Manual Hubs?

[Modsqwad]

In conversation the other day with John of rocky mountain imports he mentioned someone who had retrofitted manual hubs to
the front axle of their deli. I have been operating under the impression that in 2wd the auto hub system we have completely
disconnects the axles at the hub thereby removing all extra frictional losses and unnessesary wear on front drive parts. Can
anyone clarify this for me? If the front end is not completely freewheeling in 2wd I would be interested in doing the manual
hub changeover myself to improve efficiency on long trips so any tips on that would be helpful as well. Thanks.
Andy Wilson

[TardisDeli]

Hi Andy, I think Jesse did them, his Id is jfarsang. Also David, id is Delicat. They read this site often so should reply soon.

It was very nice to meet you at the CCAutos/ Rocky Mountain Imports get-together. You are probably back in Mexico by now? Cheers, Christine.

[marsgal42]

"Search" is your friend.

Gumdrop still has her factory self-locking hubs - which are completely unlocked when they are unlocked, BTW.

The manual hubs are supposed to be stronger, and you don't have to jockey back and forth to lock/unlock them. Just get out/reach down and turn the knob.

...laura

[Modsqwad]

Hi Andy, I think Jesse did them, his Id is jfarsang. Also David, id is Delicat. They read this site often so should reply soon.

It was very nice to meet you at the CCAutos/ Rocky Mountain Imports get-together. You are probably back in Mexico by now? Cheers, Christine.

Leaving first ferry Sat. Should be in Sayulita by Tuesday night. Slow trip stopping on north side of the Grand Canyon to catch the
dawn photo op. It was a genuine pleasure to meet you and all the "faithfull" at the meet last weekend, I hope to be able to have
my own little delica drop in one day in Mx if enough drop in can make the trip. Sounds like my question regarding the hubs is answered although I assume the people using them have some good reasons for doing so. Saludo's y Felicidades.
Andy Wilson

[jessef]

The auto hubs that come stock on the L300 Delica's do not disengage the complete hub assembly.

They still free wheel with the axle shafts.

The main advantage of the manual hubs is when unlocked, the wheel hubs spin on their own power (wheels) while the axle shafts are completely disconnected.

This may or may not net you better fuel mileage, but it will extent the life of the CV shafts, bearings, seals, etc... It's been debated for decades.

The secondary advantage of manual hubs is that they are built stronger than the auto hubs. This is confirmed by the past 25 years of north american mitsu montero owners who have swapped hubs back and forth over the years, myself included.

I've had an auto hub explode on me and left me with 2wd in 4wd terrain.

With that said, the percentage of auto hubs exploding I would assume are far and few in between.

Also with manual hubs, you do not have to put the Delica in reverse to engage/disengage 4x4. It's instant (mechanical). It's helped me on some slippery surfaces where backing up would not have been possible in 2wd.

They are also cheap for what you get.

Search 'Superwinch' manual hubs. You can get them at summit racing in the US for just over $100.

Jesse

[scamp]

For we have had a fleet of 4x4 trucks in the iol fields of North Canada. and at first we found auto hubs just did not last on what we put our trucks through. So when we got new trucks the first thing that we would do is switch them over to man hubs and I cant remember ever having a problem. Can I get Man. hubs for my L400 Delica?

[jessef]

L300/L400 superwinch hubs = same

[dfnder]

I have a set which I bought from Jesse when he did a group buy 6-8 months ago, they are still sitting here unused if you are interested.

[Modsqwad]

I have a set which I bought from Jesse when he did a group buy 6-8 months ago, they are still sitting here unused if you are interested.

Yes I am interested how much are you asking for them?
Andy Wilson

[mararmeisto]

I changed out the hubs on my van, and while I didn't see an increase in fuel economy, I did feel that there is going to be less wear/tear on the drivetrain for the reasons jfarsang pointed out. The autohubs should more correctly be called auto-unlocking hubs, and even that is a bit of a stretch because what is locked/unlocked is not the axles from the wheels, but the driveshaft the transfer case.

