INSTALL REPORT: YUKON YA-WU-08 Manual Hub Conversion Kit and VANCO 16” Big Brake Kit
This is an install report for my new Yukon manual hub conversion and Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit. It isn’t intended to be a “how-to” because the instructions that come with the kits and the relevant sections in the Factory Service Manual explain the procedures better than I can. Besides, I had the luxury of having one of the best gear, axle and brake professionals in the North State region of California do the work so it would seem disingenuous to explain how to do something he did.
Many of you have watched with interest as I addressed the vibration/harmonic that developed in the front end at higher speeds after I re-geared my ’06 LJ Rubicon 4 speed auto from 4.88 to 5.38. Rotating and rebalancing the tires did nothing, a new Tom Wood front driveshaft didn’t cure it, nor did an alignment or adjusting the front pinion angle. However, removing the front driveshaft eliminated the vibration completely so it was almost universally agreed that the sure but expensive fix would be a conversion to manual hubs. See: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ations-after-re-gear-to-4-88-or-deeper.12218/
I’m an old school guy. Except for the ZJ I once owned and my current LJ, my jeeps have always had manual hubs. What I have never had is the patience to fiddle with front pinion angles for hours on end in the pursuit of some illusory sweet spot that might or might not tone the vibrations down to an acceptable buzz. The decision was clear: Convert my front Dana 44 axle to manual hubs.
In the thread linked at the end of this paragraph the discussion focused on the relative merits of the various manual hub options currently on the market. From that discussion and my own research, I concluded that the two best are the Yukon YA-WU-08 kit which requires changing to the 5x5.5 lug pattern, and the Yukon YA-WU-07 kit which uses the Warn hub design for the Ford Explorer and retains the TJ 5x4.5 lug pattern but widens the track ¾” per side. See: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ng-a-manual-locking-hub-conversion-kit.16093/
After consultation with @mrblaine at blackmagicbrakes.com regarding the concerns I had about the smaller Explorer hub kit, and being assured that my concerns were largely unfounded, I decided to go with the Yukon YA-WU-07 5x4.5 kit so that I would not need to buy new wheels. Ironically, the very next day I received a camelcamelcamel.com price alert for Amazon’s second lowest price on record for the larger YA-WU-08 5x5.5 manual hub conversion kit. Being a sucker for a good deal, and the price discount being more than the price for five new wheels and a new spare tire, I made a 180 degree change in direction and bought the 5x5.5 kit.
The Yukon YA WU-08 manual hub conversion kit comes with everything you need including 4340 chromoly outer shafts, Timken bearings, 5-760X axle u-joints, modified CJ rotors, premium locking hubs, etc. The instructions included with the kit are comprehensive and well written.
I elected to install 4340 chromoly 30-spline inner axle shafts as part of this project since there would be no additional installation charge when done at the same time as the hub conversion. The rotors and calipers need to be removed as part of the hub conversion so I also elected to replace the stock parts with the Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit from BlackMagicBrakes.com. I needed better braking anyway because the factory brakes are marginal on an LJ as it is, I tow an offroad trailer on occasion, and I want/need as much braking power as I can get to stop that additional weight.
I am pleased to report that the hub conversion has been completed without undue complication and the vibrations that commenced after my re-gear to 5.36 are now completely gone. I can drive 80 mph on the Interstate with one finger on the wheel and the ride is smooth as glass. Well maybe not smooth as glass, but really smooth. How do we know that it was the hubs that “fixed” the vibrations? We don’t. What we know is that the hubs solved the problem because the vibrations cannot be felt when the hubs are disengaged and when the hubs are engaged the vibrations return at the same high speeds with the same character and intensity as before the hubs were installed.
