locked hubs on freeway?

[72chevyk10]

as you know, the bad weather season is coming. im wondering if its ok to keep the hubs locked with the x-fer case in 2wd while going 60mph? (info is for truck in sig.) will it hurt anything doing this? axle bearings, u joints, etc.?

[Blazer1970]

No, it wont hurt a thing. If you really have a 203 t-case, you shouldn't even have lockouts.

[Thealien]

On all my older manual hub vehicles that were daily drivers I used to lock the hubs at the beginning of winter and unlocked them in the spring. You could possibly wear some parts faster? I always kept my stuff maintaned and never had a problem. Someone else may have a different opinion?

[Dieselwrencher]

The only thing it will hurt is fuel mileage. If you have a NP203, hopefully someone has installed the part time kit in it so your drive line doesn't spin with the hubs unlocked. Since you plan on running the lock outs locked in, just double check all of your fluids to make sure they are full and not full of debris, or really old. You also might give your u-joints a once over to make sure there aren't any loose ones or anything strange. With the lock outs locked in during normal driving every day, you could start to see wear in these items fast because they aren't used to be turning a lot every day. Not really a big deal. Some of the newer trucks front drive lines are turning all the time, Dodges mainly 02 and up.

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by Blazer1970

No, it wont hurt a thing. If you really have a 203 t-case, you shouldn't even have lockouts.

as far as i know its a 203. and it doesnt engage unless the stick is in 4wd..

Originally Posted by Thealien

On all my older manual hub vehicles that were daily drivers I used to lock the hubs at the beginning of winter and unlocked them in the spring. You could possibly wear some parts faster? I always kept my stuff maintaned and never had a problem. Someone else may have a different opinion?

ok thats good to know. im pretty good at keeping the ol' truck maintained

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

The only thing it will hurt is fuel mileage. If you have a NP203, hopefully someone has installed the part time kit in it so your drive line doesn't spin with the hubs unlocked. Since you plan on running the lock outs locked in, just double check all of your fluids to make sure they are full and not full of debris, or really old. You also might give your u-joints a once over to make sure there aren't any loose ones or anything strange. With the lock outs locked in during normal driving every day, you could start to see wear in these items fast because they aren't used to be turning a lot every day. Not really a big deal. Some of the newer trucks front drive lines are turning all the time, Dodges mainly 02 and up.

good to know. yea last year i had to replace a couple of the front driveshaft u joints. the rest of them seemed good and tight. ill check all of them again though

[Mike C]

The original T-case in a '72 would be a 205. But running with the hubs locked and the shifter in 2 hi shouldn't be a problem. My Jimmy cratered the rearend nearly 30 years ago, and my dad drove it in front wheel drive for at least 6 months. Just pulled the driveshaft and kept on going until he had a replacement.

[LONGHAIR]

Your signature says Dana44 frt "factory locker".....I find that very hard to believe, especially with a 12 bolt and a clutch-type Posi in the rear.
What kind of differential is really in there?
If it really does have a true "Locker", as in Detroit (No-Spin), I would not run it with the hubs locked in in the road.
Buy running it w/o power coming to the gears from the driveshaft, it will "annoy the heck out of it". It would be clunking back and forth constantly. Every turn of the steering wheel would have it disengauging from one side to the other.

[swamp rat]

I agree with MikeC, My 72 has a NP205,

This is a pic of the NP205, look at the small plate in the center with the 3 bolts in it, the 203 is different, just crawl under and have a look.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/n...luck75/238.jpg

NP203:
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/atta...?postid=297530

[special-K]

GM didn't put lockers in fronts of 4wds,or rears of 1/2s at all.We need accurate into to answer the question.It doesn't hurt to leave hubs locked in if it isn't a locker.People only run lockers in the front of off road only rigs.And,even then,most don't.

