80 series part time 4wd to full time 4wd (1 Viewer)

[mikeys cruiser]

hey everyone i brought a 95 80 series. someone started with a part time 4wd kit by doing the hubs and go knows what else. im hoping to get it back to full time 4wd but dont know what i need. if someone could shed some light on what i have gotten myself into that would be great. oh and when i unlock the hubs their is no drive in low or high. it only drives when the hubs are locked. help would be great. thankyou in advace

 

[ajordan1975]

drive flanges in place of the locking hubs on the front wheels, and a viscous coupler in the case will get you back to awd.

 

[-Spike-]

drive flanges in place of the locking hubs on the front wheels, and a viscous coupler in the case will get you back to awd.

This is likely incorrect. Possibly, depending on what was or wasn't done. The VC is not needed, but might be desired depending on your circumstances. Many people take them out, including Toyota in LC's that use essentially the same transfer case after 1997.

OP- you will get some guidance by searching for part time conversion threads. Usually the center diff is modified, if they did it right. You might consider swapping your t-case and other parts with someone who wants a part-time conversion.

 

[mikeys cruiser]

I haven’t pulled it apart yet but when I unlock the hubs and try and drive normal their is nothing like it’s in nautral

 

[QuackAxel]

Sounds like they didn't do anything to the tcase... If it only drives with the hubs locked, I'm sure they just put selectable hubs on it. Don't know why you would do that. Poor man's part time kit? Gets some new hub flanges and gaskets, throw them in and see what happens.

 

[sunrk]

You can make any 80 a 'full time 4wd' the simple way by replacing Aisin hubs with drive flanges and always running the transfer case in H4. But this will probably kill the transfer case using 4wd mode continually on-road.

hf1a is the standard transfer case in factory part-time 80's. Factory full-time 4wd 80's use the hf2a.

 

[mikeys cruiser]

I have the Alison hubs in wanting to put it back to factory full time 4wd and does anyone know how the diffs lock in as well I push the factory button to lock them but it does nothing I will be checking wires and fuses today I will keep everyone posted on my progress the more information the better wanting to get as much as I can before I start tearing everything apart

 

[-Spike-]

I think those of us in the United States may have missed a key factoid under the OP's avatar there...

Mikey, are you sure your truck ever had full-time 4wd? As @sunrk alluded, it might have come from the factory without it. If so, something else could be wrong with it.

 

[Feistl]

Kinda sounds like the previous owner fitted the front locking hubs without changing the transfer case, in which case you could just lock the hubs and effectively have full time AWD.

Generally when you convert to part time you remove the centre diff and fit with a “spool” which always sends power to the rear wheels. When you engage the centre diff lock it also sends power to the front wheels. But if you unlock the hubs and don’t have drive, that MUST mean there is still a centre differential as power is going to the front hence no drive.

You could replace the hubs with flanges, but I kinda wouldn’t bother until you rebuild the front hubs or change disk rotors or something.

To confirm, find some gravel to drive on and do tight circles and see if any of the wheels are hopping… if not you are good to go

 

[mikeys cruiser]

I think those of us in the United States may have missed a key factoid under the OP's avatar there...

Mikey, are you sure your truck ever had full-time 4wd? As @sunrk alluded, it might have come from the factory without it. If so, something else could be wrong with it.

It was full time factory 4wd it says it on the side and manual and year model when it came out and vin aswell

 

[sunrk]

I've driven my 80 with the rear shaft removed, h4 on transfer, and aisin hubs engaged when I had rear diff centre problems a lot of years ago. Drove fine. Just had to remember it was 'front wheel drive' when I was getting to/from where I lived off-road at the time.

There's no CDL in mine as it's factory part time with hf1a transfer case.