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manuel hubs or part time convertion

H

HD

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I can’t decide what would be better to do, get the part time conversion kit, or get manual hubs. I have heard that doing the part time conversion can shorten the life of you transfer case. And if I do go with manual hubs what model number for Mile Maker should I get; 104, 302, or 402. Oh, I have a ’75 K5 with a NP203 transfer case. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
I take it your t-case is full time right now.

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I can’t decide what would be better to do, get the part time conversion kit, or get manual hubs.

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Hubs only will do you no good here, since if your full time, you will have to keep your hubs in the locked position.

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I have heard that doing the part time conversion can shorten the life of you transfer case.

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If you just use the inexpensive part time kit, yeah, they don't last a lifetime, but they are ok. I would go with the shaft kit(about $300 IIRC), that kit is a very good kit.

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And if I do go with manual hubs what model number for Mile Maker should I get; 104, 302, or 402. Oh, I have a ’75 K5 with a NP203 transfer case.

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I know nothing about MileMarker stuff, me personally, i would only run Warn, but that is just me.
 
You must install the part-time kit unless you want to be driving in the loc position all the time, without the part-time kit you can't drive in any other gear.
 
The reason that I am asking about this stuff is because I’m going to put an Aussie Locker in the front. I would have the hubs unlocked on the street and locked on the trail.
 
You still have to convert the t-case in order to run the hubs in the unlocked position.
 
4x4HIGH is correct. You can run the hubs open but you must shift the t-case into hi-lock. Your front drivetrain will be spinning but the hubs will just "free-wheel" thus eliminating any bind from the locker. My dad has done this on several gm's with the 203 and has never had any problems. He also has a set of MM hubs on one of his vehicles and they've held up just fine. I still prefer the Warn hubs also as they have had a little better rep. I've heard both good and bad about the part-time kit but it seems unecessary when you can do the locking hubs. Hope this helps.

Ryan /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
i had a set of milemarker hubs MELT on me /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif (driving across country)....i've gone Warn premium all metal hubs now. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
If that is the plan then you deffinatly want to do the conversion. Being able to flip from 2LO to 4LO is a great option.
 
I thought that if you have full time 4wd, that even with the center diff power gets transferred to all 4 wheels except when turning etc. Well if your hubs are unlocked, wouldn't seem like only half the power your truck makes gets sent to the wheels doing the driving? I mean if power is still going up there its lost , kinda like opening your windows and turning up your a/c system.
 
Your total torque (or power output) will be the same. In full-time 4x4 theoretically you would have 50% of the torque to the front and 50% to the rear. If you ran in 4 HI lock with the front hubs unlocked than basically 100% of the torque will then go to the rear wheels.....the torque just can't "disappear".
 
On an unconverted NP203 when in one of the "normal" positions the diff in the case is open. If you unlock the front hubs all power goes to the front axle. You go nowhere.
 
I'll complicate the issue then. How come I can drive my truck (with a 203) without a front drive shaft in 2 high? I'm kinda confused as to what the difference is between no driveshaft and manual locking hubs unlocked? Thanks in advance and good luck to y'all.

Allan
 
You can drive yours without the front driveshaft installed in 2Hi cause your 203 is already converted to part time.
 
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You can drive yours without the front driveshaft installed in 2Hi cause your 203 is already converted to part time.

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WHAT????
 
ok, the only way a person can drive a rig with a 203 in 2wd without a front driveshaft and a set of hubs in the unlocked position, the t-case HAS to be already converted to part time
 
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I'll complicate the issue then. How come I can drive my truck (with a 203) without a front drive shaft in 2 high? I'm kinda confused as to what the difference is between no driveshaft and manual locking hubs unlocked? Thanks in advance and good luck to y'all.

Allan

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Remember what I said:
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On an unconverted NP203 when in one of the "normal" positions the diff in the case is open. If you unlock the front hubs all power goes to the front axle. You go nowhere.

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The key word is unconverted. NP203s do not have any 2WD positions. Once they are converted from full time you gain the choice of 2HI and 2LO with the loss of dry pavememnt usable 4WD in both high & low range.
 
i suppose i will help explain this 203 phenomenom also, being that i pretty much learned all that i know about this particular case on this forum since becoming a member, and this forum did a great job of explaining to me, and now its your turn to learn now:

simply sticking manual hubs on a full time 4x4 truck does not convert it to part time lol. your front axle shafts will always still be turning excpet in neutral position with having a 203 case.

203 do not have a 2wd position at all, ever.

203 have a differential unit insid ewhich makes up alot of the bulk inside the case, when you ar ein one of the two loc positions then front and rear d-shafts get locked power, but when you are in one one of the non-loc positions then the differential unit sends power to the axle/d-shaft that either hjas traction or doesnt(i dont remembver which, but i assume to the one with no traction just like an open axle differential does)


does that help ?

203 are very complicated they are the only full time non-2wd position transfer case

203 are in a class all by themselves, they are unique.

203 are FULL time 4x4 and not part time and do not have a 2wd position, all the positions besides neutral are 4x4 at ALL times! unless you buy a conversion kit to make the case into a part time case and disassemble it to install the kit and make the modifications, then after that the non-loc positions will be your 2-hi and 2-lo

or you can just put in a 205 or a 208 or 241 and have a normal part time setup like all the non-stock 203 guys
 
Just curious , with an open diff ( uesd for comparison ) one wheel in air or in mud, the other tire gets no torque. So equate that to a transfer case that is full time. In loc perhaps its a 50/50 split. I was refferring to normal positions where it is unlocked , it would work like an open diff and send power upfront only where the least ressistance is. I should of said when not in loc.
 
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