The_Magicians_Eye Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Correct my if I'm wrong. When you're hubs are unlocked they don't turn the axles right? Don't they just spin on the spindles free of the axle. So if I where to weld the spider gears to create a locked axle and my hubs were unlocked it should drive like normal correct? Has anyone done this? I can see why you don't want to do this in the rear dif if you daily drive your pathy but shouldn't this work in the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle94 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Axles do not move if the hubs are unlocked and the shifter isnt in 4wd. i wouldnt trust the stock hubs with a welded diff though... :O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Axles do not move if the hubs are unlocked and the shifter isnt in 4wd. i wouldnt trust the stock hubs with a welded diff though... :O Just brain storming at the moment. If I tired this I would get manual hubs for sure. What do you think about the strength of the stock IFS with a welded diff while wheelin? At the moment when wheelin the front end looses traction all the damn time due to the open diff. If it was welded I would assume it would eliminate that stress reliever of loosing traction and prepositionally put a ton of stress on the CVs. Am I wrong? How do you think if would hold up? I've been reading about guys with solid front axles doing this and only locking one hub when they are worried about making turns. They seem to think it's a great idea to do this to the front because the front is what pulls you over rocks and other things on the trail. the rear just pushes you into it. As one of them put it without the front climbing over a rock the rear could potentially slide you sideways rather than pushing you over it. Another argument was that if you junk a hub that the welded front will still allow you to have 3 wheel drive to get you out of the 4 wheel drive situation. Without that you'd be stuck trying to get out with only 2 wheel drive. The more I think about it the more I like this idea. Just worried about the stock IFS. Someone please shoot me down out of the clouds if I'm not taking something into consideration that I should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stalker Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 well if you plan on having your front always lock when your in 4wheel then go for it bud. you will be amazed on how well that thing will do in any condition of wheelin, my old 89 pathy was welded up and i never had any issue with any of the IFS besides the normal upper and lower BJ from being lifted, i am planning on installing an air locker after i get my SAS done. weld it, add some Warn manual hubs and have a blast bud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbillybob Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Manual hubs for sure my friend has a Toyota pickup with a welded front ifs and when wheeling leaves the passenger side engaged for 3 wheel drive and when he needs the extra traction locks the drivers side, I'm trying to locate a set of manual hubs that don't cost a small fortune so I can do the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 That's basically what I was thinking. Outside of the cost of manual hub and some new gear oil this should save a ton of money. Still not sure I want to do it with the irs though. Love the idea of manual hubs though. It will also let me run in low gear 2 wheel drive if I don't lock the hubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwd5021 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) It will also let me run in low gear 2 wheel drive if I don't lock the hubs. Can you damage anything by doing that or is it ok? Ever since I got my warns I've wanted to try.. Or will it only work that way if the front diff is welded? Edited February 24, 2012 by rwd5021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stalker Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Can you damage anything by doing that or is it ok? Ever since I got my warns I've wanted to try.. Or will it only work that way if the front diff is welded? u need manual hubs for that to work...nothing will be damaged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
918pathy Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 That is a way cool idea, so you weld the gears in the front dif. and it only engages when you lock in the manual hubs. If I am uderstanding that right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
918pathy Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 That is a way cool idea, so you weld the gears in the front dif. and it only engages when you lock in the manual hubs. If I am uderstanding that right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbillybob Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 welding the diff gears is the cheap way instead of installing a spool. if the front driveline is turning (4 high or 4 low) both cv axles will constantly be turning the same speed. if the hubs are unlocked the cv axle is still turning just not engaged to the wheel. with an open diff and you have it in 4wd and one hub locked, the other side will turn freely not giving any traction (out of time on break at work to explain better) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmoore4512 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I have done it on several IFS trucks, and would on my Pathfinder if I was not going to be straight axle swapping.... Nearly all of the 4WD trucks that I have had were welded in the front with manual hubs. There is potential for breakage, but the same exists for an open diff truck. I say go for it! It will amaze you how much MORE traction you will have... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Magicians_Eye Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 I was talking to a friend of mine that races circle track stock cars and he told me that welding will weaken it from the heat. He said that's why the cars he races always break axles. Not sure how true this is but it makes sense to me. So my question is does anyone sell a mini spool for our front diffs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620datsun Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 just be aware that if your side hilling and front tires lose traction your gonna slide down hill faster than you know it, i was up wheeling in the snow with a buddy who has an arb up front and watched him almost slide off the road after both tires lost traction, so you will have to be babying the throttle on slickery situations even with the tires at full turn right with a locked front end if your tires are spinning and are on a slope to the left thats where your front end is going to go otherwise, id say go for it ive had a few buddies with welded rear ends and have yet to have any problems with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbillybob Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 i wouldnt be worried about breaking the carrier as i would breaking the cv axle or the inner shaft and they are not designed to be strong enough to take the extra stress put on them by the welded diff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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