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

Your signature says Dana44 frt "factory locker".....I find that very hard to believe, especially with a 12 bolt and a clutch-type Posi in the rear.
What kind of differential is really in there?
If it really does have a true "Locker", as in Detroit (No-Spin), I would not run it with the hubs locked in in the road.
Buy running it w/o power coming to the gears from the driveshaft, it will "annoy the heck out of it". It would be clunking back and forth constantly. Every turn of the steering wheel would have it disengauging from one side to the other.

yea. i made the sig a while ago.. and have since figured out its not a locker. its just a lockout. i forgot about that sorry bout the confusion.

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I agree with MikeC, My 72 has a NP205,

This is a pic of the NP205, look at the small plate in the center with the 3 bolts in it, the 203 is different, just crawl under and have a look.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/n...luck75/238.jpg

NP203:
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/atta...?postid=297530

ill look and see in the morning. i always thought the auto 4wd trucks had the 203 and the manual had the 205. guess im still learning

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by 72chevyk10

ill look and see in the morning. i always thought the auto 4wd trucks had the 203 and the manual had the 205. guess im still learning

My truck is a 350/350 and has the 205.

It also used to be the same color as yours so i'm a bit jelious, my step dad payed my uncle to paint it, he only painted the outside and not the inside, i hate half done paint jobs.

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

My truck is a 350/350 and has the 205.

It also used to be the same color as yours so i'm a bit jelious, my step dad payed my uncle to paint it, he only painted the outside and not the inside, i hate half done paint jobs.

oh. i guess i may have a 205 then haha.

yea its a great color, all the girls love it! but mine only looks good from about 20ft away though its got runs in the paint everywhere, couple rust spots.. and the passenger side has black primer all over it

[Stocker]

My '72 is also 350/350/205. More than 30 years ago I drove it through winter storms from N. Calif. to Kansas, and the hubs were locked in for hundreds of miles as I went in & out of 4WD. No issues then, in fact still no issues.

Well, I did replace the double cardan joints on the front driveshaft a few years back, but that's about it.... and they were original, so I got my money's worth out of them.

[swamp rat]

Ok so i'm not so jelious now i guess..

[CG]

I had no idea it was OK to run like this. Even though Ive had 4X4 Chevy trucks for at least the last 15 years I really don't know much about how the drive train works.

I'm not an avid four wheeler, I just like the extra pull when I need it. Definitely gotten me out of a jam more than once.

[special-K]

The original design for this type of 4wd was always locked in.Hubs to disengage for free wheeling were an after thought first made by the aftermarket.That's why they are called lock out hubs (or at least were for a few decades).There are listed as an option.U-joints,dbl cardons,and hubs wear out from lack of use...lube isn't spread around.

[CG]

Originally Posted by special-K

The original design for this type of 4wd was always locked in.Hubs to disengage for free wheeling were an after thought first made by the aftermarket.That's why they are called lock out hubs (or at least were for a few decades).There are listed as an option.U-joints,dbl cardons,and hubs wear out from lack of use...lube isn't spread around.

Interesting stuff to know thanks. I figured worst case scenario I have a complete extra set of NOS hub assembly's for my 71 K20 that I never used just in case I end up forking stuff up lol.

[72chevyk10]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Ok so i'm not so jelious now i guess..

[72chevyk10]

ok from the pics that swamp rat posted it IS a 205. i never knew how to tell haha. just took it for a drive around the block with the hubs locked and no noise. checked 4hi and low and both work properly. thanks all for all the help!

[SeventyOne]

In the owners manual it actually says to lock in the hubs while in 2wd from time to time to ensure front end lubrication.

[nickp51chevy]

this is good to know I was thinking about this a while ago. I didn't want to have to get in and out to lock and unlock my hubs. Thanks for all the info.

[raycow]

Originally Posted by SeventyOne

In the owners manual it actually says to lock in the hubs while in 2wd from time to time to ensure front end lubrication.

Wouldn't it do as well to just shift into 4WD every now and then, and leave the hubs unlocked?

Ray

[special-K]

Originally Posted by raycow

Wouldn't it do as well to just shift into 4WD every now and then, and leave the hubs unlocked?

Ray

No.The whole idea of hubs in "Free" is to disengage from the axle.The point is to spread the lube in the outer hubs around,so the hubs need to be engaged.