My opinion of the Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit is that it is muy bueno y tal vez incluso excelente. Even during the first cycle of pad break-in the improvement over stock is substantial. If reports are true that braking performance continues to improve through successive break-in cycles these brakes will indeed be something to write home about. However, despite some of the best instructions I have seen, the installation was not quite seamless. The rotors @mrblaine supplied to mate with the Yukon hubs needed some minor additional machining to perfect the fit and after some telephone consultation when the hubs wouldn't play nice with the rotors it was decided that a spacer would be required to deal with the issue created by the Yukon hub. @mrblaine overnighted the additional parts, which are unnecessary if one is installing the big brake kit on a jeep with the factory unit bearings. In the scheme of things these were very minor hiccups and not unexpected considering that mating the Vanco kit to the Yukon hubs is custom work.
All in all, it has been a successful winter project.
Vehicle:
2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Rubicon Edition
4.0L Engine
42RLE 4-Speed Automatic Transmission
NV241OR 4:1 transfer case
Dana 44 Front Axle with Factory Locker
Dana 44 Rear Axle with Factory Locker
5.38 Axle Gear Ratio
315/75R16 Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3 “metric 35” tires
Parts and Part numbers:
Yukon # YA-WU-08 manual hub conversion kit
Yukon # YA W39602 4340 Chromoly Right Inner Axle for Jeep TJ Rubicon 30-Spline Dana 44
Yukon # YA39601 4340 Chromoly Left Inner Axle for Jeep TJ Rubicon 30-Spline Dana 44
Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit, blackmagicbrakes.com
Pro Comp # 1069-6885 16x8 polished aluminum wheels with 5x5.5” lug pattern, 4” backspace, 108mm center bore, new extended thread acorn bulge lug nuts.
My BFG MT 35x12.50 spare tire was 7 ½ years old and worn, not worth remounting on a new 5x5.5 wheel, so I took this opportunity to replace it with a Maxxis Bighorn MT-762 LT255/85R16 “semi-pizza cutter” which at 33.3” in diameter and 10.1" in section width is close enough to the 34.5” diameter of my “metric 35” Mickey Thompsons and substantially lighter and less bulky than my old spare.
Work performed by:
Tony Huff
Action Axle, Suspension & Brake, Redding CA
Technical Assistance:
Blaine Johnson, Black Magic Brakes
Promotional Considerations:
None. No discounted or free products and/or services were requested. All products were purchased in bona fide third party arm's length transactions with no promises of publicity or favorable mention.
Photos:
This is an install report for my new Yukon manual hub conversion and Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit. It isn’t intended to be a “how-to” because the instructions that come with the kits and the relevant sections in the Factory Service Manual explain the procedures better than I can. Besides, I had the luxury of having one of the best gear, axle and brake professionals in the North State region of California do the work so it would seem disingenuous to explain how to do something he did.
Many of you have watched with interest as I addressed the vibration/harmonic that developed in the front end at higher speeds after I re-geared my ’06 LJ Rubicon 4 speed auto from 4.88 to 5.38. Rotating and rebalancing the tires did nothing, a new Tom Wood front driveshaft didn’t cure it, nor did an alignment or adjusting the front pinion angle. However, removing the front driveshaft eliminated the vibration completely so it was almost universally agreed that the sure but expensive fix would be a conversion to manual hubs. See: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ations-after-re-gear-to-4-88-or-deeper.12218/
I’m an old school guy. Except for the ZJ I once owned and my current LJ, my jeeps have always had manual hubs. What I have never had is the patience to fiddle with front pinion angles for hours on end in the pursuit of some illusory sweet spot that might or might not tone the vibrations down to an acceptable buzz. The decision was clear: Convert my front Dana 44 axle to manual hubs.
In the thread linked at the end of this paragraph the discussion focused on the relative merits of the various manual hub options currently on the market. From that discussion and my own research, I concluded that the two best are the Yukon YA-WU-08 kit which requires changing to the 5x5.5 lug pattern, and the Yukon YA-WU-07 kit which uses the Warn hub design for the Ford Explorer and retains the TJ 5x4.5 lug pattern but widens the track ¾” per side. See: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ng-a-manual-locking-hub-conversion-kit.16093/
After consultation with @mrblaine at blackmagicbrakes.com regarding the concerns I had about the smaller Explorer hub kit, and being assured that my concerns were largely unfounded, I decided to go with the Yukon YA-WU-07 5x4.5 kit so that I would not need to buy new wheels. Ironically, the very next day I received a camelcamelcamel.com price alert for Amazon’s second lowest price on record for the larger YA-WU-08 5x5.5 manual hub conversion kit. Being a sucker for a good deal, and the price discount being more than the price for five new wheels and a new spare tire, I made a 180 degree change in direction and bought the 5x5.5 kit.
