Manual hubs on while on asphalt! Thats what my friend does!

[old mechanic]

I just talked to a friend of mine that says that AFTER it snows he just keeps the "manual hubs" on and shuts off the 4x4 on the dash! He claims that he drives on and off asphalt for a few days after a snow storm without shutting the manual hubs off! He said that he has gone 40 miles straight with the manuals on and the 4x4 on the dash off!
He has had his 1991 Ex for about 8 years. It has an automatic trannie! He put warn manual hubs on about 2 years ago he said and their great with no problems for 2 years the way he uses it!
Now is it OK to keep them on like this or is he in for trouble? I told him that I would ask here.

 

[dman726749]

i would think that it would be ok, the front end is not getting any power. not to great for gas since the front drivertrain is spinning but it beats geting out and locking in everytime you need 4wd

 

[bipolarbob]

Make it a poll.Who here drives all winter with hubs locked in? I was thinking about doing that, and you are leading up to it.Mine are locked in all the time the roads are snowy.

 

[Joey P]

I think that it is okay and agree with dman. Also It will wear out the moving stuff alot faster up front though. I keep mine locked in from time to time just because I know that I will need 4x4.

 

[410Fortune]

Yup during the snow season I would leave the hubs locked for a week or so at a time. This will turn the front axlesshafts, front diff, and front driveshaft. But as long as the Tcase is not engadged and everythig is in good working order it will not hurt a thing. Then when you hit some ice snow you can hit 4x4.......just like auto hubs.
Now it does drive a little different with the front end turning and it eats up MPG but it is convienient.......

 

[double_take]

I used to keep the hubs locked on my old BII. I would say not to leave them locked all year cause you'll wear them out faster. But keeping them locked when there is snow around is OK. I did that for 4 years.

 

[Hokie]

Here's my thought

Even if you leave the hubs and the tcase engaged on dry pavement ~ how are you going to screw things up? Unless you have a locker, when you go around a corner the diff is still open and will still allow the wheels to turn at different rates. Find a icy patch and its very clear that even when fully engaged, its possible to send power to only 1 wheel per axle.

 

[Tony H]

In the old days, they didn't have UNLOCKING Hubs. only the transfer case would engage.

With the Hubs engaged your front axle will be working like your rear one with the Spider gears in your differential making up for the outter tire traveling faster then the inner tire around turns.

No biggy, except for gas mileage ..you'll notice that. I think that was the original brainstorm for unlocking Hubs in the first place.

 

[410Fortune]

Hokie, have you ever tried that?
With the t case engadged on dry pavement?

Your drivetrain will bind up, steering is a huge PITA, and it drives like crap. Its a 4x4 not a AWD subaru

 

[old mechanic]

Originally posted by bipolarbob
Make it a poll.Who here drives all winter with hubs locked in? I was thinking about doing that, and you are leading up to it.Mine are locked in all the time the roads are snowy.

Be my guest BOB! Make it a poll if you want! I for one would like to see the results!
If Bob doesn't make it a poll some one else please do it!

 

[double_take]

Hokie, you don't want both the hubs and t-case engaged on dry payvment. When turning all 4 wheels follow a different track. Even if both diffs were open geared, they would only solve the issue from left to right, not front to back.

You would end up skipping a tire or stressing the T-case. This is the major difference between AWD and 4WD.

AWD t-cases are designed to solve the spped difference betwwen the front and rear driveshafts.

 

[bipolarbob]

Originally posted by old mechanic
Be my guest BOB! Make it a poll if you want! I for one would like to see the results!
If Bob doesn't make it a poll some one else please do it!

done.... http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=99114

 

[Ak LTD Xplorer]

that's what we do with our plow truck..auto,with manual hub's..we keep them locked ALL year round..summer for when we get in the mud and winter it's allway's in 4x4..it does not hurt anything..cause it's out of 4x4

 

[F14CRAZY]

Hokie: if you still don't quite get it, the problem is even if we can go to the moon, we cannot get the front and rear axles to be perfectly syncronized at high speeds or on a non-slippery surface.

 

[old mechanic]

Originally posted by bipolarbob
done.... http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=99114

THANKS!

 

[Commtech]

Hey, That solves it for me! I'm going to Manual hubs!! I keep hearing a pop when I put in 4x4 and the front wheel first turns. I think my hubs are going. I was wondering about if its OK to drive with hubs enguaged or if I had to get out when I wanted to use 4x4

 

[gordhunt]

I lock my hubs when the first snow falls and leave them locked until spring. I drive about 225miles per day highway & city and shift on the fly when I need 4x4. Doesn't hurt the truck at all been doing it for 5 or 6 years.

 

[KPT]

Originally posted by Tony H
In the old days, they didn't have UNLOCKING Hubs. only the transfer case would engage.

Actually Gen II Explorers are like that too. The "hubs" can not disengage.

 

[mhn3773]

A friend of mine that 4x4s with an older zuki runs to the trails with the hubs locked so he can just enguage 4x4

the last time i saw him we were out all day going to various spots to it must have been 30miles or so of raod driving with locked hubs and the car in 2wheel high

 

[jimbo74]

its fine... i did it all week long at thaven......