I get to 4x4 my way home tonight...

[Doc]

No front wheels spin when the above method is employed, actually I tried that earlier, used a curb as a line lock and only the rear's turned

The hubs have always been difficult to turn, I always have to use a cresent wrench to get enough leverage to turn them, never able to turn it by hand. Does this suggest frozen hubs?

Is there a simple way to free them without a complete front axle re-build?

 

[Doc]

Side note: If I've never had 4wd, then apparently the cruiser does pretty darn well off road in 2wd!

 

[lovetoski]

Doc,

It sounds like your locking mechanism might be gummed up. If so, it's an easy fix, nothing complicated. If you have the FSM, check page FA6. You need to remove the Frewheel hub, cone washers are the only difficult part, and that's not too tough. You likely just need to remove the hub cover and body, clean everything, relube, and replace.

My 60 has siped M/T's and is unstoppable in ice/snow. I don't drive very agressively, but I always get there. There is a noticable difference between 2W and 4W.

I love it when it snows...too bad we have nothing in the mtns here in the NW.

 

[Sporin]

4wd sure doens't make you immune to swapping ends.

Anyway, sounds like you might have a 4WD issue, but I just wanted to say that regardless, even in 4WD, a spin is certainly possible, and in fact, probably if things are really icy.

 

[Doc]

I found the pics/diagrams in the FSM I have, looks simple enough. The hardest part about it will be talking myself into doing it in the driveway, when it's -4 degrees outside.

I might just end up paying a mechanic for this one. Too damn cold to be outside with cold tools.

 

[tclndcrz]

it sounds like you just need to rebuild your hubs to me. ive done it before and its not that hard.

you said it grinded when shifting into 4wd... i always put my tranny in neutral before i shift to 4wd otherwise it grinds.

 

[Doc]

The owners manual says you can shift into 4hi while moving, at any speed, without depressing the clutch.

So that's why I did it.

I'm nearly sure the hubs are just gummed up to the point where they aren't working. Now I have to decide wether or not to do it myself.

 

[82-SOA-60]

The owners manual says you can shift into 4hi while moving, at any speed, without depressing the clutch.

So that's why I did it.

I have been told more than once it is ok to bump it into 4hi when going less than 5 mph.

 

[87CRUSR]

I usually shift to 4x4 when moving very slowly (4hi) or from a stop (4lo) as it seems to cut down on the "grinding".

 

[Civil1]

I can shift into 4wd moving less than 15mph without grinding. I did my hubs when I repacked my wheel bearings, just doing the hubs should not take that long.

 

[60wag]

If everything is working properly, shifting from 2hi to 4hi won't grind because the front shaft will be turning at the same speed as the rear shaft. Going from 4hi to 4low is a whole different story. You should be stopped unless you want to add metal shavings to the oil in the tcase.

Doing the hubs is an easy job - even easier if its in a garage out of the weather. You shouldn't need to pop the cone washers. Just remove the cap with the 6 tiny bolts and the whole thing will slide out. If its incorrectly assembled or broken, some parts may fly off, so extract it slowly. Take it in the house and let it warm up. You can twist the knob and watch the spline thingy move. If it feels bound up then disassemble and clean until it works smoothly. When you reinstall it on the truck, smear some grease in the splines of the hub housing. You shouldn't need a wrench to turn it.

 

[boerboel313]

What's the theory on driving with the hubs locked while the 4hi or 4low is not engaged?
I do know that you can engage the 4low or hi while in 2 wheel drive while on dirt roads and such will help with the traction and decent.

 

[Doc]

Driving with the hubs locked will not cause any problems other than perhaps slightly worse gas milage. You SHOULD lock your front hubs and drive that way at least once a month to keep the front diff lubed up.

Also, do NOT engage any kind of 4wd while the hubs are not locked, apparently it does damage to the hubs (I'm hoping mine are not damaged).

 

[Civil1]

Doc,
I have never heard that putting it in 4hi or 4low without the hubs locked would cause any problems. I could be wrong someone else needs to chime in about this one. I have used 4low without the hubs locked to go slow thru Christmas light displays so I didn't have to keep clutching it. Hope I didn't screw anything up, I have done this many times in the past for different things and everything still works ok, but if it is causing some unseen damage than I'll stop doing it. Anyone else know anything about this?

 

[Doc]

I remember some one posting on here that they loaned their truck to someone who wheeled in 4wd with the hubs un-locked, and they ended up replacing the hubs, for the life of me I can't remember who that was....

I'll check the owners manual on my way home tonight (in 2wd. ).

 

[toy60]

Doc Ive had a lot of 4WDs (This is my first cruiser) and none of my vehicles have required a wrench to engage the hubs. Fingers have always worked fine. Mind you we dont have much snow here in Aus so I can't comment on the operation below freezing, but, if I had to use a wrench on my hubs I would be looking inside to see whats wrong.

 

[Doc]

I guess that was my mistake then, assuming the amount of force needed was normal. Hubs it is.

 

[75pinz]

driving

with the hubs engaged is fine in 2wd. Driving in low with the hubs disengaged is fine as long as you realize that you are doubling or tripling the torque available to the rear axle only and could break something if you are stupid about it. There is no reason why you can't drive with the hubs locked all winter. Aside from wear and tear and fuel mileage. That's why you have a lever in the cab to select 4x4 if you want it. I think this is precisely the reason most new trucks have automatic axle disconnect or permanent AWD.

 

[Doc]

You know, it's amazing what a little bit of lube will do. (that applies to many areas of life).

After cleaning and smearing an appropriate amount of Moly-lube in thsoe springs/clutch/pawls last night I could hear the clutch sliding back and forth as I locked and un locked the hubs. This morning I locked the hubs, and then dumped the tranny in 2hi, got rear wheel spin. Put the transfer in 4hi and dumped the clutch again, this time I got some nice forward progress! Looks like 4x4 is back!

 

[Doc]

PS, I did confirm that the owners manual DOES say to NOT engage 4hi without the hubs being locked. Does not say why, but it is clear on that point.