The Yukon YA WU-08 manual hub conversion kit comes with everything you need including 4340 chromoly outer shafts, Timken bearings, 5-760X axle u-joints, modified CJ rotors, premium locking hubs, etc. The instructions included with the kit are comprehensive and well written.
I elected to install 4340 chromoly 30-spline inner axle shafts as part of this project since there would be no additional installation charge when done at the same time as the hub conversion. The rotors and calipers need to be removed as part of the hub conversion so I also elected to replace the stock parts with the Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit from BlackMagicBrakes.com. I needed better braking anyway because the factory brakes are marginal on an LJ as it is, I tow an offroad trailer on occasion, and I want/need as much braking power as I can get to stop that additional weight.
I am pleased to report that the hub conversion has been completed without undue complication and the vibrations that commenced after my re-gear to 5.36 are now completely gone. I can drive 80 mph on the Interstate with one finger on the wheel and the ride is smooth as glass. Well maybe not smooth as glass, but really smooth. How do we know that it was the hubs that “fixed” the vibrations? We don’t. What we know is that the hubs solved the problem because the vibrations cannot be felt when the hubs are disengaged and when the hubs are engaged the vibrations return at the same high speeds with the same character and intensity as before the hubs were installed.
My opinion of the Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit is that it is muy bueno y tal vez incluso excelente. Even during the first cycle of pad break-in the improvement over stock is substantial. If reports are true that braking performance continues to improve through successive break-in cycles these brakes will indeed be something to write home about. However, despite some of the best instructions I have seen, the installation was not quite seamless. The rotors @mrblaine supplied to mate with the Yukon hubs needed some minor additional machining to perfect the fit and after some telephone consultation when the hubs wouldn't play nice with the rotors it was decided that a spacer would be required to deal with the issue created by the Yukon hub. @mrblaine overnighted the additional parts, which are unnecessary if one is installing the big brake kit on a jeep with the factory unit bearings. In the scheme of things these were very minor hiccups and not unexpected considering that mating the Vanco kit to the Yukon hubs is custom work.
All in all, it has been a successful winter project.
Vehicle:
2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Rubicon Edition
4.0L Engine
42RLE 4-Speed Automatic Transmission
NV241OR 4:1 transfer case
Dana 44 Front Axle with Factory Locker
Dana 44 Rear Axle with Factory Locker
5.38 Axle Gear Ratio
315/75R16 Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3 “metric 35” tires
Parts and Part numbers:
Yukon # YA-WU-08 manual hub conversion kit
Yukon # YA W39602 4340 Chromoly Right Inner Axle for Jeep TJ Rubicon 30-Spline Dana 44
Yukon # YA39601 4340 Chromoly Left Inner Axle for Jeep TJ Rubicon 30-Spline Dana 44
Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit, blackmagicbrakes.com
Pro Comp # 1069-6885 16x8 polished aluminum wheels with 5x5.5” lug pattern, 4” backspace, 108mm center bore, new extended thread acorn bulge lug nuts.
My BFG MT 35x12.50 spare tire was 7 ½ years old and worn, not worth remounting on a new 5x5.5 wheel, so I took this opportunity to replace it with a Maxxis Bighorn MT-762 LT255/85R16 “semi-pizza cutter” which at 33.3” in diameter and 10.1" in section width is close enough to the 34.5” diameter of my “metric 35” Mickey Thompsons and substantially lighter and less bulky than my old spare.
Work performed by:
Tony Huff
Action Axle, Suspension & Brake, Redding CA
Technical Assistance:
Blaine Johnson, Black Magic Brakes
Promotional Considerations:
None. No discounted or free products and/or services were requested. All products were purchased in bona fide third party arm's length transactions with no promises of publicity or favorable mention.
Photos:
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