, but they always disengaged in reverse.

I have auto-lockers on my daily driver (4-door Kick), but manual hubs on my trail rig.  I wouldn't want to have the auto-hubs unlock on an obstacle at Moab.   

hell, i was trying to pull a Firebird out of a snow ditch the other day and I was sitting on snow myself..  When I was pulling, I started spinning the rear wheels but, the front didnt lock cause I didnt move forward enough.  There was an aweful grinding noise as the CV spun a bit but, didnt lock in at the hub

im picking up a parts Tracker this weekend and the first thing being swapped is the manual hubs on it.  The autos officially dont work well enough anymore for what I use the Tracker for (they have also caused a few problems offroading too, climbing obstacles and what not.  another reason Im switching)