Leaving your hubs locked

[blazin72]

Hey guys
I was wondering if it hurts to leave your hubs locked in and your transfer case ingaged over night. Alot of snow on the ground and I just pulled in and shut it off, will this hurt.
Sorry if this sounds stupid I am new at this.
Thanks
Blazin72

 

[Derf00]

No. It won't hurt a thing.

 

[blazin72]

Thanks
I didnt think it would but I thought I better ask.
Sure enough that I didnt it would have been the wrong thing to do.
BLAZIN72

 

[nyyef]

thats the beauty of having everything mechanical

Knife.
knife.coloradok5.com

 

[mudfanatic]

When I was growing up we left our hubs locked in from late October to mid February (unless we would be planning a trip on the highway) just for saftey purposes, if we hit a patch of snow my dad would pull the rig into 4HI and there was never a need to get out. We also hunted and from time to time we would be out hunting and run across a spot where we needed 4wheel, with a pull of the lever we were locked in. The reason my dad never wanted a full time though was that we had lots of friends who had the F**d auto systems and the hubs would get cold and not lock all the way in therefore screwing up the ends of the axlestubs or breaking the auto hub itself.
Dan

<font color=red>get involved with land issues or lose the land</font color=red>

 

[HarryH3]

There's quite a difference between a full-time 4WD system and a part time system that uses auto-hubs. There aren't any hubs that engage or disengage on a full time system. The wheel is always attached to the axle so everything is always spinning. On Dana 44's and GM 10-bolts there's a solid splined hunk of metal that makes the connection between the wheel hub and the drive axle. (I carry the originals from my 3/4-ton 44 as spares to use in case a locking hub breaks).

The solid axle full time 4x4's got a reputation for poor fuel mileage and the tendency to "crow hop" when making tight turns in parking lots and the like. A standard u-joint does not like to operate beyond about 7 degrees of motion. Plus having just 1 u-joint in each axle shaft means that there isn't another properly phased u-joint to offset the motion a u-joint creates as the shaft rotates. This made the vehicles tend to jump with each half rotation of the front wheels when turning tightly. With todays CV jointed, IFS 4WD's, full time 4WD rigs don't do the hop any more. Mileage isn't that big of a deal either, since most 4WD's these days come with front axle disconnects instead of locking hubs. This means that in 2WD most of the front end is still spinning anyway.

I usually leave my hubs engaged most of the winter. This gives you 4WD "on the fly" similar to the new part time 4WD rigs. Just yank the lever and keep going. Note that if you have a locker or limited slip up front, you'll probably want to unlock the hubs when possible. With the locker, steering will be affected with the hubs engaged, even in 2WD. With a limited slip, you'll be putting a lot of undue wear on the clutches.

<font color=black>HarryH3 - '75 K5</font color=black>
http://ThunderTruck.ColoradoK5.com

 

[mudhog]

during the winter i have my hubs locked and the t-case (np205) in 2-hi. but then again i am lazy and dont want to get out of the warm cab lol

s.smith 77blazer lookin 4 mud

 

[Hobbes68]

I leave my hubs locked when there's snow on the ground or in the forecast too. So much easier than getting out when you're already stuck! There's no need to unlock them, but it does place an extra load on the front drive line. Not to mention the added wear and tear that everything moving all the time might cause. Not enough to worry about though...

 

[BIGRIG]

What are you guys talking about...OK so Im REAL lazy mine are locked in 340? days a year! Never know when you might be driving down the road and one of those pesky trails will pull you over and you dont have time to lock in. If they wear out buy new ones!


MY DRINKING TEAM HAS A FOUR WHEELING PROBLEM!