| Manual locking hubs are located on the front axle of | | | | make the SUV more appealing, manufacturers |
| a 4WD vehicle. They are the small dials found in the | | | | outfitted them with automatic hubs. |
| middle of the two front wheels. On the outside, they | | | | As years went by, 4WD owners (especially |
| appear simple, but on the inside they perform | | | | off-roaders) have learned that automatic hubs aren't |
| something extraordinary. | | | | the wonderful amenities that the auto manufacturers |
| When driving your 4WD vehicle on a slippery, icy, or | | | | made them out to be. As the vehicle aged, the |
| muddy road, you may care for little else except that | | | | likelihood that the auto hubs would work when |
| each tire has power and is fighting for every bit of | | | | needed diminished. It's a rule of engineering that |
| traction. When four wheel drive is not in use, the | | | | when you take something simple and then complicate |
| locking hubs are used to disconnect the front wheels | | | | it, the chances for failure increases. Automatic hubs |
| from the front axle drive components (differential, | | | | were no exception to this. Auto hubs are notorious |
| half-shafts, and driveshaft). Doing this will allow the | | | | for not working at critical times and for being weak |
| front axle drive components to stop spinning, saving | | | | under stress. Ask any off-roader about this and you |
| unnecessary wear and tear on those parts and | | | | may get an earfull of anger and bitterness toward |
| helping to improve the fuel economy. | | | | the auto hub. |
| Manual locking hubs were invented by Arthur Warn in | | | | Manual locking hubs are stronger than their auto |
| 1948. Until then, the typical 4WD vehicle was | | | | counterparts. It's for this reason that off-roaders will |
| "full-time" 4WD. These were undesirable because the | | | | always choose manual hubs over automatic ones. |
| constant 4WD made them suffer from excess wear | | | | Even if an axle with automatic hubs has been |
| and stress on all the drivetrain components from the | | | | routinely maintained, the serious off-roader can not |
| front axle to the rear axle and everything in | | | | rely on it because there are too many circumstances |
| between, poor gas mileage, and bad street driving | | | | for which it will fail or just not perform when the |
| characteristics especially on dry pavement. | | | | moment is critical. |
| Over the years, most 4WD auto makers have done | | | | Manual locking hubs feature simplicity, reliability, |
| away with manual hubs and made a switch to | | | | strength, and low cost which has made them the |
| automatic hubs. The SUV craze that took the | | | | ideal replacement for auto hub axles. There are kits |
| American auto marketplace by storm in the late | | | | available in the off-road marketplace that allow |
| 1980's and well into the 1990's is likely responsible for | | | | drivers to replace automatic locking hubs for manual |
| this. Families from all walks of life had to have an | | | | ones. |
| SUV because an SUV meant 4WD. The problem was | | | | Understanding how these units work will help you get |
| that an overwhelming majority of these SUV drivers | | | | the most out of them and they are much easier to |
| wouldn't know how to engage the 4WD system. To | | | | upgrade and maintain than auto units. |