Manual Locking Hubs

[WiSDoM]

I installed them for just the reason Bobmumgaard said breaking cv on the trail. unlock the hub no more grinding . the cv f*up but no more noise and you can still use your daily driver until they are fixed.

[JHarris1385]

Well I think I may have heard enough to convince myself to get some.

[CoastieCosta567]

well i have a 2wd-4wd swtich, the gain i get on MPG is only 1 extra Mile, not to much, power i can't tell. But my main reason why i have the TOD of all the time unless offroading is cuz sence i got the lift it makes this weird noise, and many here have had it or have it when you go higher then 50mph, but when i have the TOD off the noise goes away. I don't know if there is a bigger problem here then i think, but thats what i do.

[JHarris1385]

So is 6 bolt 17 spline what we look for?

If out in the junk yards how can one determine if they are pulling off a quality hub?

[kodiak]

So is 6 bolt 17 spline what we look for?

If out in the junk yards how can one determine if they are pulling off a quality hub?

I pulled mine from a first gen rodeo. There’re Aisin hubs and very tuff, if you fined a set you should be able to clean them up with out too much trouble. If you’re able to engage and disengage them on the donor Isuzu they should be fine.

[kpaske]

I've got a set of SuperWinch manual hubs that I never installed. I tried to get it done a couple of weekends ago, but couldn't figure out how they attach to the axle. They looked like they would bolt on, but the axle wouldn't be attached to anything. Can someone whose done the install give me some tips? Maybe they sent me the wrong part?

[kodiak]

I've got a set of SuperWinch manual hubs that I never installed. I tried to get it done a couple of weekends ago, but couldn't figure out how they attach to the axle. They looked like they would bolt on, but the axle wouldn't be attached to anything. Can someone whose done the install give me some tips? Maybe they sent me the wrong part?

This is what I did.
http://www.4x4wire.com/isuzu/tech/manualhubs/

[Ascinder]

I've got a set of SuperWinch manual hubs that I never installed. I tried to get it done a couple of weekends ago, but couldn't figure out how they attach to the axle. They looked like they would bolt on, but the axle wouldn't be attached to anything. Can someone whose done the install give me some tips? Maybe they sent me the wrong part?

You just remove the solid metal slugs(the 6 allen screws) and the new hubs slide over the splines of the axle, then just bolt the allen heads back down.

On a side note, if you get the Aisin hubs, mine had normal style bolts attaching the outer hub cap to the body. I recently broke one of the heads off and had to remove the shank with an EZ out. I replaced mine with allen screws which would ideally strip out before the head would shear, plus you can still get them off with vise grips if they do strip.

[kpaske]

Wow, I didn't think it could possibly be that easy. Well, looks like I've got a project for tomorrow. Thanks guys...

[Solitude]

Wow.. I am so glad I asked this question.. 23 responses.. and all useful.. SWEET!!!!!

Now I know what I am gonna change along with the wheel change.

Awesome information ..

Thanks again

Jeff

[Solitude]

anyone else want to chime in?

[AlaskaVX]

I have manual locking hubs on mine and like the fact that my 4 wheel drive seems to work MUCH better in reverse now, before the fronts would not spin in a tough situation now they seem to always work. I thought we had autolocking hubs that would only lock when going forward, thats why I switched. Also to help save my CV's.

When I was racing at the track I had a switch to disengage the TOD, I would unlock the hubs, and at one point I even dropped the front driveshaft to try to get as much power to the rears as possible. I believe this helped but I don't think the gain was really worth it. Maybe -0.2 seconds in a quarter mile. But it was cool to be able to light the rear M/T tires up before I got to the line.

[VehiGAZ]

My 2 cents...

the TOD is identical and i recon its just a gear lever gate that stops you selecting 2wd the TOD can be swopped form 2wd to 4wd and back at any speed up to 50 MPH

This statement isn't true. The JDM ToD is the same one as was used in other Isuzu products in the US that had optional ToD such as the Trooper (it might however be interchangeable between the 3.2 and 3.5L engines, though). The VX ToD is unique, and cannot be shifted into 2wd. The US Trooper with the 3-position ToD (JDM VX ToD) also had auto-locking hubs which would engage once you put it into 4WD and started rolling. That's how it was able to go true 2WD - disconnect the front axle at the transfer case and the front hubs would automatically unlock and disconnect from the front axle drivetrain components (by driving backwards IIRC?) so it did not uselessly spin them via either the wheels or the t-case. If mbeach had been successful with the ToD intercept, we could have used such a device to completely disconnect the front of the drivetrain and used manual-locking hubs to truly get 2WD-Hi operation.

(Bart, you have reason to be unclear about the manual hubs mod - even if people do see some benefits by doing it, it does not provide a true 2WD mode because it will still be spinning the unused drivetrain components which saps power and fuel economy).

Personally, I wouldn't do it to my VX... there's so little upside to this mod on an unlifted VX and way too much downside (i.e., pulling unknown-quality parts off a junked car and putting them on your VX). I've had my fill of "improvements" that screw up something in the process... I don't need any more of those headaches.

[Greasemonkey]

Hi the JDM TOD 2WD tottally disconnects the propshaft in the front axle using the shift on the fly technology found in the later Troopers the front drive shafts do turn though . i had a good look round the other day
cheers
Steve

[VehiGAZ]

I thought we had autolocking hubs that would only lock when going forward, thats why I switched.

I don't think this is right - I am pretty sure that ours our permanently locked. My buddy at work had a ToD Trooper that had auto-lockers and it made noises the VX never did - you could hear the hubs click as they engaged after putting it into ToD or 4WD-Low. After you switched out of 4WD, I think you had to drive in reverse a few feet to unlock the hubs (not sure on this point and can't find my buddy to ask). In the VX we are always in some level of 4WD-Hi, so the hubs have to stay locked.

If you had issues with the front axle when going in reverse, that was probably because of the transfer case, not the hubs.