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Free Wheeling Hubs, Problem.

Don't drive in low ratio with them disengaged. High 4WD won't work with them disengaged either. Leaving them engaged at all times does no harm, and they should be driven engaged at least once a week.
 
no......you can put them in any time...BUT...when driving on normal roads, its best to have em out...for drag and the old fuel comsumption thingy...BUT...its also a good idea now and then to drive with them engaged on hard roads to loosen up.......:confused:
 
You can engage or dissengae your freewheel hub whenever you like. Tho with the vehicle stationary, otherwise you will run over your self!:D

Some people leave them permenantly locked so they dont have to bother locking them if they want to use wheel drive, but personally I unlock mine when driving on the road in 2 wheel drive as I run a gutless diesel, and running with them unlocked does seem to help her cruise a little easier.

Obviously they have to be locked if you want to use 4 wheel drive, otherwise yo uwill get no drive at the front whels/

Do you know how the free wheel hubs work??
 
If you do run with them unlocked for long periods on the road it is adviseable to lock them now and then to get the inards of the axcle turning to that the ball joints get lubricated to prevent them running dry.
 
Snagger said:
Don't drive in low ratio with them disengaged.
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why? only reason I can see is that you have more torque available int the rear to more like to snap hafl shafts?

It has been said on various foruns that driving in 3wd with them disengage will casue damage at the front - can't see how myself - anyone know? or is it the torque thing I've already stated.
 
Mine are engaged constantly.. Would take them off but can't be bothered to be honest :) Think they look better with them, rather than without!
 
02GF74 said:
why? only reason I can see is that you have more torque available int the rear to more like to snap hafl shafts?

It has been said on various foruns that driving in 3wd with them disengage will casue damage at the front - can't see how myself - anyone know? or is it the torque thing I've already stated.
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Torque thing- 40:1 low range ratio X's the torque from the 2.25 can be plenty to snap 1.1" shafts, much better to be in 4X4 to spread and share the stress.
 
If you drive in 4wd with them disengaged there is an increased risk of breaking a rear halfshaft as the rear axle alone will be carrying all the torque from the engine.

Also, the front prop will be spinning, but not driving the front wheels - this carries a risk that if one of the front halfshafts is harder to turn than the other (ie if a front U/J is partially seized) then you will have one shaft stationary and the other spinning at twice road speed. This carries a risk of premature wear/failure of the pinion gears and bushes in the diff.

I appreciate that the risk is low, but by running with the hubs disengaged for prolonged periods you increase the risk of front U/J's seizing up and railko bushes seizing/wearing excessively. This is why Land-Rover advocated engaging the hubs at least once a week.

In my experience FWH's are only of any real benefit if the axle they're fitted to is worn. If you have an axle in good repair, with a good front prop, then the difference between hubs engaged and disengagedis minimal.

All the best, Glen.
 
If you use your vehicle to tow with, then you'll need to use Low range. You'll need low range when towing anything heavy or for when shunting in tight places. If you need to ride the clutch when towing or shunting, 'its very bad practice', your wearing out your clutch , crank-shaft thrust bearings, clutch release bearings, etc.. So you should use low range.
Now If you don't have FWH, and use low range, you will quickly wind-up the transmittion. Without a center diff, the tyres try to spin on the tarmac, against all that grip. This breaks things very quickly or you'll leave black skid marks on the ground. So if you need low range on a hard surface, dis-engage the front hubs. This will be far safer for your axels, transmission and tyres.
The FWHs dis-engage the front drive flanges on the end of the hubs, so all that spins when on the road is the front wheels on the stub axels. Re-engage and you re-connect the half shafts to the drive flages and hub.
The reason for the "Do not use in low range" warning is that in low range 2wheel drive, you'll have around 40 times more torque than usual going to just one axel instead of shared between two... But if all you are doing is shunting or towing, things will be fine.. Its when you start snatching gears, dumping the clutch, etc, that something will let go!

