Selectro Hubs???

[hydrogeo]

Just starting the build on my rust bucket 64 FJ40. The original axles currently have these funky Selectro hubs. Anybody heard of them, and if so are they worth saving? Also, I have a set of axles from a '73 55 that I plan to swap in. Am I correct that these are fine spline axles for which lockers and parts are more readily available?

Thanks

 

[Vicm]

It could be from a Jeep, 71 or prior, they use 6 studs to mount and it is 10 splined.

 

[taccruiser97]

IIRC, Selectro hubs were produced and sold by a company called Husky out of Longmont Colorado in the 70s and early 80s. The Selectro hubs were an alternative to Warn Hubs and were pretty well made. I had a set on my 48 CJ 2A I bought while in high school, along with a Husky soft top that had clear vinyl windows in the roof. Husky made pretty good stuff for Jeeps. I could be wrong but I think they made locking hubs for Scouts, FJ-40s, Bronco etc. Your Selectro hubs look exactly like mine on my CJ 2. Selectro hubs were also sold by Sears during that time period and I think they were sold as Sears locking hubs instead of Selectro, but I might be wrong on that. I don't know if Husky actually manufactured the hubs or were the middle man for some other manufacturer. I know the hubs were well built, and easy to lock and unlock in all conditions.

Whatever happened to the Husky company, I don't know if they were bought out or just went out of business. They were a good company and sold quality aftermarket stuff for Jeeps and other 4x4s made during that time period.

 

[79fj40moneypit]

I had them on my 75 never had trouble with them.

 

[Klunky Chris]

Just starting the build on my rust bucket 64 FJ40. The original axles currently have these funky Selectro hubs. Anybody heard of them, and if so are they worth saving? Also, I have a set of axles from a '73 55 that I plan to swap in. Am I correct that these are fine spline axles for which lockers and parts are more readily available?

Thanks

Selectro are found on cruisers. All the hubs back then were aftermarket options as the cruisers came with drive plates and no 'unlocking' option.

Your 73 FJ55 axle will have fine spline axles (where they go into the diff and birfield) but coarse spline birfs. They do have common parts available, but if you want to wheel hard you might want to go with later (IE: Stronger) fine spline birfs and Aisin lock out hubs. Your 73 axle will work with these as well though.

I'm no expert on the early (60's) axles so someone else will have to chime in on options

 

[missioncruiser]

I have them on my 76 FJ40 as well. They seem to turn fine and look easier to lock and unlock with gloves than the aisin or warn.

 

[MOfj40]

Selectros were a dealer installed hub, as stated above. Pretty common- I've got them on my 68. I've heard they are slightly less stout than Warns or Asins, but I"ve never had any problems with mine. On a 64 axle they are certainly not the weak link.

Someone else will chime in, but I think 64s had ball and claw joints instead of birfields?. I know you've got coarse splines throughout.

73 axles will have fine spline thirds. Lockers are readily available. Lock-Rite makes a locker for the coarse spline diffs, but breakage is much more likely. I wouldn't bother locking the 64 axles- they won't hold up for any length of time.

 

[Klunky Chris]

yes, the selectro's will probably be fine for you, but it all depends on how hard you're wheeling. That is hard to quantify over the electrons.

Do you WANT lockers? or are you just trying to figure out if you can get them or not? Many times, if someone wants lockers, it's because they're wheeling hard and are running out of traction. This might be too much for your selectro's, coarse birfs, or plain jane 64axles. (Or they might not give you a problem you never know!)

I've heard the selectro hubs called "ejectro's" before. Apparently they shoot off the hub under force when they break!


If you want lockers because your afraid of getting stuck in snow in the driveway, you probably don't have to worry. Lot's of stuff you can do before you need lockers though! And DON'T put one up front! (not until you've strengthened all the parts and installed GOOD POWER steering...

 

[LukeZero]

64s are most certainly ball and claw, coarse spline at hub end. Selectros are decent hubs and like stated above, NOT the weak link in an early 60s front axle. If you don't want them, I have a set of Warn Premium coarse spline hubs from my 64 front axle. PM me if interested.

 

[hydrogeo]

Thanks all for the info!!! I do know the '64 axles are the ball and claw style and that's why I got the pair out of the '73. The rig's drivetrain is a 350/TH350 mated to the stock 3spd t-case, so I have some concerns about the coarse spline rearend. Also, I have wheeled quite a bit with open diffs and this time around I am going to go with at least a rear locker. Jury is still out on the front end.

When I bought the rig the PO gave me two boxes of parts that he said include everything to do a swap to mini-truck knuckles and disc brakes. Are these the fine-spline birfields?

 

[hydrogeo]

Oh ya, one more thing. I also have a mid-70's Scout II saginaw power steering box and pump that at somepoint I plan to swap in.

