Suggested top speed?

[Tuckerbomb]

Hello everyone, perhaps you can help me. I have a 94 XLT, and lock the manual hubs for getting around town in the winter. I run 4WD in town, but the highways are usually clear, so I then turn it off and run 2WD. The hubs are still locked of course, and I start to wonder how fast is too fast for the locked hubs. So far, I haven't run them over 55 mph, but is that too hard on them, or is speed not much of a factor in the longevity of the hubs?

Thanx.

 

[Robrt32]

I too will be interested in the answer.. I just put manuals on mine today..

 

[Albino 94LTD]

I've run 2wd, hubs locked as fast as 75mph on the way into Great Falls Montana. Forgot the hubs were locked and the roads cleared and were dry so the speed crept up to the posted limit.

I wouldn't recommend it for hours on end but that was maybe 45 mintues or so duration.

That was about 4 years ago and I haven't had any issues since (knock on wood).

 

[MrShorty]

Assuming everything is in good condition (u-joints aren't dry, front diff has oil in it, etc.), you shouldn't mechanically harm the front drivetrain by driving it at highway speeds with the hubs locked. The biggest thing you would notice would be an increase in gas consumption.

 

[Anime]

It's okay for situations where you either forgot or sloppy weather keeps you from wanting to get out and unlock them, but I wouldn't do it as a regular thing. It might not wear out the hubs but it's just better for everything overall, mechanically, to be unlocked if it's not involved in being a drive axle.

Manuals are pretty tough anyway, not to mention fairly easy and inexpensive (compared to autos!) to replace.