Hubs

[LSSwapped85]

What are the pros and cons to leaving your hubs locked in for winter? I live in utah and it can get pretty bad pretty quick here. Jus wanna know if I’ll damage or ruin anything by leaving them locked in when the bad weather arrives. Thanks in advance

 

[Grit dog]

Seeing as it’s an 1865 GMC I’d treat it as if it was pretty fragile….157 years old is OLD! Lol
But assuming it’s actually a 1985, there’s nothing that will be inherently damaged running in 2wd with the hubs locked in.
There’s millions of solid axle trucks out there with no locking hubs and/or no center axle disconnect.
My only reservation, being an old truck, not 1865 old but nonetheless, would be increased west on the front diff and axle and driveshaft u joints.
If the u joints are old, high mile or unknown age/mileage, you’ve got an increased chance of toasting one or more of them.

 

[LSSwapped85]

Seeing as it’s an 1865 GMC I’d treat it as if it was pretty fragile….157 years old is OLD! Lol
But assuming it’s actually a 1985, there’s nothing that will be inherently damaged running in 2wd with the hubs locked in.
There’s millions of solid axle trucks out there with no locking hubs and/or no center axle disconnect.
My only reservation, being an old truck, not 1865 old but nonetheless, would be increased west on the front diff and axle and driveshaft u joints.
If the u joints are old, high mile or unknown age/mileage, you’ve got an increased chance of toasting one or more of them.

Ha! Thanks for catching that. I made my account a few days ago at 2 A.M Thanks for replying also, I think what I'll do is only lock them in if I know I'm gonna experience bad weather.

 

[74Blaze]

The other down-side is you'll get a little worse fuel mileage. That's part of the reason my '97 Grand Cherokee gets lousy fuel mileage. It was built with no locking Hubs so the front axle and drive shaft is always turning even in 2WD.

 

[Grit dog]

Yeah, it’s just me of those wouldn’t worry about it every time you shift it out of 4wd but no reason to leave them locked in if the roads are bare.

Almost gotta leave them locked in marginal conditions so you can go in and out of 4wd as needed.

 

[Memaloose]

Sometimes I'll leave the hubs locked on my '75 K/20 in 2WD. 90% of my driving this truck is off road, no asphalt. If it's bare dry pavement, I unlock the hubs. If it's just sitting or driving on wet or icy pavement, I'll leave them locked.

 

[Craig Nedrow]

My 73 K20 has the Warn hubs that turn almost one full turn to engage. I have a Dana44 with spartin lunch box locker in front. I have driven it locked in and in two wheel drive, and it drives the same on the hwy. When four wheel is engaged, you can really tell it is in, does not like dry asphalt in four, but up in the Cascades in Wa St. where I live, the improvement in traction is awesome. So far I have had zero problems locked, and in two wheel drive. Having said that I leave it out on everything but inclement weather, steep hills, or towing a load of hay up my drive.