Let me warn you about the lock-o-matics. They are great hubs. They do have two drawbacks, one of which I like.
When you turn the dial, there is no springs like modern hubs. If the splines don't line up, you will not turn them all the way, and they will not be locked. You have to rock the wheel slightly to get them in gear.
I have always liked that. Just be sure to lock them before you are in mud or sand, so you can rock the wheel. With modern hubs, the dial will turn, but the locking part is done by a spring. If things are gummed up, they don't lock.
With these, when the dial says "locked", they are locked.
I have pulled out friends whose hubs said locked but were not.
The other drawback is a little more serious.
The automatic locking part works great, to get you stuck.
There is a six sided block of steel inside that is splined on the axle. Between it and the heavy steel outer casing are six heavy steel needle bearing type rods that lay on the flats of the block inside a cage with plastic friction pieces on the end.
When you are driving along with the axle not turning, or turning at the same speed as the hub, the rods just lay there.
As soon as the axle tries to turn more than the hub, the cage keeps the rods in place, and they roll up the edges of the block of steel and jam between the block and the inside of the heavy steel casing.
This forces the casing to turn with the axle thus driving the wheel.
Right up until you get in the bad stuff, then the rods start skipping around the inside of the hub making a clunking noise and stopping the wheel from being driven by the axle.
At which point, you have to get out, wade in the mud to the hubs and turn the dial. This bypasses all the auto stuff and locks the wheel to the axle very strongly.
Except, of course, now that you are in the deep stuff, you cannot rock the wheel to align the splines, so you have to get in, spin the axle slightly and try again.
After all that, do I recommend the hubs? YES, they are great hubs. Just use them like manuals and they will do fine. If you are driving along and hit a slick spot, you can drop it in 4wd and they will pull you through in auto. Just be sure to turn them if something bad looms.
Note: the four little plastic tabs are replaceable, not sure if you can still get the parts. Hubs will work fine without them, just not the auto part.
When you turn the dial, there is no springs like modern hubs. If the splines don't line up, you will not turn them all the way, and they will not be locked. You have to rock the wheel slightly to get them in gear.
I have always liked that. Just be sure to lock them before you are in mud or sand, so you can rock the wheel. With modern hubs, the dial will turn, but the locking part is done by a spring. If things are gummed up, they don't lock.
With these, when the dial says "locked", they are locked.
I have pulled out friends whose hubs said locked but were not.
The other drawback is a little more serious.
The automatic locking part works great, to get you stuck.
There is a six sided block of steel inside that is splined on the axle. Between it and the heavy steel outer casing are six heavy steel needle bearing type rods that lay on the flats of the block inside a cage with plastic friction pieces on the end.
When you are driving along with the axle not turning, or turning at the same speed as the hub, the rods just lay there.
As soon as the axle tries to turn more than the hub, the cage keeps the rods in place, and they roll up the edges of the block of steel and jam between the block and the inside of the heavy steel casing.
This forces the casing to turn with the axle thus driving the wheel.
Right up until you get in the bad stuff, then the rods start skipping around the inside of the hub making a clunking noise and stopping the wheel from being driven by the axle.
At which point, you have to get out, wade in the mud to the hubs and turn the dial. This bypasses all the auto stuff and locks the wheel to the axle very strongly.
Except, of course, now that you are in the deep stuff, you cannot rock the wheel to align the splines, so you have to get in, spin the axle slightly and try again.
After all that, do I recommend the hubs? YES, they are great hubs. Just use them like manuals and they will do fine. If you are driving along and hit a slick spot, you can drop it in 4wd and they will pull you through in auto. Just be sure to turn them if something bad looms.
Note: the four little plastic tabs are replaceable, not sure if you can still get the parts. Hubs will work fine without them, just not the auto part.