 

[kbill45]

hubs

I bought an FJ40 and with it new in the box was a set of DUALMATIC SELECTIVE DRIVE HUBS from DUALMATIC PRODUCTS COMPANY -
Longmont, Colo. They look just like Selectromatics.

Do we have a mystery here

 

[Liam]

I have them on my 76 FJ40 as well. They seem to turn fine and look easier to lock and unlock with gloves than the aisin or warn.

missioncruiser is correct - I had them on my 76 40 and they were way more easy to turn than a warn, although, they didnt hold up very well and i ended up replacing them with warn.

 

[35inchoverdrive]

A pair of Selectros that are identical to the ones pictured came off of a '77 axle that I got my front discs from. After I completed the conversion on my '71, I was pulling the wheel off of one side and I hit the end of the hub. It wasn't particularly violent...I just bumped it, and the whole end broke off of the hub! Maybe it was a fluke, but I'm sure glad I got some different hubs before I got out in the rough stuff.

 

[taccruiser97]

I bought an FJ40 and with it new in the box was a set of DUALMATIC SELECTIVE DRIVE HUBS from DUALMATIC PRODUCTS COMPANY -
Longmont, Colo. They look just like Selectromatics.

Do we have a mystery here

Now that you bring this up, I think the Husky Selectro hubs were made by Dualmatic and sold through various vendors.

 

[PabloCruise]

I've heard the selectro hubs called "ejectro's" before. Apparently they shoot off the hub under force when they break!

Or I think they are called "Grenados" for the same reason...

I bought an FJ40 and with it new in the box was a set of DUALMATIC SELECTIVE DRIVE HUBS from DUALMATIC PRODUCTS COMPANY -
Longmont, Colo. They look just like Selectromatics.

Do we have a mystery here

I think they were also marketed under the name "Mile-Marker".

A pair of Selectros that are identical to the ones pictured came off of a '77 axle that I got my front discs from. After I completed the conversion on my '71, I was pulling the wheel off of one side and I hit the end of the hub. It wasn't particularly violent...I just bumped it, and the whole end broke off of the hub! Maybe it was a fluke, but I'm sure glad I got some different hubs before I got out in the rough stuff.

I had some on my '78 when I got it. I thought they were pretty cool because of the ease with which you can lock/unlock them. While someone else was wheeling my rig in Moab the long side one blew up. I inspected the carnage and the body that bolts to the brake hub was very light, very poor grade material. No comparison to the Aisin hub body...

 

[dfmorse]

H2O;

[Cute, huh]

Anyway; these are really good hubs. Have them on my 1979-80 FJ-40, dealer supplied.

Here are the weak points:

Dismantle and clean and re-grease with Amsoil heavy duty grease. At -10 degrees (F or C) , u'll know why.

Find new O-rings. This is hard to do. Look in the Yellow pages for o-ring , gasket, dealers. See them in person and explain what u are doing.

These are good hubs that will with stand a lot of abuse; unless u are going into heavy power, big tyres etc.

...

Also;

http://www.milemarker.com/hubs.html
http://scoutparts.com/products/?view=product&product_id=13729
...

 

[Klunky Chris]

When I bought the rig the PO gave me two boxes of parts that he said include everything to do a swap to mini-truck knuckles and disc brakes. Are these the fine-spline birfields?

if out of a mini then they should be

 

[MoCoNative]

I have Selectro hubs on my cruiser, as near as my dad, previous owner and I could figure, the first owner put them on. I still have the driveplates, but like to have hubs to save the wear and tear on the front end.

Personally, mine appear to be fairly well built, almost as good as Toyota hubs. I'm surprised that the base part exploded on you TJ. Mine say heavy duty and look very similar to yours, but my outside cap is bright chrome, and not a speck of discoloration on it, and the other part of the case is solid steel, very similar to an Aisin. So apparently at a later date they went to a cast aluminum or something, as mine are machined steel.

I'm repacking bearings and such right now, and took the hub off the passenger side and disassembled it right fast last night so I could the O ring out to take into the parts store for a replacement. The ramped, cam piece that screws to the ab is broken. I have already replaced the other side, as it was broken before. Too bad, the original piece is metal, pop metal of some sort, but metal, the replacement piece was plastic. Probably wont crack and break, but the plastic feels soft when you turn the hub to engage and disengage, probably will wear faster too.

Can you put newer Toyota hubs on a 73 FJ-40, do you just change the outer birf peice to fine spline and get the proper length hub, or does it entail a knuckle swap. Personally don't mind drum brakes, don't want to swap out evertyhing.

 

[cornholio]

Well what about these? Got a buddy that says they're selectros. Offa '65 40.