How far do you drive with your hubs locked?

[1leglance]

I need a little enlightenment

With my loan approved for the Sportsmobile (and their super coolness to donated part of the build) I need to get my head around the specifics of driving one of these things.

The FJ Cruiser is the only 4wd I have owned in recent years and it didn't have hubs that needed to be manually engaged.
Growing up I remember hearing things like "you engage the hubs when you are stuck" and "never drive on the road with the hubs engaged" and all that.

For folks with mobility issues it would be great if they could engage the hubs at the same time as they air down at some level fairly smooth section of road before a trail head.
It would also be nice not to have to get out to mess with the hubs very often during a day or multi-day trip.
I remember Alan at the Overland Expo saying some folks up North engage hubs in the fall and disengage in the spring, but that is in snow country.

So for those of you with SMB's or similar tell me how you do things?

What else should I know about these rigs with the Atlas transfer case & diesel engines?

 

[spencyg]

I wouldn't hessitate to drive for a long distance with the hubs locked in. Yes, it does wear front end components faster, and yes it does reduce fuel efficiency, but for going from one trail head to the next (even if they're 50 miles apart), I wouldn't worry about it. During the winter up here, most folks just leave the hubs locked in and shift in and out of 4WD as necessary....

Spence

 

[off.track]

if you lock them when you're stuck, you're too late.. i wouldn't worry about and just lock them.. when you need power to them then shift the lever or press the button.

 

[adventureduo]

I've driven all the way home from the desert with them locked... won't hurt anything Lance. You might sacrifice a tad bit of fuel mileage and of course a little wear and tear. But other than that your fine. If you're airing down then yes, lock the hubs at the same time. That way you don't have to get out of the truck to put it in 4 wheel drive later. Remember, your front axle isn't pulling until you need it too because the ATLAS is in neutral for the front axle.. so it's just free wheeling. Also 90% of the overland routes you don't even need 4x4. Heck we did many of them in rear wheel drive only. You're just used to having full time.

 

[scarysharkface]

Lock 'em in the Fall and unlock 'em in the Spring. Just don't skimp on the grease. The CV joint is what people used to worry about, because garages would forget/neglect to lube them and they'd fail quickly as a result.

John

 

[jammyauto]

Some owners have experianced fluid loss from the Dynatrac 60 when driving on the highway with the hubs locked. The solution here seems to be to extend the breather hose futher up and add a small container to hold whatever fluid travels up the breather so it can drain back back down once the front end cools down a bit. I have not done this to my smb yet but it's on my list of things to do at some point.

 

[1leglance]

good breather tip..
I am always looking for what to tell folks when doing demos & such so this will help with the SMB.
I like the idea of saying " ok when you leave the asphalt for dirt, pull over to a safe area, air down to suit the route conditions and engage your front hubs, you can leave them engaged until you are heading home on asphalt"
Does that sound about right?

I like that the new Dynatrac hubs SMB is using fail engaged vs the warns which would fail disengaged as I figure I am more likely to need them than not when off highway.

Any other tips or tricks regarding using these big vans off highway? I have read as many threads as I could in prep but always willing to learn more.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

I don't have a van of course. But I do have a Toyota with this Factory warning sticker on my glove box. So I follow it.

For me it's flip the hubs on when I touch the dirt (that way I can go into 4x4 anytime I need to) and flip them off when I leave the dirt.

Although, I have been known to leave the Hubs on in Anza Borrego while just heading up the road to the next dirt while keeping my speed under 45mph. But it's a very short distance.

I would not recommend driving at freeway speeds with them locked. I feel there must be a very good reason for this Factory Warning. So that's what I do.

(sorry about the light reflection in my pic. it's actually the reflection of my overhead light)



.

