Lost front wheel drive

[lfteixeira]

Tonight while green laning, testing the new LED lights (H4 and HB4) that by the way doesn't worth it, i lost the front wheel drive.
Since i didn't ear nothing break, i suppose one of the auto front hub as gone.

I read the topic about the front hubs, manual vs auto and the last information that after 2000 Nissan made them all fixed hubs.

So, at this point, manual, auto or fixed?

Any clue on prices?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Before you start replacing them, it's worth checking yours out, as often the grease goes hard through lack of use. A clean up, new light grease, and off you go.

 

[jims-terrano]

It’ll not be full auto hubs that’s pretty much certain and often just one side that has a fault.
As you remove auto hub, doesn’t need jacking up. You’ll find a spring and the first brake ring, inside edge of brake ring there are two lugs at opposite sides. Check these lugs for integrity as the often break off or start to crack off the main ring.
As said a good strip down and clean as per the download section on here may well do the trick. I don’t think they need a lot of grease to function often people stick too much in there.

If you went for manual hubs then Milners do sell them so price on their website. However, I’ve heard of a number of people having these burst apart in use and fail. I do believe they were heavy off road users though so for most poeple probably not a problem. I had a pair of AVM Manual Locking Hubs and they were great but are costly, you’ll need to google.

Fixed hubs, more depends how much a breaker will value them at.

 

[Davey Boy]

Just replaced mine having had similar issues. Original stock.£
I had to service them every couple of months through water ingress and mis-shapen lugs that Jim mentioned.
I bought and fitted the AVM Extreme hubs last week in time for snow recoveries, and they are brilliant!
Without hubs you don’t have a four-wheel drive vehicle. Spend your money once and well would be my advice.
D

 

[Davey Boy]

Here ya go...

 

[lfteixeira]

Well, bad news.

Not the auto hubs.

Lifted all wheels up and only 3 wheels turn.

The front right doesn't move.
The half shaft also doesn't move, so it should be a diff problem, correct?

 

[FerdiNL]

With 3 wheels turning, cant it be a driveshaft?

 

[lfteixeira]

With 3 wheels turning, cant it be a driveshaft?

The driveshaft doesn't turn.

 

[jims-terrano]

Before you go buying bits and so on just check to see if there is someone else on here that can tell you about the diffs. I’m not a diff expert at all as they are black magic inside those cases but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a diff doing it’s job rather faulty.

 

[solarman216]

Well, bad news.

Not the auto hubs.

Lifted all wheels up and only 3 wheels turn.

The front right doesn't move.
The half shaft also doesn't move, so it should be a diff problem, correct?

Not really, it is an open diff so if one front brake is a little tighter than the other then only one front wheel will turn, while it is running try and hold the wheel that is turning (length of timber up against it) if you can stop it the other wheel should turn, if not does the shaft turn, Rick

 

[lfteixeira]

Not really, it is an open diff so if one front brake is a little tighter than the other then only one front wheel will turn, while it is running try and hold the wheel that is turning (length of timber up against it) if you can stop it the other wheel should turn, if not does the shaft turn, Rick

Exactly.

With the car in the air, 4L idling.
3 wheels turn.
In the one that doesn't turn i can rotate it freely, but the driveshaft doesn't move.

Can the driveshaft be stuck in some place?
Or else the diif should be the problem.


Thinking about the diff, is there any LSD for the front on the market?

 

[solarman216]

Unusual for a front diff to fail, what happens if you stop the wheel that is turning? Rick

 

[lfteixeira]

Unusual for a front diff to fail, what happens if you stop the wheel that is turning? Rick

Didn't test that.

Tested it driving forward and backwards and nothing.

Thinking about that in the last few weekends, when using the 4WD i smelled gear oil !?!?

However even after a week stopped no oil on the ground.
Now i'm thinking about some leak and the diff seized without oil ???

In a couple of days i will have a answer.

Note: The Ford has 240000 miles...

 

[lfteixeira]

Meanwhile, while the front diff doesn't come out.

Options for the front?

- keep the open diff?
- LSD?
- Air locker?


What are your thoughts?

 

[Banshee]

Meanwhile, while the front diff doesn't come out.

Options for the front?

- keep the open diff?
- LSD?
- Air locker?


What are your thoughts?

LOKKA :thumb2

 

[lfteixeira]

LOKKA :thumb2

Good feedback about them?

They are is similar to the lock right lockers?? The feedback on those weren't very good.

Any recomended site to buy them? I only found them in the US.

Thanks.

 

[lfteixeira]

Well, turns out the front diff is ok.

When stopping the left wheel the right halfshaft starts to turn, and a couple of turns later the wheel also starts to spin.

So, i'm starting to look for auto, manual or fixed hubs.

 

[Davey Boy]

If your in a mountainous area of Portugal, get manual freewheeling hubs.
You’ll have the benefit of using your low-box in two-wheel drive.
That’s my opinion, having had numerous trips over the Alps and Pyrenees.
D

 

[Banshee]

I have a LOKKA fitted in my front diff and it's been fantastic :thumb2
As Davey Boy says above, manual are the way to go :naughty

I'm going for a set of AVM hubs next time around, I'm sure my last set said AVM on thembut they looked nothing like the advert pictures on eBay and the ones Rob had :doh

Before they rolled off down a hill :lol

 

[Davey Boy]

Front lokka I would like to.