Front & Rear Manual Locking Hubs

mistermeeseeks

mistermeeseeks

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Aurora, CO
Hi, I have a 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara. I want to put manual locking hubs on both the front and rear axles. The reason I want to do this is because I frequently tow this Jeep behind a motorhome that doesn't have a ton of power. Sometimes going through the mountains its a struggle. If I have the ability to free spin all 4 wheels it would be easier to pull. I currently have stock axles (Dana 30 in the front and Dana 35 in the rear) but I’m open to swapping them out if that is what I have to do in order to have manual locking hubs. Is this even possible? Thank you for your help!
 
Perhaps one of the 4-wheel steer axles might allow rear hubs, since they're usually based on a front axle. However, I doubt you'd get much gain doing so, especially compared to the cost of four wheel steering.

Realistically, when flat towing, the vast majority of your resistance is rolling resistance of the tires (and especially vehicle weight in regard to inclines and acceleration). A lower rolling resistance tire might be easier to pull. Even just going somewhat above the standard tire air pressure while towing (not exceeding sidewall pressure) should help to a small degree.
 
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Had an Jeep come into my business with locking hubs on all four corners. Don’t recall all the specifics, except that the owner had done the install.
 
Unlocking all four hubs isn't going to make it significantly easier to tow and it's damned (!) expensive to install them. I would just shift the transfer case into Neutral, shift the transmission into Park, and unlock the ignition and go for it. Just raise the tire air pressures up a little higher and that will make it easier to tow.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
Unlocking all four hubs isn't going to make it significantly easier to tow and it's damned (!) expensive to install them. I would just shift the transfer case into Neutral, shift the transmission into Park, and unlock the ignition and go for it. Just raise the tire air pressures up a little higher and that will make it easier to tow.
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This was my thought, I can't see how the cost would be worth it. But then again, it's not my money.

But that money could be used for more motorhome fuel, new tires for the Jeep better suited to towing, or performance upgrades for the motorhome maybe?
 
mistermeeseeks said:
Hi, I have a 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara. I want to put manual locking hubs on both the front and rear axles. The reason I want to do this is because I frequently tow this Jeep behind a motorhome that doesn't have a ton of power. Sometimes going through the mountains its a struggle. If I have the ability to free spin all 4 wheels it would be easier to pull. I currently have stock axles (Dana 30 in the front and Dana 35 in the rear) but I’m open to swapping them out if that is what I have to do in order to have manual locking hubs. Is this even possible? Thank you for your help!
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It is very possible, you won't like any part of it, but it is very possible. Currie and others will build you a pair of axles with the larger Ford F-450 unit bearings on all 4 corners. Simple matter to install locking hubs in those. Nothing some time and about 15-18 grand won't cover though.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
This was my thought, I can't see how the cost would be worth it. But then again, it's not my money.

But that money could be used for more motorhome fuel, new tires for the Jeep better suited to towing, or performance upgrades for the motorhome maybe?
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Cheapest answer is to just stay on flat ground. ;)
 
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Blackjack said:
He did. Was a now long gone Warn full floater kit. Unless you are lucky enough to stumble onto one in a garage sale you will be hard pressed to find one.
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Yep I had the Full floater kit from Warn for the Dana 35 with small hubs and a Warn small hub kit on the front also... If I'd only known in 2006 when I was building my TJ the first time how hard these would become to find I'd have held onto the parts.
You can't really see the hubs on the front because the sticker had fallen off.

1706991242505.png



I knew I had a picture of the other side some place. Both hubs had the stickers still.

1706992388213.png



The only FF kits I know of now being offered are from The Herm the Overdrive Guy and those are for old school Dana 44's.

https://hermtheoverdriveguy.com/30-spline-full-floating-axle-kits

Could you use some of the parts to make your own FF kit I'm not sure.


C.J. Roberts said:
Sounds like it might be cheaper to get a trailer.
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If you've already got an underpowered MH adding another 2k lbs to the tow duties IMO isn't going to help any.
 
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I flat tow my TJ behind my truck camper and it has almost no effect on gas mileage. Well, maybe half a mile per gallon, at 10 mpg towing and 10.5 mpg not towing. This has been a consistent result in about 50k miles, towing and not towing. So I suspect the difference with manual locking hubs would be unmeasurable. Perhaps gas mileage doesn’t translate directly to towing capability but it is probably a reasonable proxy.
 
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