 

[truck mechanic]

Dont have a van, but my f550 service truck gets the hubs lock at the first snow fall and unlocked around the 1st of April. Truck has 87k with no front end problems.
Paul

 

[BigAl]

If you have an open front diff (no Locker), there is no handling effect on highway travel in 2wd. Many vehicles, like cherokees, have the hubs locked 24/7. If you leave them locked, your front drive shaft will turn but it won't hurt anything

 

[ExplorerExplorer]

I never UNlock my hubs... On a u-joint equipped front axle you will feel them in sharp turns, but I've never had any problems ever... Even several hundred miles of 75-85 mph driving...

 

[ujoint]

I like the idea of saying " ok when you leave the asphalt for dirt, pull over to a safe area, air down to suit the route conditions and engage your front hubs, you can leave them engaged until you are heading home on asphalt"
Does that sound about right?

This is perfect. I only lock the hubs when I anticipate using 4wd.

 

[Desert Dan]

Hubs what Hubs...LOL

No really... lock them when you hit the dirt road . When you are heading home and going to be on the pavemnet for a long time that is the time to lock them. Maybe do it while your airing up.

The main thin is to be in 2x4 when driving on pavement when the hubs are locked.

If the hubs and or t-case is hard to un lock back up a few feet on the dirt to help relieve and stress in the driveline.

 

[deserteagle56]

Ford is about the ONLY manufacturer left that even offers hubs. I now have a Cummins Ram and a Jeep Wrangler, neither of which have locking hubs. I also have had several pickup with locking hubs, as does my current Quigley. The drive train on these vehicles differs only in the locking hubs that Ford offers. The Dodge even runs exactly the same transfer case as does any heavy duty Ford. All you have with locking hubs is the OPTION to run with the hubs unlocked and therefore with the front drivetrain not turning and wearing out. Otherwise there is no difference, so don't let anyone tell you that you can't just leave the hubs locked all the time if you want. At one time all the manufacturers had locking hubs on their front ends but cost cutting and "convenience" won out. Good Lord, how much time and effort does it really take to get out of your vehicle and twist the hubs locked or open?? Personally, I wish they were on all my 4x4s - and my future plans for my Ram do include the Dynatrac kit to convert it to proper bearings and locking hubs. Why wear out parts - and waste fuel - needlessly?

My philosophy is - if there is any doubt that you even MIGHT need the front end to work, lock in the hubs and then pull the lever into 4x4 when needed. The rest of the time - leave them unlocked.

 

[ExplorerExplorer]

Ford is about the ONLY manufacturer left that even offers hubs. I now have a Cummins Ram and a Jeep Wrangler, neither of which have locking hubs. I also have had several pickup with locking hubs, as does my current Quigley. The drive train on these vehicles differs only in the locking hubs that Ford offers. The Dodge even runs exactly the same transfer case as does any heavy duty Ford. All you have with locking hubs is the OPTION to run with the hubs unlocked and therefore with the front drivetrain not turning and wearing out. Otherwise there is no difference, so don't let anyone tell you that you can't just leave the hubs locked all the time if you want. At one time all the manufacturers had locking hubs on their front ends but cost cutting and "convenience" won out. Good Lord, how much time and effort does it really take to get out of your vehicle and twist the hubs locked or open?? Personally, I wish they were on all my 4x4s - and my future plans for my Ram do include the Dynatrac kit to convert it to proper bearings and locking hubs. Why wear out parts - and waste fuel - needlessly?

My philosophy is - if there is any doubt that you even MIGHT need the front end to work, lock in the hubs and then pull the lever into 4x4 when needed. The rest of the time - leave them unlocked.

I leave my hubs locked all the time and I saw an average over the year of .4 mpg loss (from 18.9 average to 18.5 average)... Mind you this is averaged over the entire year and both stop and go and highway mileage (1989 Bronco II 2.9L V6 5-speed D35 TTB)... Also keep in mind this is with heavy 760x u-joint shafts (not CV's)... I never saw any abnormal wear and don't think it is a big deal (you rear ring and pinion always rotate too)... I could feel the u-joints spinning and causing some steering "sluggishness" (hard to explain, you could feel them spinning when going around real tight corners)... I say leave them locked as long as you want...