With the manual hubs, the wheels are now completely disengaged from the axles, from the differential, from the front driveshaft, so none of that is rotating while the vehicle is moving. Only the wheels are turning, just as if it was a 2WD vehicle. Hence the proper description of these vans: part-time 4WD.

[norisan]

I think Laura is correct - Once you have moved the shift lever to 2wheel drive, and reversed the 10 or 15 feet to disengage the hubs, the front wheels are free wheeling, and are no longer turning the drive shafts. I tested it this morning to make sure. After marking the front drive shafts, (axles), I moved the Deli first by small increments, and then up and down the alley, and the drive shafts, (axles), never moved.

[norisan]

Found this on the UK site.
jo0lz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To aid Bruce(MysteryMachine) and allay his fears about his wheel lock light here is a description of what I know about L300's Auto Hubs......

Most L300's have Auto Hubs on the front
These work by locking up once the vehicle is in FWD and travelling. This means that the front axle drive system is operational and driving the front wheels. This is when the 'wheel lock' light comes on in the dashboard. It basically means your front wheels are locked into being driven by the FWD system.

Once you have deselected FWD these Auto Hubs on the front will typically remain locked, the 'wheel lock' light stays on in the dashboard, UNTIL the Auto Hubs sense a lack of 'drive' going to the front wheels.

Quickest way to UNLOCK these Auto Hubs on the front is to go in reverse in 2WD for about 10-20 metres then the 'wheel lock' light goes out in the dashboard to show that the front hubs are now FREEWHEELING.

This basically means that the front wheels and hubs are spinning WITHOUT the front driveshafts and diff. Giving you better fuel economy when in 2WD on the road.

If you are Green Laning you will typically leave the front hubs LOCKED while driving in 2WD on tarmac stretches of your journey.
THIS DOES NO HARM TO THE TRANSMISSION IF YOUR ARE NOT IN FWD
It simply means that the front wheels turning as you drive also rotate the front driveshafts and diff as the wheels are locked to the drive system.

Hope that reduces your fears Bruce?

Jo0lz

[Erebus]

The big advantage I find in the manual hubs -- which I got through jfarsang 8 months ago -- is that when you lock them up, they just stay locked. The autohubs will unlock at the most inconvenient time.

Let me explain. My normal technique on sloppy terrain is to switch to 4WD (stop, put lever to 4WD), then drive forward a bunch of meters until the wheel lock light comes on, then switch back to 2WD. I can now switch between 2- and 4- at will while moving. I only switch to 4WD when I start slippin' & slidin' in 2WD.

Occasionally, I will have to turn around, and that usually involves 3-point turns on fairly solid surface, so you don't want to be in 4WD. But then you back a little too far, and drop the rear wheels off the edge a bit. So you want 4WD. But in backing in 2WD, the autohubs have unlocked just as you need them. This results in a nasty crunching noise as they lock up while things aren't all moving at the same speed.

So, manual hubs fixes that issue.

Disadvantage to manual hubs: if you don't have a passenger, you have to get out of the vehicle to lock them up. You can easily reach down and lock up the driver's side without leaving your seat.

BTW, the wheel lock light is not actually a measure of whether your hubs are locked or not. The sensor simply detects that the front driveshaft is turning. So the hubs can be unlocked, but when the transfer case is in 4WD, the driveshaft is being turned from the transfer case end, and the light will come on. So, it only tells you that one end, the other end, or both end of the driveshaft/diff/halfshafts are connected to something. Up to you to figure out which.

On a related note, with the manual hubs, I've noticed that in the winter, if you parked with the hubs locked, and in the morning unlocked them, the cold grease will keep the driveshaft turning slightly -- enough to make the wheel lock light come on. A few minutes of driving will warm up the grease and it will stop and the light will go out.

[jwfchase]

I was just on the superwinch website, and it says the 400543 (Montero) hub has been discontinued! Anybody else have a set they haven't installed yet and no longer want?... or know of other brands that will fit?