When On the road the knuckles (UJs) on the ends of the front half shafts that spin in the swivel housings, and are meant to splash in all that oil inside the swivel housing, sending lube to the king pins, Ralco bushes, etc and keeping things fed..
Dis-engage the hubs and all that spinning stops and can leave the kingpins etc, running dry. So if you engage the hubs for short periods on the road, that will slop enough oil round to keep things happy, at least for a short period.
So if you want to keep your transmission healthy, use FWH at the wright time and drive correctly.
=====================================================
I appreciate that the risk is low, but by running with the hubs disengaged for prolonged periods you increase the risk of front U/J's seizing up and railko bushes seizing/wearing excessively. This is why Land-Rover advocated engaging the hubs at least once a week.

In my experience FWH's are only of any real benefit if the axle they're fitted to is worn. If you have an axle in good repair, with a good front prop, then the difference between hubs engaged and disengagedis minimal.

All the best, Glen.[/quote]
 
tony109 said:
If you use your vehicle to tow with, then you'll need to use Low range. You'll need low range when towing anything heavy or for when shunting in tight places. If you need to ride the clutch when towing or shunting, 'its very bad practice', your wearing out your clutch , crank-shaft thrust bearings, clutch release bearings, etc.. So you should use low range.
Now If you don't have FWH, and use low range, you will quickly wind-up the transmittion. Without a center diff, the tyres try to spin on the tarmac, against all that grip. This breaks things very quickly or you'll leave black skid marks on the ground. So if you need low range on a hard surface, dis-engage the front hubs. This will be far safer for your axels, transmission and tyres.
The FWHs dis-engage the front drive flanges on the end of the hubs, so all that spins when on the road is the front wheels on the stub axels. Re-engage and you re-connect the half shafts to the drive flages and hub.
The reason for the "Do not use in low range" warning is that in low range 2wheel drive, you'll have around 40 times more torque than usual going to just one axel instead of shared between two... But if all you are doing is shunting or towing, things will be fine.. Its when you start snatching gears, dumping the clutch, etc, that something will let go!
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Tony's right about the possibility of transmission wind up when using 4wd on tarmac, including low ratio. To that end, try to avoid tight turns and ensure the tryes are all of equal size.

However, I strongly disagree with the idea of using low range with the front hubs disengaged. Land Rover specifically made the system so that you could not select low ratio in 2wd. Circumventing this with FWH to avoid transmission wind up, which in all likelihood will only scrub your tyres unless you have a lot of weight in side the vehicle and very good traction, will be putting twice the torque through the rear prop, diff and half shafts that they are meant to handle. It's very likely to go bang, especially with a Rover rear axle, even if you are gentle while you shunt these heavy objects that need so much torque. SHock loading only exacerbates the problem of torque overload - it isn't the root problem.
 
I had FWH and took them off. i found that my 2.25 diesel engine did ok. i also could not see any differance in fuel savings. plus you do not have to get out to engage 4 wheel drive, because the time you need it is not the time you want to be standing in it so to speak,
IMHO they are just not worth the money, take them off fit proper flanges safe in the knowledge that your front hubs and swivels and bearings are being lubed up all the time.
however good advice giving about lock up and you should not that you whould have to travel from one end of the UK to the other to save any amount of money worth the effort of fitting FWH.

if anyone wants a set they can have mine.
 
lauralanny said:
I had FWH and took them off. i found that my 2.25 diesel engine did ok. i also could not see any differance in fuel savings. plus you do not have to get out to engage 4 wheel drive, because the time you need it is not the time you want to be standing in it so to speak,
IMHO they are just not worth the money, take them off fit proper flanges safe in the knowledge that your front hubs and swivels and bearings are being lubed up all the time.
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AGREED:)

cheers, Tim
 
lauralanny said:
I had FWH and took them off. i found that my 2.25 diesel engine did ok. i also could not see any differance in fuel savings. plus you do not have to get out to engage 4 wheel drive, because the time you need it is not the time you want to be standing in it so to speak,
IMHO they are just not worth the money, take them off fit proper flanges safe in the knowledge that your front hubs and swivels and bearings are being lubed up all the time.
however good advice giving about lock up and you should not that you whould have to travel from one end of the UK to the other to save any amount of money worth the effort of fitting FWH.
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That's why I took mine off, pus the fact that they make changing wheels more difficult and they look terrible. They're also a lot more prone to leaks than standard flanges.
 
