Does Anyone Else Do Free Wheeling Hubs?

[toyota_mdt_tech]

Mine is a 2010, and the constantly rotating mass took out a factory axle joint at 42K, so I did the Spyntech free wheeling hub kit and upgraded to the Warn hubs; the best move I made.

I know the newer units went to the disconnecting axle to stop the carrier and front driveshaft from rotating, but axles are still always rotating.

I drilled out the hub caps with a 4 1/8" hole saw to fit the hub shaft perfectly.

It looks like it came from the factory with it.

There is another mfg, i.e., Dynatrak and Yukon; I did lots of research, and Spyntech, IMHO, was the easiest, the best bang for the buck, etc., and it uses all std Dana 60 bearings seals, etc.

If you have, what brand did you use?

What model/yr truck?

WarnHubs.jpg

WarnHubsClose.jpg

axle_joint.jpg

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[MrJay]

This is all very interesting.

I was looking at doing something like this after rebuilding my entire front end because of constant motion.

Did you ever run across the Ram Man manual locking hubs?

They have an upgrade to the warn hub, but those suckers are big money.

https://therammaninc.com/products/sh...rsion-Kits-151

Last winter, I had to replace the front axle, u-joints, bearings, and hubs and rebuild the driveline because prior owners did not do any maintenance, and I'm at 310k miles.

That got me thinking about manual hubs.

How do you like them so far?

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

This is all very interesting.

I was looking at doing something like this after rebuilding my entire front end because of constant motion.

Did you ever run across the Ram Man manual locking hubs?


They have an upgrade to the warn hub, but those suckers are big money.

https://therammaninc.com/products/sh...rsion-Kits-151

Last winter, I had to replace the front axle, u-joints, bearings, and hubs and rebuild the driveline because prior owners did not do any maintenance, and I'm at 310k miles.

That got me thinking about manual hubs.

How do you like them so far?

I know with my WARN hub upgrade I'm in it probably close to 2200 bucks.

RAM MAN INC is a cheesy way of doing it, but the result is the same.

When you look at the price of his kit only a few hundred bucks difference.

I looked at them all over and over and then again a few times Dynatrac is close to the same, but with Spyntech, I didn't have to drive in bearing races or press in all the studs.

Already done and for a few hundred less.

I like them; just knowing nothing is spinning that doesn't need to is nice.

Spyntech comes with a nice parts diagram; some list the Spyntech numbers, but I have penciled in all the Timken numbers and laminated it and carry the sheet with me if I never need a part on the road, the model application won't apply to me.

Now it will require a little check, repack and reset preload; I load mine up good with grease, so it last a long time; periodically check preload by seeing if I still have no wheel free play.

Had them in for 2 years so far.

RAM MAN is more money now; the exact kit I got was: https://www.genosgarage.com/product/...hub-conversion

They come with Mile Marker hubs. Have them swap you out for WARN; if they won't, go directly to Spyntechs site, also known as Solid Axle Inc or SAI: https://solidaxle.com/

$100 to upgrade to WARN hums to do it after another 250 bucks or more.

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

I just did another set today for a buddy 2015 RAM 3500/Aisin CCSB SRW 4WD; he has the tradesman model, which means he has a t case shifter and a steel-clad wheel; the alloys would not allow this kit to work.

He bought the Spyntech kit on my recommendations and got it with the better WARN hubs.

I started at 10 AM, broke for lunch, then finished at 5 PM.

3500hubsA.jpg

hubs3500B.jpg

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

This is all very interesting.

I was looking at doing something like this after rebuilding my entire front end because of constant motion.

Did you ever run across the Ram Man manual locking hubs?

They have an upgrade to the warn hub, but those suckers are big money.

https://therammaninc.com/products/sh...rsion-Kits-151

Last winter, I had to replace the front axle, u-joints, bearings, and hubs and rebuild the driveline because prior owners did not do any maintenance, and I'm at 310k miles.

That got me thinking about manual hubs.

How do you like them so far?

Personally, Sypyntech IMHO is the shizzle.

Ram Man uses a special hub, but same change to the axle, and the hub bearing is really the majority of the kit.

Its a simple design, cost is high now.

They do have a overall lower profile, ie not stick out as far, in fact, they may even be able to fun under the hub caps.

Downside, taking caps off to lock in, or cut hole and reach into the void to lock hub?

As long as I have all my specific tools, I went ahead and took mine apart to inspect, been 2 years, about 10-12K miles, all look solid, preload still perfect, grease still bright red and plentiful.

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

OK, we installed a minor update on my pal's hub set on his red 2015 RAM 3500.

He is 70 yrs old, has some bad arthritis in one hand, and struggled to turn the hub.

It's new, snug o-ring, and has a detent or a click at the ends, so he struggled to be more challenging when cold and in snow.

I told him I didn't want him using pliers and marring up that pretty finish, so I ordered a plastic bung wrench, came in Friday, got my cutoff wheel, and shaped it to fit his hub; I gauged it off mine as its the same setup.

Man, it turned out perfect.

Plastic hub wrenches come in different colors, and I ordered one to match his truck.

Turned out nice.

Toss in his console or glove box.

wrench3.jpg

wrench2.jpg

wrench1.jpg

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[shock88]

That’s great!

Good to see people helping people, and another bonus is having old-school style conical wheel bearings that are spread apart about 6” instead of the factory unit bearing with maybe a 2” spread; they always blow “keep it simple stupid” is better sometimes.

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

That’s great!

Good to see people helping people, and another bonus is having old-school style conical wheel bearings that are spread apart about 6” instead of the factory unit bearing with maybe a 2” spread; they always blow “keep it simple stupid” is better sometimes.

I drilled a hole in his handle, he is going to just put a loop of string/small rope through it, hang it on his 4WD shift knob (he has the tradesman model).

After he saw my spyntech kit and found out I have an absolutely shot LF axle joint at 42K easy miles, he wasnt going to sleep till we got his kit installed, so did it last weekend.

Yes, the spread between those bearings much wider, serviceable and I carry a laminated sheet with exploded view in the back of my storage pocket with all the common part numbers as we can no longer use a lookup by model anymore.

The Spyntech kit uses all standard Timken bearings and Chicago Rawhide (CR) seals or spicer parts.

I also have the special hub socket wrench and the goofy 9/64th or something like that T handle allen key for the hubs.

That space between bearings is super critical if you have changed wheel offset ie wider wheels will load the bearings much more ie forces not pushing straight up but now using the longer outward offset as a "lever" affect with a mechanical disadvantage for the bearings.

My rig is a 2010, so no axle disconnect, so all my stuff was turning all the time, while my pals was a 2015 with RH axle disconnect, but he wanted to stop that wear on his joints.

I may just get me a ADA compliant hub wrench made for me, I liked his so much.

Hey, at 62, not getting younger.

UPDATE: My ADA compliant hub wrench is coming, well, bung wrench, be a hub wrench when I am done with it.

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