4WD Hubs - Please Advise

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mjanderle

mjanderle

10 Year
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Threads
46
Messages
175
Location
Madison, WI
My friend has a 1989 Toyota pickup he just picked up. Unfortunately, the owners manual is long gone.

His question :

"Can I leave the front hubs engaged at all times for easy access into and out of 4WD during the winter months? With the front hubs engaged, are there any speed limitations that should be taken into consideration?"

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
MJA
 
I'd say no. Man up. Get out of the truck and lock in the hubs when it's needed. Also your fuel economy will suffer.
 
I don't leave mine locked all winter, but I do lock them up if I'm going to need them - say on a particularly snowy day.
 
Well I think that the hubs could stay locked and would be fine, but I would only leave them locked in when he thought he might be using them. If you are up in the Mtns or see a lot of snow and will be in and out of 4x4 alot then sure leave them locked in.

The only real issue is added wear and drive line drag from the front end being engaged all the time which will kill his fuel economy. His turning radius will also be less because the CV's will bind up quicker then when they are unlocked.
 
Does the 89 not have full time hubs or were they swapped to manual on your friends truck.
 
Its fine to leave them locked. Not every toyota came with locking hubs, lots came with just a plate that keeps it locked all the time.

All it does is connects your wheel to your CV shaft. The differential is disconnected from the front drive shaft when in 4wd.

All that you will notice is about 1MPG less mileage and shorter CV life (not really since there is no power going through them, but they will wear out quick if the boots are ripped or your have a lift done with a large CV angle).

I leave mine locked all winter. Im not jumping out and locking/unlocking my hubs 3 times a day when there is no point.
 
Dieseler said:
Does the 89 not have full time hubs or were they swapped to manual on your friends truck.
Click to expand...

i think the auto versus manual hubs was a option . even on some of the third gens?
 
Sorry. That should read

"The differential is disconnected from the front drive shaft when in 2wd"

How do you edit a post on this forum?
 
Look for the edit button in the bottom right, click on it and proceed with your correction. The OP asked if he could leave the hubs locked, not if he should. Depending on the circumstances, the answer to the latter question may be yes or no. For a truck in Madison, WI I'd say it'd be a lazy option to take.

Regarding the auto vs. manual hub question, does anyone know if there's a difference in the brake rotors used on these options?
 
raboyto2 said:
"The differential is disconnected from the front drive shaft when in 2wd"
Click to expand...

This is only true if you have the ADD system.

They did make some base-model trucks with manual hubs, no ADD. In this case, when the hubs are locked, the front driveshaft is spinning all the time as well. So, if your driveshaft is slightly out of balance or if you've installed a lift of any type to change the geometry, then you can get some significant vibrations from the front driveshaft at highway speed.

If this truck originally had drive plates and someone installed manual hubs, then locking them will essentially restore the functionality and mode of the ADD setup. So, there should be no down side to leaving the hubs locked, as this is how it was when it left the factory. This is also assuming the front suspension is still stock (no cranked t-bars, ball joint spacers, etc).
 
89GASHOG said:
Regarding the auto vs. manual hub question, does anyone know if there's a difference in the brake rotors used on these options?
Click to expand...

No difference. And, to be clear, the DID NOT PUT "Auto" hubs on these trucks. Only drive plates that locked the CV shafts to the wheel hubs. Fortunately those terrible "Automatic" hubs didn't last long.
 
KLF said:
They did make some base-model trucks with manual hubs, no ADD.
Click to expand...

I did not know this. I assumed toyota fitted all the early IFS with ADD. Or is this where the push button 4wd button comes into play to differentiate the two systems?


89GASHOG said:
Look for the edit button in the bottom right, click on it and proceed with your correction.
Click to expand...

Thats usually what it is, but its not showing me a edit button when I am logged in for my posts. I can only quote myself, like everyone elses post.
 
My 86 4 runner was a automatic trans 22 re motor. manual hub truck now its got a 5 speed in it. its got roll up windows manual locks ac and a digital clock. and idtiot lights for oil pressure lol .
 
Interesting, I thought most of the early (pre 90-91ish) trucks and 4runners had manual hubs. I have a 90 pickup deluxe model with manual hubs and an 88 V6 auto SR5 4runner with manual hubs, but almost every 2nd gen 4runner I see has the ADD flanges.
 
raboyto2 said:
Thats usually what it is, but its not showing me a edit button when I am logged in for my posts. I can only quote myself, like everyone elses post.
Click to expand...

The edit button should show up on the far left, the other 3 are the same logged in or out, the edit is just a 4th that shows up when logged in. If it isn't there and you are logged in you might try and PM one of the Mods to make sure your account is fully active. It may also have something to do with your post count but I don't remember.
 
jynx said:
The edit button should show up on the far left, the other 3 are the same logged in or out, the edit is just a 4th that shows up when logged in. If it isn't there and you are logged in you might try and PM one of the Mods to make sure your account is fully active. It may also have something to do with your post count but I don't remember.
Click to expand...

Yea its not there. Ill give it a few more posts before I PM someone. Thats weird it doesnt allow editing, but allows picture posts.

"We must stop the noobs from fixing their grammar!"
 
Should look like this. Top set is from someone else's post - with just the reply and quote buttons. Bottom set is from my post - edit button added.
Edit.webp
 
Probably to keep spammers from putting up a "legit" post and then going back and adding links and such to it later for the Google hits and such.
 
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