I'm having trouble finding a manual hub conversion kit online

[rickyd123]

I'm going to convert my auto locking hubs to manual ones, but I'm having trouble finding any conversion kits. The way I understand it the kit has the special tool I need to torque the bolts. It's a 94 XLT 4.0 L Automatic

 

[410Fortune]

You need new warn hubs, mile
Marker, or
Junk yard
I see these all over the internet eBay is a good source

You need spindle nut kit
Dana 35 or 44 5 lug consist of a inner nut, a lock ring washer and a outer jamb nut

You need a spindle nut socket for the Dana 35 / 44 5 lug, it s a 4 prong socket available online or at local auto parts store

Good time to get new wheel seals and repack the inner and outer bearings

 

[RangerX]

Get the spindle nut socket with a lip around the four prongs like this, not the one with exposed prongs.

 

[rickyd123]

I'm a little confused. I understand the tool part now, but getting the actual hubs I'm confused about. 410 Fortune said I could get them from a junk yard. Do I just get them off any Ford with the same number of spindles on the axle and I'm good to go?

 

[Rick]

I'm a little confused. I understand the tool part now, but getting the actual hubs I'm confused about. 410 Fortune said I could get them from a junk yard. Do I just get them off any Ford with the same number of spindles on the axle and I'm good to go?

1991-1994 Explorers and Rangers. There may be additional years for the Rangers.

 

[410Fortune]

Good info here

Warn Jeep Hubs for the Dana 35 - The Ranger Station

Many 1983-1996 Ford Ranger 4x4 owners have replaced the 29071 manual locking hubs on their Dana 35 TTB with the Warn 37780 Jeep hubs.

www.therangerstation.com

There are several
Different versions of these hubs
The ones I run are made for the back of a jeep full floater kit, believe it or not, and are super strong upgrade over the originals

Warn quit
Making our hubs years ago, can still find sets online and at junkyard

Mile marker makes a good set (Amazon)

Even Dorman and another aftermarket supplier makes a good set
You can get those at rock auto

Many fords / jeeps came stock with these including 91-94 explorers and 91-97 rangers with the Dana 35 axle (v6)

I get sets of hubs and their spindle
Nuts at junk yards. I also grab the spindles if they are clean and not *****ed up on the threads because the spindles have also been discontinued and they go for $300+ each if you try to buy one

If you find a 4.0 ranger 95-97 at the junk yard it will likely have manual hubs and a bonus
If you buy the entire knuckle then you get a dual piston front brake caliper that has actual slide pins.. a huge brake upgrade for the gen 1 Explorer

 

[rickyd123]

Thanks for all the info. I'll be heading to the wrecking yard next week.

 

[rickyd123]

410Fortune Wrote this: The ones I run are made for the back of a jeep full floater kit, believe it or not, and are super strong upgrade over the originals. I was wondering if, I could find them at a wrecking yard, and if I could, how would I identify the specific Jeep that had the right ones that would fit my Explorer. If any of this is possible.

 

[RangerX]

You would look for a very built up offroad Jeep, and you would look for the hubs on the REAR axle. Cherokees and maybe YJs had a Dana 35 rear end, Warn made the hub kit for that application. You’d have better luck buying a winning lottery ticket than finding this in a junkyard, IMO.
The hubs for a Ford D35 will be fine for you, and much more likely to find.

 

[rickyd123]

I'm assuming you meant F350. Not D35

 

[RangerX]

The front axle you have is a Dana 35, or D35. Hubs from a F350 will in no way work for you.

 

[BKennedy]

You want hubs like these

You will also need the nut set

The hubs are specific to the Ranger and Explorer Dana 35 front axles. The nuts work for the D35 and D44 axles. The hubs for the D35 slip onto the spindles. They are held in place by the tire/wheel lug nuts. I don't know how much luck you would have in wrecking yards due to the age of the vehicle. Even if you find them in a yard, they are old.

 

[rickyd123]

You guys have to forgive me. I'm kinda slow. Actual I'm fairly stupid. I thought you were still talking about specific vehicles. Will I see D35 or D44 stamped any where or because I'm taking them off of a 96 4.0 ranger, I can assume there either D35 or D44 axles?

 

[Josh P]

If it is a 96 ranger, 4.0 it will be a D35 front axle.

 

[BKennedy]

1990-1997 Ranger and 1991-1994 Explorer are the vehicles that will have the correct parts.

 

[rickyd123]

The reason I started asking for help to finding hubs at a wrecking yard was because when I searched for them with google the cheapest ones I found were over $250. Last night I searched for Dana 44 conversion kits and they were like 70 bucks. I got specific to my Explorer and found Dana 44 kits for 80 bucks. So I'm not going to pay 50 or 60 bucks at a wrecking yard when I can get a new conversion kit for a little more. With everyone's help I think I just avoided a stupid mistake.

 

[BKennedy]

A Dana 44 has a completely different hub assembly. The only kit that will fit has to be for a Dana 35 off the year vehicles I posted earlier.

D44 Hub WILL NOT FIT!

Before you buy, post a link here so we can confirm it will fit your Explorer.

 

[410Fortune]

1996 ranger 4.0 has the correct parts
Dana 35

 

[rickyd123]

The reason I started asking for help to finding hubs at a wrecking yard was because when I searched for them with google the cheapest ones I found were over $250. Last night I searched for Dana 44 conversion kits and they were like 70 bucks. I got specific to my Explorer and found Dana 44 kits for 80 bucks. So I'm not going to pay 50 or 60 bucks at a wrecking yard when I can get new for a little more. With everyone's help I think I'm

 

[rickyd123]

The reason I started asking for help to finding hubs at a wrecking yard was because when I searched for them with google the cheapest ones I found were over $250. Last night I searched for Dana 44 conversion kits and they were like 70 bucks. I got specific to my Explorer and found Dana 44 kits for 80 bucks. So I'm not going to pay 50 or 60 bucks at a wrecking yard when I can get new for a little more. With everyone's help I think I'm