Lockout Hub Questions

[greene166]

I just put new Warn Hubs on my 1980 CJ7 . Do lock out hubs need to be unlocked when not in use for short distances? I know that I can go from 4x4 back to 2x4 when the hubs are locked, but is this alright or should I unlock them when not in use. Also, what is the recommended top speed when in 4x4? Any answers and/or discussion would be much appriecated.

 

[dalefan88]

you can run them locked. it will only effect your mpg and wont be able to turn as sharp is what i noticed with mine. i probally wouldnt do more than 20mph in 4lo and as brave as you want to get in 4hi.

 

[mylittlecj5]

With the front hubs locked and the Transfer Case in neutral, the wheels 'drive' the front axle internals all the way to the Transfer Case . This creates parasitic drag that reduces your fuel mileage and creates unnecessary wear on the front end components.
Unless you know that you will be needing 4wd soon, I'd spend the few seconds to unlock the front hubs. Keep them locked on the trail, just use your Transfer Case to select 4wd or 2wd as necessary for conditions. But when you get on the street, unlock the hubs, air up the tires and disengage the Transfer Case (shift into 2wd). your CJ will thank you.
And NEVER run the Transfer Case in 4wd on hard pavement or hard surfaces unless you want to be replacing it in short order!* Gear bind can be a !






*QuadraTrac cases are exempt from this, as they are designed to do this safely and without damage.

 

[BusaDave9]

I keep my hubs locked almost all the time. That's because I don't use my CJ as a daily driver. If I'm driving my jeep on the street I am likely headed for the trails.
Yes keeping the hubs locked adds a little wear but since I am in 2WD it doesn't add up to much. As a matter of fact all the new Jeep Wranglers (TJs & JKs) don't have locking hubs up front. That way you are ready to switch to 4WD without getting out. Those axle parts are always turning.
The first Wranglers (YJs) had a vacuum device to disconnect just one axle shaft. Now that was a stupid idea.
Since you have locking hubs you can unlock them if you know you won't be going off road soon. But it's really no big deal.

 

[mylittlecj5]

Here is a real life example why its a good practice to unlock the hubs...

I bought my first Jeep (a '47 CJ2a with a 327 Chebby engine) while in high school.
Soon after buying it, I had it across town with my older sister for a job we were involved in.
She had to run an errand, and the Willys was the only vehicle we had with us (yep I was using it as a DD then. Way too fun not to!). Well she wasn't real familiar with that old rig and somewhere along the trip she shifted the Transfer Case into 4wd HI. Shouldn't have been a problem, but I had been out wheeling the night before and was to lazy to unlock the hubs like I should have. I got a call that the Jeep was making funny sounds and I had to find a ride home.
When I got home I did a quick test drive and the TC was about to blow up. Tore it out and found the center gear had eaten a hole in the top of the case due to gear bind (in 4wd on hard pavement with the hubs locked. Every turn and every foot traveled binds the gears up a little farther).
Cost me a new TC for a rig I had only a few days. I learned that taking the few seconds to unlock the hubs after a wheeling trip is good insurance, especially if there is a chance that the TC shifter might "magically" (her words) shift into 4wd when its not intended to...



I also learned that my Uncle, who restores old cars for a hobby, would have sold me a completely restored CJ5 for about the same price we paid for the Willys.. Oh well, live and learn...

 

[CJim7]

I'ts just easier to engage the hubs when I need them rather then create extra component wear by running them all the time.

 

[greene166]

Thanks for the advice. How do I know if I have a QuadraTrac Case? Im running a 1980 CJ7 w/AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l automatic and mostly stock. I live in Ohio and when we have snow some roads are bad and some are clear. This is why I wanted to bring up the question. There can be alot of back and forth between 2x4 and 4x4.

 

[BusaDave9]

How do I know if I have a QuadraTrac Case? Im running a 1980 CJ7 w/AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l automatic and mostly stock. I live in Ohio and when we have snow some roads are bad and some are clear. This is why I wanted to bring up the question. There can be alot of back and forth between 2x4 and 4x4.

The QuadraTrac was a full time Transfer Case . Since it was always running in all wheel drive there were no locking hubs. If you have a QuadraTrac your rear diff will be offset to the passenger side.
These full time 4WD transfer cases were shunned by serious off roaders but they are good for snowy roads.

Oh, one last thing: the QuadraTrac was only used in CJs up to 1979 so no you don't have a QuadraTrac .

 

[bdunnam]

well as of last night i have to run mine in 4x4 all the time now since i completely broke an ear off of the yoke of the rear axle, but i've ran it up to 40mph i wouldnt advise going much faster than than in 4hi unless you have to, and i usually leave mine locked in during hunting season, then unlock it about spring, of course thats probably why im also getting about 10 mpg right now too.

 

[BusaDave9]

Once I had a U Joint go out on the interstate. I pulled over and removed the rear drive shaft. I then put the TCase into 4WD high and drove home.
IMHO I think thats okay. Actually that's not 4WD, it's front wheel drive.
If you are in 4WD and both drive shafts are still on then your TCase is trying to turn both axles the exact same speed. That's when binding occurs. That’s why it’s not good to drive in 4WD on pavement.
Now an All Wheel Drive car has a differential in the Transfer Case . That’s how an All Wheel Drive car get away with driving all the wheels. The differential in the Transfer Case relieves the binding and stress.

 

[mylittlecj5]

It is possible to run with no rear driveshaft quite a ways.
I grenaded the rear axle in my old F-250 wile moving from AZ to Wa state. We were about AMC 150 miles into a 1200 mile trip when the left rear tire passed me on the hiway . We retrieved the tire, but the axle was a goner.

Drove into town with another rig (my '86 Z-28) and found a so-called replacement axle. Threw it into the hatch (the wife loved that one!) and headed the 80-odd miles back to the truck.
We got it installed (with a bit of luck and a few curses!) and found the new axle had the wrong pinion yolk. We couldn't get the driveshaft to mount up!
I ended up just shifting the Transfer Case into 4wd, locked the front hubs and drove the remaining 1050 miles to the new house at about 60-70 MPH.
We replaced the yolk about 2 months later, and used the truck until it finally expired during a tough truck race 5 years later.
Oh, As you can almost see in the pic, the truck was loaded. There were 3 BB Ford engines, a cherry picker, 80 gallons of fuel in the bed tank, and many misc tools and stuff. The tire bent the bumper like that when it went underneath!

 

[CJim7]

My Dana 300 is twin-sticked...so I dont need to remove the rear driveshaft to run it in front wheel drive

 

[BusaDave9]

My Dana 300 is twin-sticked...so I dont need to remove the rear driveshaft to run it in front wheel drive

So is my Dana 20 . But it's nice to also have locking hubs in the rear to prevent the diff and drive shaft from rotating. There may be times that those parts are broken and can't be spinning.

 

[CJim7]

So is my Dana 20 . But it's nice to also have locking hubs in the rear to prevent the diff and drive shaft from rotating. There may be times that those parts are broken and can't be spinning.

Oh yeah...duh. It was a long day at work and I left part of my brain there. That's my story and Im stickin to it

 

[nctom]

Once I had a U Joint go out on the interstate. I pulled over and removed the rear drive shaft. I then put the TCase into 4WD high and drove home.

Genius!

 

[nctom]

I've been driving on snowy streets here for the last few days. I need 4wd in my neighborhood but not once I get out. I've been leaving the hubs locked but shifting the Transfer Case between 2H and 4H as needed. So far so good, but I generally keep it under 50 mph and only drive about a 10 mile radius from the house.