I have used free wheeling hubs for about 32 years on my S2A and they paid for themselves in fuel economy in about 14 months and that was at the fuel prices back then! I also didn;t and still don't have a worn front axle assembly I switch them in & out at least once a week, to spread oil, etc.. I have only been caught out once by not having them engaged when conditions neede it. I learnt to walk & or observe the way ahead, and engage them in good time. My ones look good & don't make it harder to fit wheels. I also check them on return to my LR if parked in a Public place. to see that nobody has played with them, e.g one engaged the other not.
cheaper to buy than an overdrive as regards fuel economy.:)
 
You clearly dont use your Land Rovers for towing with. I have a 5 ton steel life boat and Low Range has to used, just to pull away.. Without the FWHs the transmission would wind-up at the first turn and with that much grip on the road, the stress would easily break something. So the FWH are vital. I have the far, far stronger Salisbury axel on the rear, a virtual copy of the DANA 60. That axel can take all the torque without any problems.. Now if you have the Rover axel those things will break at the first signs of torque loading. If you go for a more powerful engine option, like most people want, you must change your Rover rear axel or the thing will 'let go' whenever it feels like it..
The advantage of low range 2wd is that there is no need to ride the clutch in situations, such as shunting trailers, or manouvers of any sort. You probably wont notice the fuel savings there meant to give, but for me and anyone who tows, FW hubs are essentual equiptment.
 
tony109 said:
You clearly dont use your Land Rovers for towing with. I have a 5 ton steel life boat and Low Range has to used, just to pull away.. Without the FWHs the transmission would wind-up at the first turn and with that much grip on the road, the stress would easily break something. So the FWH are vital. I have the far, far stronger Salisbury axel on the rear, a virtual copy of the DANA 60. That axel can take all the torque without any problems.. Now if you have the Rover axel those things will break at the first signs of torque loading. If you go for a more powerful engine option, like most people want, you must change your Rover rear axel or the thing will 'let go' whenever it feels like it..
The advantage of low range 2wd is that there is no need to ride the clutch in situations, such as shunting trailers, or manouvers of any sort. You probably wont notice the fuel savings there meant to give, but for me and anyone who tows, FW hubs are essentual equiptment.
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I think these transmission wind up worries are somewhat exaggerated and for slowly manoevering very heavy trailers in a boatyard I think it would be safest to engage all four wheels. Having said that I have often engaged low range with hubs disengaged, as described at the end of the above, to slowly manoever around a yard when it is congested but never with anything heavier than a dinghy trailer. (I haven't got a trailer for my 4 ton boat so I leave that to the crane or just use a slipway anyway)
 
I may be wrong on this, but if a rear halfshaft snaps and you've disengaged the FWH, aren't you left without a transmission brake? I seem to remember relating a tale to me (after I'd had mine fitted) of towing a caravan single manned up one of the roads in Wales, suffering a halfshaft failure and, apart from the footbrake, not having any way of securing the vehicle. That tale made me keep them engaged when towing anything.

Nige
 
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45HG52 said:
I may be wrong on this, but if a rear halfshaft snaps and you've disengaged the FWH, aren't you left without a transmission brake? I seem to remember relating a tale to me (after I'd had mine fitted) of towing a caravan single manned up one of the roads in Wales, suffering a halfshaft failure and, apart from the footbrake, not having any way of securing the vehicle. That tale made me keep them engaged when towing anything.

Nige
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A similar thing happened to a friend he pulled out of a junction up a big hill and managed to kangaroo his truck which snapped a rear half shaft. His face was a picture when he put the handbrake on and he started rolling backwards even funnier when he put it in 4wd and it still went back wards:D lucky I was with him to engage the hubs or he would have been waiting with his foot on the brake on a country road for quite a while :D
 
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