drive plate

[Cpt. Kirk]

Morning folks, I'm going with the general consensus and keeping the Longfield birfs, but some of you guys mentioned I needed a drive plate or flange to make the longer cromoly birf fit, is this drive plate your refering to the brake backing plate? or something else?.
thanks

 

[woody]

it's the plate that is first removed from the outside of the spindle, 6 bolts, about 3-1/2" round or so, and fits over the splines of the end of the birfield itself.

Once you order 2 of them from cruiserdan, it will be obvious...lol

 

[landtank]

Might have to even remove 6 nuts to get it off.

 

[clownmidget]

Capt, I've gathered from you other post that you are most likely better off with the drive plates but for others facing this issue it is also an opportunity to use front lock out hubs. These are pretty easily sourced in very good condition for $50 or less. Again, just an option and as ohters have pointed out on the longfield thread the forces will likely push failures to other components so it might be nice to have the lock out hubs if on a trail.
Mike

 

[woody]

I'm new to this whole 80 thing...but....

lockout hubs means you'd also have to install either a manual-type transfer case (not a fulltime viscous one) and/or do the CDL switch addition so you can lock the t-case and remove the front shaft should you have front drivetrain issues.

IMO, way more effort and expense than plates, and I believe those are cheaper anyways ($30 ea?) versus $100+ for lockouts.....

 

[clownmidget]

Woody, with the lock out hubs your front wheel could still theoretically rotate if you had some bad front drivetrain issue. With just the drive plates you are going to have to sit tight. In this scenario you could free hub your front wheels, drop the front driveshaft, lock the cdl and at least get off the trail. Whether that's way more effort and expense is most likely condition-dependent but some would choose that option, that's all.

And it looks like the driveplates were quoted at $35 each so that's why I posted the price for the hubs. I've seen them regularly for between $25 and $50 in pretty great shape so that makes them a really affordable option. I just wish they were "designed" to be the "weak" link. How enviable is it to just swap out a pretty cheap lock out hub versus a broken birf, axle shaft, r&p?

 

[photogod]

I may be way off base here but you need to tear into the transfer case and install some other goodies to be able to use locking hubs on a full time 4 drive or as was mentioned by woody, install another type transfer case. I think Man-A-Fre had the set up and it was $500+.

 

[clownmidget]

check here for explanation
(https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=20845&highlight=hubs)

 

[Big_Moose]

Photogod:

The "locking / free-wheelingj" hub completes the same function as a drive plate when locked. Depending upon the component that breaks, they really won't provide much benefit, but just another option as the CMidget mentions

MAF - kit converted the non-viscous coupling transfer case to a part time transfer case, converting the full time 4WD, 91-92 FJ80 into part-time.