Auto free wheel hubs

[Daz__]

Hello,

Just wondered what with winter coming an all that do you really need to reverse after using 4wd to unlock the hubs???

Seems like a hassle as when it snowed last year i had my previous 260 and was constantly going from snowed over roads in 4wd then onto gritted and very clear roads so back to 2wd etc.... etc... and i dont think anyone following me would be to impressed if i kept stopping and reversing! haha especially in town as when you get back on the gritted roads there'll be a fair bit of traffic about

Cheers Daz

 

[geoffdown]

Hello,

Just wondered what with winter coming an all that do you really need to reverse after using 4wd to unlock the hubs???

Seems like a hassle as when it snowed last year i had my previous 260 and was constantly going from snowed over roads in 4wd then onto gritted and very clear roads so back to 2wd etc.... etc... and i dont think anyone following me would be to impressed if i kept stopping and reversing! haha especially in town as when you get back on the gritted roads there'll be a fair bit of traffic about

Cheers Daz

you dont have to, just be abit worse on the mpg thats all and if u havent reversed it means when u hit snow again u can change to 4h at higher speed as hubs will be ready to go:thumbs

 

[R1cho]

you dont have to, just be abit worse on the mpg thats all and if u havent reversed it means when u hit snow again u can change to 4h at higher speed as hubs will be ready to go:thumbs

what he said also engine will sound like its doin more work, probly is though, when laning i just knock it out of 4x4 and carry on where as others revers back to unlock, keep telling them as long as not in 4x4 it wont get windup but do they listen lol

 

[rustic]

As said, once you have engaged the front wheel hubs when going forward they will be still engaged even if you slip out of 4H to 2H and back


BUT if by chance you reverse a metre to let some one in, or reverse out of a parking space and forget or even roll back :doh, then if you then engage 4H later, at anything more than slow... you will break something, as the front diff, prop shaft, will be initially stationary when the gearbox instantly sends drive to it.

After all you don't use the clutch to swap between 4H to 2H and back.

I designed and fitted a front prop shaft rotation detector that flashes when the prop shaft is turning to prevent this risk. 16 + years and still on the original front auto hubs and parts.


Note.. If you want to use 4 Low, the vehicle MUST be stationary.

Enjoy the winter to come, on steep declines on ice I have even used 2 wheel low 2nd gear, and used the hand throttle for better speed control.
Don't change gear going down hill, and don't brake. Choose your soft crumple zone before you descend......



.

 

[lacroupade]

Just get a facelift truck, then you can select/deselect on the fly, no reversing.

 

[rustic]

Just get a facelift truck, then you can select/deselect on the fly, no reversing.

These have fixed hubs, not all the face lifts have them, only the later ones.

Fixed hubs increases drag, more fuel, heavier steering, greater tyre wear, more wear and tear on the front axle , cv joints, front driveshafts and main front prop shaft.

There have been a few issues recently with wear on the front propshaft, with some shafts being replaced, and UJ's wearing. :doh
Common factor.....:nenau yep fixed front hubs. :augie


So remind me again..... what were the advantages.

I can still change on the fly anyway with my set up.:thumb2

 

[jims-terrano]

I'm gonna rattle them cages again. "Why not fit Manual Hubs":lol:lol:lol Best thing I ever did to my truck. Lock em before I set off and use 4wd when ever I need to. The few times I use 4wd I have never been caught out with unlocked hubs.

As for not reversing you'll probably find that even letting go of the gas pedal will often be enough for the tension to be relased and the hubs disengage anyway.

Jim

 

[lacroupade]

These have fixed hubs, not all the face lifts have them, only the later ones.

Fixed hubs increases drag, more fuel, heavier steering, greater tyre wear, more wear and tear on the front axle , cv joints, front driveshafts and main front prop shaft.

There have been a few issues recently with wear on the front propshaft, with some shafts being replaced, and UJ's wearing. :doh
Common factor.....:nenau yep fixed front hubs. :augie


So remind me again..... what were the advantages.

I can still change on the fly anyway with my set up.:thumb2

My early MkIII has got fixed hubs and I suspect they were part of the facelift - as for fuel economy, its no different than the previous two MkIIs....neither have I had any problems with prop shafts/UJs.....but then mine get thrashed and serviced regularly! :thumbs

 

[Daz__]

Hey all,

Thanks for all replies

Hmm.. interesting stuff, i'm used to landy's so all this selecting is a bit new to me. makes sense now though. So even with the hubs engaged its still only feeding the rear wheels when 2h is selected on the transfer so no diff wind up makes my front hubs seem rather pointless then?!?!?! as fuel economy went out the window with the turbo anyway! Ha.

Rolling back shouldnt be a prob either as its an auto.

Thanks again

Daz

 

[Bee Elzebub]

I have to admit I'm puzzled, here, with this reversing malarkey...

If you're off-road (or on slippy stuff) and need to reverse out of a rut, it seems to me an impossible task, if the autohubs disengage on reversing!?!? That must be a daft idea on a 4WD???

 

[solarman216]

I have to admit I'm puzzled, here, with this reversing malarkey...

If you're off-road (or on slippy stuff) and need to reverse out of a rut, it seems to me an impossible task, if the autohubs disengage on reversing!?!? That must be a daft idea on a 4WD???

if you stay in 4WD and you reverse the hubs unlock and then lock again, so do it gently and you will have no problem, Rick

 

[makeitfit]

I don't think they unlock at all Rick till the FWD is dissundoneified :augie
At least I've never noticed any undoing, and I've done a hell of a lot of back and fore stuck in hole type action :lol

 

[solarman216]

with the car jacked up dive underneath and play with the front prop, tells you all you want to know, Rick

 

[makeitfit]

Wife say's I spend too much time there already :lol

 

[Fez_uk]

Fixed hubs increases drag, more fuel, heavier steering, greater tyre wear, more wear and tear on the front axle , cv joints, front driveshafts and main front prop shaft.

There have been a few issues recently with wear on the front propshaft, with some shafts being replaced, and UJ's wearing. :doh
Common factor.....:nenau yep fixed front hubs. :augie

Wasn't the UJ problem because the the ones with fixed hubs had no grease nipple.

 

[rustic]

Wasn't the UJ problem because the the ones with fixed hubs had no grease nipple.

Ahh yes I remember now, just when you need grease more..... they remove the nipple, and then rotate the shaft all the time. :doh


What the engineers probably thought, in the past we have never had an issue with the UJ's on the front prop shaft, so we can remove the grease nipple.... Save 30p per UJ.

It was fine on the earlier models as these uj's sat idle for 98% or more of the time, what do they want more grease for.....
Hmmm a mistake.


Years ago they used to fit grease nipples on minis on the upper and lower suspension ball joints, a quick pump on those, also the 2 on the rear suspension arms and the 2 everybody forgot was the 2 on the gear lever bushes at the back of the gearbox, that's why those who had the long gearstick coming out of the far floor "Had a floppy one " ie guess the gear.

Later cars of that era and design, eg Princesses and Ambassadors had no grease nipples on the upper and lower ball joints, and that is probably why they wore out sooner. I remember the big spanner, the big hammer :thumb2, the thin shimms that you had to mic up or guess...:nenau

Things were simpler then, and a big hammer was all that was needed.:thumb2


Nostalgia isn't what it used to be......:lol:lol:lol