| Author | Message | ||
     alexa lemley (Discochef) New Member Username: Discochef Post Number: 18 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hello, I am buying a 72 '88 series 3 from a guy and he was making a big deal that it had locking front hubs. I shook my head and looked impressed. OK- will some one tell me what the deal is with these, what they do, how and when to use them? thanks! | ||
| Ike Goss (Pangolin) New Member Username: Pangolin Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2003 |
Think of them as unlocking hubs. When they are engaged its like having solid drive flanges (stock). When they are unlocked you are disconnecting the wheel from the axle shaft. This means that when you are driving along in 2wd, the front axle/diff/propshaft, front outputshaft do not spin as they otherwise would. This decreases wear on front end parts and may give you slightly beter fuel economy. You want them locked when using 4wd. -Regards -Ike | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 3062 Registered: 02-2002 |
Is it a LHD? At the time, Warn hubs were commonly fitted at US dealerships (my '72 has Warns from the start). IMHO, you're better off leaving them locked most of the time. They need to be locked about once a week and driven several miles. Otherwise things don't get properly lubed after awhile. Around town, the fuel efficency gained is marginal. My suggestion is to leave them locked most of the time, then only unlock them for longer highway trips, then lock them back. That way they're locked when you need them, you won't have to get out and lock them. If they are Warns, they're decent. There are other makes, but I'm not fond of any of the other ones out there. FWIW..... -L | ||
| Ike Goss (Pangolin) New Member Username: Pangolin Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2003 |
The locked for lubrication theory is a myth. Ive never heard or spoken to anyone thats had a swivel bearing related failure from not locking their hubs . . . I drive series trucks everyday and having put hundreds of thousands of miles on them with no failures or accelerated wear from unlocked hubs I will continue leaving them unlocked. Unless you NEVER put your truck in 4wheel drive you'll get plenty of lubrication from occaisional use. -Regards -Ike | ||
| Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Leslie Post Number: 3063 Registered: 02-2002 |
You think? Hmmm......... Well, I suppose that may be so. Maybe it is an old wives' tale. I can't name someone that I personally know that I can say has had it happen to them - maybe it has and I don't know it, maybe not. However..... I *can* say that, for in-town driving, I can see *no* improvement in fuel economy with use of hubs. Only marginal improvement with use on highway trips. And, most folks with hubs will agree to the same, too. Standard hubs are simpler, cheaper, easier to maintain. If I didn't have them already, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to install them. If I had hubs other than the Warn,s I'd probably remove them. FWIW..... -L | ||
| Ike Goss (Pangolin) New Member Username: Pangolin Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2003 |
It does save on front and wear and front driveshaft vibration which is nice IMO. I run them on all my trucks. -REgards -Ike | ||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Senior Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 272 Registered: 05-2003 |
Have to agree with Ike on the non-engagement theory. I put about 60K on my first Series, only locked them when in 4WD, which was less than 10% of the time, and never had any front drive train problems. I was told that the Land Rover grease, for the hub's, will liquify easily, and solidifies back up when stopped. So no leaks. That right? | ||
| Micky_dee (Micky_dee) Member Username: Micky_dee Post Number: 64 Registered: 11-2003 |
well to each their own. but i disagree and lock the hubs always. i keep em looked at all times its just makes it that much easier to engage four wheel drive. after all my series front rakio bushings went south , and the endless hours of labour envolved to change he parts ..... well you get the picture. this all applies if you are using oils for lube, but if you have the grease in there then no worries? sort of. | ||
| Ike Goss (Pangolin) New Member Username: Pangolin Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2003 |
Railkos go bad on their own, if you replaced the originals on the truck, then replaced another set I would be surprised. Why bother with locking hubs if you keep them locked all the time? Endless hours?? Should only take a few. -Regards -Ike | ||
| Micky_dee (Micky_dee) Member Username: Micky_dee Post Number: 65 Registered: 11-2003 |
we were running a fleet of rovers at the time . we purchased them with ther free wheeling hubs so they were on the. so any way once the oil was not being forced to the top of the swivil housing they became dry. lack of lubrication caused the bushings to wear. think of it this way, when a engine sits for long periods of time the oil settles to the bottom; thus the valve ticking on start up. once th hydrolic preasure gets to the top end the ticking goes away. we all know this, right? anyway the swivil housings are not filled to the top. but about half way. so with out a splash method of lubrication, how does the the oil reach the top bushing? nothing is spinning in there with the hubs unlocked! so would it not be save to say that gravity has the oil pulled down low in the swivils? anyway once we removed the shims the problem as temporaly solved. check out www.siamsafari.com | ||
| Ike Goss (Pangolin) New Member Username: Pangolin Post Number: 12 Registered: 10-2003 |
so you replaced them how many times? | ||
| Dan Ratcliffe (Dan_ratcliffe) Member Username: Dan_ratcliffe Post Number: 67 Registered: 07-2003 |
I removed the lock outs on my 1960 after about a year, 5 -ish years ago. I have been driving the beast 78 -85 miles per day since. I didn't see any real difference. But I find the seats and racket comforting, so my experience is suspect. |
