Forgot to unlock hubs

[jimmy1979]

If I had a brain fart and forgot to unlock my hubs and drove on the freeway with the xfer case in 2 hi, would it hurt anything?

 

[wakingtowinter]

No, you're fine

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Perfectly fine. Once winter hit I never unlock my hubs.

 

[scotts90ranger]

on my truck the front output is so loose it's unbearable past about 45mph, but other than that there aren't issues

 

[Beanmachine7000]

Perfectly fine. Once winter hit I never unlock my hubs.

I never unlock mine... The new trucks are live all the time...

 

[dangerranger83]

Its just like having a D30 axle (non CAD) like what I have, having them locked is like a live at all time axle.

 

[jimmy1979]

What do you guys mean by "live"? I dont know too much about how the 4x4 running gear works but im tryin to learn.

 

[Snoranger]

If I had a brain fart and forgot to unlock my hubs and drove on the freeway with the xfer case in 2 hi, would it hurt anything?

Yes, it will hurt your gas mileage (a little).

But seriously, like everyone else said, its no big deal.

 

[legoms013]

What do you guys mean by "live"? I dont know too much about how the 4x4 running gear works but im tryin to learn.

Live just means the front tires are connected to the front drive train (but the front drive train is not in gear, thats why it is ok to drive with the hubs locked).

This means that the front differential, axle shafts and driveshaft are all rotating when you drive. There is only two draw backs to this: wear and tear on the rotating components just mentioned and reduced gas mileage (takes more fuel to turn all that crap).

Bottom line is, lots of people never unlock their hubs, and all new pickups are this design (b/c they don't have hubs to unlock) and thus your trip on the freeway has no impact on your 4wd in any negative way.

Now if you drove around in 4-hi on drive pavement...thats another story.

 

[bobbywalter]

whoa...



leaving conventional hubs locked in will take its toll. it always fawked my inner spindle bearings up, i just pop fresh ones in seasonally. i attributed it to a rash of lockout destruction on my d35....was eating lockouts and vibrating bad. put new outers and kept spindle bearings good and started busting it inside the diff

this in itself wont even bug the average guy even with the bearings shot, and it simply falls under normal maintenance to pull the spindles and check them in my eyes.

on my dana 60 its the same story and my 44's in the past. the big axles dont tear lockouts up as bad though because of it for some reason, just get harder to turn in and out.



modern trucks stubs are captured and hold steady and dont flop around.

just put a pry bar under the outer stub and see if it has play....mine always have allot of play.....when its more then a 1/4 i know the inners are gone.

 

[jimmy1979]

I'll take every mile out of every gallon of gas I can get. I dont plan on leaving them locked in, just wondering for the ocassional brain fart.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

I honestly haven't noticed any difference... Difference in driving habit shows more difference than whether or not my hubs are locked in... I consistently get between 16-18 depending on how I drive... Not whether I unlock my hubs or not... I never have scientifically tested it though...

 

[4x4junkie]

Never have had any issues with the spindle bearings on mine when I leave mine locked. Like most have said, there's no problem leaving them locked in. But it's never a bad idea to pack all the bearings with grease once in awhile whether you do leave them locked or not.

 

[bobbywalter]

Never have had any issues with the spindle bearings on mine when I leave mine locked. Like most have said, there's no problem leaving them locked in. But it's never a bad idea to pack all the bearings with grease once in awhile whether you do leave them locked or not.

i dont know how many miles you have on the road locked in, but the trail use should at least beat them up a little. how much slop do they have?

i think the extreme moisture and salt is an issue. but my slip at the center always get whopped out too and cause a different vibe, i can tell when its one or the other. when its both i usually only tolerate it a few days...

 

[gwaii]

i dont know how many miles you have on the road locked in, but the trail use should at least beat them up a little. how much slop do they have?

i think the extreme moisture and salt is an issue. but my slip at the center always get whopped out too and cause a different vibe, i can tell when its one or the other. when its both i usually only tolerate it a few days...

i think you've got the same problem with this that i get-the axles and bearings have taken enough of a beating in day-to-day off roading that everythings a bit loose...even after service.

the guys that don't regularly beat the snot out of their rigs will probably have much tighter stub assemblies(i've been amazed at how nice some trucks belonging to friends have run locked in on the road,and more recently my f350-which is the first 4x4 i've ever owned that i haven't beaten)than those owned by goons like you and me.

the stub bearing is like a rear axle bearing,tough smaller.it also doesn't carry a load so it can afford to be smaller.as such,if everything is up to factory tolerances and lubed properly,it should be able to run at highway speeds with no issues whatsoever-outside of the noted gas mileage concerns.

beat it up in the mud and crud,with sporadic maintenance though...all bets are off.