Drive Gears and my truck...

[DsZ71]

I am in doing a SFA swap on my 88 Z71 and well one of my locking hubs needs to be replaced. So i was thinking about just installing drive gears. now with my front always locked can the T-case handle that? also with my front having a lockright in there, will that mess with my steering any?

 

[KansasTwister]

That will cause your front to be very hard to steer, put a limited slip up front and then solid hubs, but i wouldnt do solid hubs and a locker, especially for anything street driven.

 

[DsZ71]

I have a limited slip up front

 

[Blue85]

I've heard them called "slugs" and "drive flanges" but not drive gears.

When he says to put a limited slip in the front, I think he means to take out the Lockright (a locker) and put in something like a trutrac, auburn or powerlock (a limited slip).

I think you can steer with a locker in front as long as you are in 2WD. You could also run in 4WD, but with one hub unlocked for the street. This could be kind of limiting if you drive in snow a lot.

 

[DsZ71]

when i do drive it on the road it will be in 2H. so with my T-case in 2H steering shouldnt be a issue? also how about my t-case? can it handle the front being locked all the time?

 

[Duntz00]

Why go through all the work off the SFA swap to be cheap on the lockouts, you can pick up a set of warns for around $80 bucks at Advance.

 

[496truck]

I built a solid axle S10 with lockrites in front and rear. On the street in 2wd it was fine, no steering stress just clicking from the lockrite on tight turns. This truck was on YJ axles with 'solid' hub bearings (aka unit bearings), so the front axle shafts and front driveshaft were turning all the time, although with no power going to them. My advice for you, if you have selectable hubs in the axle you are putting in there, keep them selectable. This will save you wear and tear on the front driveline and axle parts.

 

[DsZ71]

ok cool, thanks for the feed back yall

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I've heard them called "slugs" and "drive flanges" but not drive gears.

When he says to put a limited slip in the front, I think he means to take out the Lockright (a locker) and put in something like a trutrac, auburn or powerlock (a limited slip).

I think you can steer with a locker in front as long as you are in 2WD. You could also run in 4WD, but with one hub unlocked for the street. This could be kind of limiting if you drive in snow a lot.

Running in 4WD with one hub locked with a mechanical locker is far from the same as using an open diff in the front. Been there, done that, with a mechanical locker in the front you don't want any power going to it on the street. For the record, i first tried only locking one hub which was terrible. I then decided to lock in both (rear driveshaft was folded in half) and that was better but still REALLY sketchy on the street.

Using drive flanges (slugs, whatever you want to call them) is no problem even with a mechanical locker like Detroit, etc. When you start applying power to it, it locks up. Hence, when you have your t-case in 2-hi the locker basically isn't there even though you have drive flanges.

 

[6.2Blazer]

I've ran drive flanges (drive gears) on my front axle for years with a Lock-right after I went 35-spline. Prior to that I had locking hubs. I noticed absolutely no difference on the street when in 2wd between the flanges and unlocked hubs. With no power going to it, the Lock-right or something like a Detroit is unlocked.

Actually, most limited slips would be MORE noticable on the street with drive flanges versus a Lock-right or Detroit. While the lockers are unlocked and basically free-wheel with no power (i.e. t-case in 2wd) while the limited slips are still trying to keep the two front tires turning the same speed.

Generally drive flanges are stronger than locking hubs, and also usually cheaper. The wear and tear is pretty minimal as proven by all of the newer vehicles on the road with no locking hubs. The OEM's figured out the extra cost and complexity of locking hubs did not offset the minimum decrease in wear.

 

[1BEATK5]

I've ran drive flanges (drive gears) on my front axle for years with a Lock-right after I went 35-spline. Prior to that I had locking hubs. I noticed absolutely no difference on the street when in 2wd between the flanges and unlocked hubs. With no power going to it, the Lock-right or something like a Detroit is unlocked.

Actually, most limited slips would be MORE noticable on the street with drive flanges versus a Lock-right or Detroit. While the lockers are unlocked and basically free-wheel with no power (i.e. t-case in 2wd) while the limited slips are still trying to keep the two front tires turning the same speed.

Generally drive flanges are stronger than locking hubs, and also usually cheaper. The wear and tear is pretty minimal as proven by all of the newer vehicles on the road with no locking hubs. The OEM's figured out the extra cost and complexity of locking hubs did not offset the minimum decrease in wear.

100% accurate with that one

 

[DsZ71]

Well I guess I will be installing them on my D44