Serviceable Lock Out Hubs

[randyn]

News!



First, when we get this project far enough along I will post to a "group buy" subject line to make sure we follow TDR's guidlines. The members don't want to be beseiged w/ bogus group buy posts that are really advertisments.



Good News! Dynatrac has indicated they think this is very do-able. They want to persue the project. They are even reffering queries about hubs, that they get to the TDR website! A big initial order is very good for a manufacturer.



Bad News! This isn't going to happen fast, but it looks like it is going to happen (barring unforseens). Dynatrac is really busy this time of year (ie. Easter Jeep Safari etc. ) The next phase will be after April.



We probably won't know a price until they build the prototype and see how many people commit on the initial order.



I need a member in the Huntington Beach, CA. area who can arrange to leave their truck for 2-4 days w/ Dyantrac to PM me to arrange this for the next phase (measurments/molds). Our member that took his truck in for the first look uses it as daily driver & leaving it that long is a problem for him.



Some Perspective: These hubs are only for people that need/want them.

If I didn't plan on hard/heavy/wet 4x4 w/ my truck and didn't plan on keeping it a long time I probably wouldn't be wanting these hubs. I happen to think they will pay for themselves over the long haul (long... ..... ) Gas mileage and repairs (long haul) will cost the way these stock hubs are made. Net present value, maybe not, unless you're a long way from civilization & break down. I like the way my '84 Land Cruiser's hubs work, locked and un-locked. Simple and reliable and being able to re-pack the bearings after being in water is good in my book.



More Later!



RandyN

 

[XcumminsX]

cool

 

[GHanna]

I sure would be interested. About all D/C did for us was allow the front drivetrain to be disconnected at the transfer case so we could go around corners on dry pavement. Pretty cheap if you ask me... ... ... . and wasteful.

 

[fencebuilders]

Bring it on.

 

[randyn]

DRenegar,



Oops, hit tab by mistake. Anyway, please check your pms. I'm trying go get in touch w/ you.



Thanks,



RandyN

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

One thing you might want to mension to them is to check and see if the Dually application would take something different then the Single wheel?

 

[Don-T]

I am also interested but I have a dually too.

 

[rmcnamee]

I'm still interested. As for a dually, it should be no different than a single front wheel set-up. From what I understand, the factory front hubs are identical, with the exception being the duallys use a bolt on spacer. This spacer bolts to the outside face of the hub to accommodate the front dually wheels.

 

[bpenrod]

Count me in if they come up with something!

 

[Fitasc]

I'm in!



JAH

 

[randyn]

Update!



Like I metioned in a previous post, this will end up being a long term project. If I had to guess, I think it will be something on the order of 6 mo. before we would have hubs available. It could be longer.

 

[randyn]

Oops, hit wrong button.



More Update!



The good news is that Dynatrac seems much more interested in this project now than when I first contacted them. After taking a look at one of our members trucks, and allready having a Super Duty kit in the works, they think that the major components will work w/ different machining. ie. different bolt pattern on the spindle. I hope they are right. That would probably speed things up a lot. They are in the process of finishing up w/ their Super Duty project and will start ours right after that. "These are our priorities now. "

I will post updates as I have more info.



RandyN

 

[randyn]

Update.



Like I said before, this is going to take a while.....

Dynatrac is having some problems in connection w/ the foundry they are getting parts from. Not sure what problem, but bottom line is that it is going to delay our progress. Current status is that I check back in couple of weeks or he will call me when they are ready for our members truck.



More when info available.



RandyN

 

[smithinc]

i would love to have the manual lock out hubs.



count me in, gary

 

[bighammer]

I'd be into it if the price (and timing of it) is right.

 

[GWoody]

Yup, count me in too, I bet that would help fuel mileage on this guzzling 600.

 

[JPereira]

I'm interested in these if the price is not to high. The MPG and wear saving may offset the cost. Any current idea of time frame for these?

 

[WStoops]

Count; me in too. We NEED these.

 

[John - K5AWO]

Anyone ever made a calculation on what the friction losses are by running the driveline full time?



How much improvement in fuel economy can be expected.



I have to make comparisons with my son's 98. 5 3500 2x4 DRW w/4. 10s, we both get about the same MPG ( 15. 5-16. 0 ). We have not yet made a long trip with both trucks to get equivalent load/mpg comparisons. But on a day to day metro commute that we both do, it isn't all that much different.



My truck is heavier what with the front axle and transfer case. His truck is loaded all the time with mechanic tools, jacks, chains, etc... We figure that we are about the same weight most of the time.



Also, my truck is about six inches taller and catches more wind??



Comments?

 

[thejeepdude]

Originally posted by John - K5AWO

Anyone ever made a calculation on what the friction losses are by running the driveline full time?



How much improvement in fuel economy can be expected.

Don't count on a lot of savings. I took the front driveshaft out of my Jeep a couple weeks ago to get it rebalanced and I decided to track MPG to see if it really made all that much difference... nope, zip, nada... granted, having the disconnect at the hubs would save a slight bit more friction than taking out the shaft, but that would be more than made up for by the fact that the small amount of drag reduced represents a smaller % of total load on our trucks than in does in my Jeep... so anyways, I'd expect <1mpg, but that's OK, I'm still interested... I want em!