05G35 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 So I've done the searching and can't get a locked-down answer if anyone's tried Warn hubs on these wheels: Is my center diameter too small? Am i going to need to get it bored out? I figured i'd ask around before i bought and just "tried" to make them fit. Oh, and i did the looking and know the part number for the Warn hubs on my '02 is 29091. See, i do search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) Is my center diameter too small? Am i going to need to get it bored out? I figured i'd ask around before i bought and just "tried" to make them fit. Oh, and i did the looking and know the part number for the Warn hubs on my '02 is 29091. See, i do search! Why are you going to install hubs? Edited January 28, 2009 by XPLORx4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05G35 Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Read about the benefits it can offer in other threads. Less wear on drivetrain, easier to turn and roll, and maybe even a mpg or two. By the way you ask the question it seems you may be taking the point that I shouldn't buy hubs? I would be interested to hear why if that is indeed where you're coming from... Either way I always appreciate the input of those more knowledgable than I...thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Your research is correct... although for most us, the benefits are even better for lifted rigs. I suppose Dean is questioning you because you don't plan to lift the truck. So added wear & CV angles wont be an issue for you. (But I'll let him answer for himself...) The better mileage is definitely a plus for any of us, although I have to be honest, I never noticed a difference. (Although, to be fair, I installed the hubs the same time I installed a few hundred pounds of mods (winch, sliders, and rear bumper). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 G..XPLORx4 is a comic superhero with an R50 what he wants to know is how you are planning on using them..he wants to help you benefit. He has taken his White R50 LE more places with a unibody than most ever take a chance on visiting! The answer you seek is yes the will go through the center of the wheel--I have the same rig--02 SE. I run 1.5" wheel adapters with my AC lift to get 32" tires on and this allows me to keep the OEM wheels, my tires, on the lift and put the cover back over the wheels and "hide" the hubs. With a simple flat-head, I pop the cover off and twist the dial--away I go! Some people bore out the center of the wheel cover (the circle outside the nissan emblem) and re-install that cover too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 On my 97 I noticed about a 2mpg gain, on the 01 I noticed about 1.3mpg gain. Be aware that if you install the hubs and leave them unlocked, you must leave your Allmode in the 2wd position. When you lock the hubs you can put it in whatever position you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I suppose Dean is questioning you because you don't plan to lift the truck. So added wear & CV angles wont be an issue for you. (But I'll let him answer for himself...) That's absolutely correct. Plus, given the reasons why you purchased the truck, it's unclear whether you'd truly benefit from having them. Take care not to simply jump on the bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. Case in point: I owned my R50 for 4 years without installing hubs; they were not a necessity. Or, at least they weren't as important as making other mods first. That being said, as 02silverpathy pointed out, I have taken my R50 over some very severe terrain. In '05 while off-roading in Canyonlands NP (Utah), I snapped the outer splines of my CV joint (axle had a hairline crack that eventually failed). With the manual hubs, I was able to drive with the hubs unlocked and use 2WD while still in low-range. Also, you should be aware that there is some risk to damaging the all-mode transfer case with the hubs unlocked (but I have not yet heard of it actually happening yet). My advice is that you should assess YOUR needs before making the modification. Not everyone builds or drives their trucks in the same manner, and your use cases seem to be not that severe. Finally, if you buy the hubs just for the 2mpg gain, consider how long it will take to recover the $150+ expense of the hubs. Let's say you average 17mpg, and the hubs gain you 2mpg. And let's say gas is $4.00/gallon. So, your cost per mile (before) is $4/gal / 17mpg = 23.5cents, and your cost per mile (after) is $4/gal / 19mpg = 21.1 cents. The difference in fuel savings with hubs installed is only 2.4 cents per mile. How many miles do you need to drive before the hubs pay for themselves? $150 (cost of hubs) / 2.4 cents = 6250 miles. <--- more miles if gas is under $4/gallon, fewer miles if gas is over $4/gallon. If you get less than 2mpg improvement or your [before] mpg is higher than 17, then it will take even longer! Anyway, there's your math lesson for the day! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Yes they do I installed them about 1 month ago and I have the same exact wheels as you heres how it turned out for me without the center cap Cutting out the center with a saw Perfect Round circle Finished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05G35 Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Nice! Thanks for the pics and confirmation. Looks like i can go ahead with the order. Lax, i was reading another topic on this (i believe you were one of the posters) and saw that leaving the hub unlocked and going into 4wd was essentially an oxymoron. So i'll be sure and leave my shifter in 2hi whenever the hubs are unlocked. As far as what my goals are for wheeling and mudding in the truck; i'll be driving this as my daily AND my "weekend warrior" ride. Campsites, trails, and some hunting grounds that either can get muddy or offer some unpleasent terrain are the main obstacles that will face the pathy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 not only is it an oxymoron, but your computer won't like you very much if you put it into Auto-4WD with the hubs unlocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Isn't it bad altogether to engage 4x4 with the hubs unlocked, All-Mode or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 probably worse, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Isn't it bad altogether to engage 4x4 with the hubs unlocked, All-Mode or not? No, it's not bad when in 4H or 4L. It just means you're not really in 4WD if the hubs are unlocked. Keeping the hubs unlocked in 4H is basically the same as 2H, while 4L becomes 2L. 2L can be convenient at times. I have used 2L when descending a very narrow, winding, steep (11%) highway grade before. It was good not to overheat the brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) well, with your hubs unlocked, it's bad to engage 4x4 at 60mph. and yes, 2LO was very handy when trying to back a heavy trailer up a steep incline at an angle. Edited January 28, 2009 by alexrex20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HankG Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Finally, if you buy the hubs just for the 2mpg gain, consider how long it will take to recover the $150+ expense of the hubs. Let's say you average 17mpg, and the hubs gain you 2mpg. And let's say gas is $4.00/gallon. So, your cost per mile (before) is $4/gal / 17mpg = 23.5cents, and your cost per mile (after) is $4/gal / 19mpg = 21.1 cents. The difference in fuel savings with hubs installed is only 2.4 cents per mile. How many miles do you need to drive before the hubs pay for themselves? $150 (cost of hubs) / 2.4 cents = 6250 miles. <--- more miles if gas is under $4/gallon, fewer miles if gas is over $4/gallon. If you get less than 2mpg improvement or your [before] mpg is higher than 17, then it will take even longer! Anyway, there's your math lesson for the day! Cheers! This seems more like an endorsement than a warning. Those numbers would mean it'd take less than half a year (figuring 15k a year average) for the hubs to pay for themselves, and by the end of the year you'd have saved more than $150, and after that you'd be saving $360 every year. Just as an example, if you had put the hubs on when you first got your r50, they would have more than paid for one of your lockers. While gas costs may make that number lower (or higher), I think manual hubs should be put on every r50 immediately after purchase even if the vehicle is never modded otherwise or never goes off-road. It just makes financial sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 This seems more like an endorsement than a warning. Those numbers would mean it'd take less than half a year (figuring 15k a year average) for the hubs to pay for themselves, and by the end of the year you'd have saved more than $150, and after that you'd be saving $360 every year. Just as an example, if you had put the hubs on when you first got your r50, they would have more than paid for one of your lockers. While gas costs may make that number lower (or higher), I think manual hubs should be put on every r50 immediately after purchase even if the vehicle is never modded otherwise or never goes off-road. It just makes financial sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) This seems more like an endorsement than a warning....It just makes financial sense. Perhaps, but there are other non-tangible costs, such as the inconvenience of having to get out and lock/unlock the hubs, maintenance issues, appearance, etc. which each owner needs to determine for himself. Therefore, I don't put too much emphasis on the expected or potential fuel savings. If gas costs $2.09 (close to the current avg unleaded price in Calif) and you increase mpg from 17 to only 18, the miles required to pay for the hubs is 21,958, a much longer ROI. When I put on my hubs, the gas price was well under $2/gallon, and I netted a less than 1mpg improvement in fuel economy, which is statistically insignificant. Consider also that I now drive my truck less than 4000 miles a year, so I don't know how long it really took to see a return on my investment. So, did it make financial sense for me to install hubs? Nope. Am I upset that I 'wasted' $150 on hubs? Nope. Why not? Because fuel savings was not the primary motivation for installing hubs. All I'm trying to say is this: Don't jump on the manual hubs bandwagon because everyone else is doing it, expecting to save hundreds of dollars on gas. It's not a guarantee. Edited January 29, 2009 by XPLORx4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 fwiw, i haven't see any increase in mpg since i installed my hubs. but like dean, fuel economy was not a driving force behind my decision to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I have yet to notice any mileage difference since installing hubs but then again the weather's been just stupid so my mileage has been the sh*ts anyway... Like Dean said, don't just jump on the bandwagon until assessing whether you need hubs or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I disagree here, I feel like the mileage gain has been substantial on both of my Pathfinders over multiple measured tanks with and without, and even if gas stays around $2 (which we all know it won't) 20k miles in minimal for majority of the owners here whos pathfinder is their main means of transportation (like me). If you only have it as a temporary vehicle I would say not to do it, otherwise it is well worth it and will pay for itself. The downside being you have to get out and turn the hubs just caters to the laziness of Americans nowadays, that should not even be a concern, the only time I see this needing to be done where it would be annoying is if you somehow got stuck in a muddy area with terrible foresight. The maintenance is minimal as well, replacing gaskets/studs and lubing up are not hard to do and shouldn't take long at all to complete and the price of the parts would be offset by the savings. The only feasible downside I see is that they do alter the appearance with certain wheels, the worst of which being the ones you have, though 01silva has done a very good job of making it look good. In the end it is your decision as Dean said, but I do strongly encourage them based on MY personal experience which is paired with my driving style, etc., so as Dean said you need to evaluate your needs and such and make a decision that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 The maintenance is minimal as well, replacing gaskets/studs and lubing up are not hard to do and shouldn't take long at all to complete and the price of the parts would be offset by the savings. The only feasible downside I see is that they do alter the appearance with certain wheels, the worst of which being the ones you have, though 01silva has done a very good job of making it look good. Thanks for the compliment on the wheel covers And how do yall that own hubs maintain them with lubing and all, how do I do this?? And how often what schedule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05G35 Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 I don't know if i would call it jumping on the bandwagon, just seems like it couldn't hurt and might actually save me some headache down the road. Will probably be pushing the buy button soon if i don't get shipped off for some bct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Thanks for the compliment on the wheel covers And how do yall that own hubs maintain them with lubing and all, how do I do this?? And how often what schedule Depends on how you wheel your rig. I'm gonna try for every oil change (5,000km/3,000mi). I was told to do it every few months but that seems excessive to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 But by maintenance the only thing that I could think might need to is pack the bearings with more grease??? Someone else more knowelgeable then me please correct me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 But by maintenance the only thing that I could think might need to is pack the bearings with more grease??? Someone else more knowelgeable then me please correct me Well yeah, that first and foremost. You want to make sure those bearings stayed lubed and in good working order. But maintenance-wise you could take the unit apart, check the gasket, clean all the pieces, verify the bolts/washers, etc. I'd say do that every 6 months, depending on how you wheel it, and those hubs should last the lifetime of your rig. My hubs didn't come with maintenance instructions, so I'm merely going on what my mechanic told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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