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Don't forget that the vehicle is moving. Even without the ring gear spinning, there is plenty of splash from bumps and vibrations. Also, it does not take much lube because there is no load. Also, ever disassemble a third member that had been sitting for a long time? There is still lube in...

The venture capitalists have a term for those who steadfastly stick to their point in spite of information to the contrary. They call it 'breathing your own exhaust'. Spider gears precess ALL THE TIME and under load, at that. Do you think for a minute that the tires on a driven axle are...

In response to your first paragraph above, perhaps that is what you get for driving a Ford. ;) In response to your second paragraph, if one wheel is physically disconnected from the center carrier, then the behavior on a sharp turn (even with the front driveshaft disconnected, as you state)...

As far as I know, if it is a plain old 4WD vehicle then the transfer case disconnects the front driveshaft when in 2WD. Hence, the appeal of being able to independently control the dog clutch on the one axle to provide 2 WD low range (handy sometimes). If it is an AWD vehicle, then there...

Oh my goodness, is the water and ethanol injection guy going to let some spider gear precession ward him off? Please don't get old on us; we need your youthful enthusiasm. :)

BTW, the lurching you describe is due to drivetrain wind-up due to the fact that the vehicle in question does not have a center differential. In a sharp turn and locked in 4WD, all four tires are turning at different speeds. Each axle can accomodate side-to-side differences but there is a huge...

Good questions. Do newer (25 years old! not that new) use 'better' steel? Or maybe cheaper steel, because the newer lubricants can be trusted to provide more protection? Does Chevy use 300K miles as a design point? I would not worry about it. In answer to your other question, Chevy uses...

I can understand your reticence. BT,DT. When I bought my Chevy 4x4 brand new over 25 years ago, I was initially appalled when I learned what 'automatic hubs' really meant. After that, I was seriously concerned about exactly the type of wear you describe. And then, finally, I realized that...

In practice, the spider gears spinning under no load is not a problem at all. The base problem is that most folks are so invested in the seemingly logical symmetry of having two lockout hubs, it is difficult to grasp this alternate concept. Back in the bad old days, 4WD vehicles had two...

It might, but good luck measuring it. Remember, the front driveshaft is not rotating, so the ring and pinion are not turning. The spider gears precess is all.

I'm sure that someone can always conjure up an extreme situation. In your case, you probably should have been in 4WD, plus you were running on a cold soak. Many manual transmissions won't shift under similar conditions. Does that mean we should not have manuals? The person commenting was...

Perhaps not as much 'fact' than your 'opinion' based on your own anecdotal experiences. I submit that an experience from 1983 in a vehicle with bad hubs might not be as many data points as would be needed to contradict the evidence. I could follow up with my own personal experience to the...

Welcome! Good thought, but it doesn't seem to happen in real life. Millions of vehicles have been built that way over the years, and they do not pull to one side.

If by maximum benefit you mean total disconnects of the steering and front tandem axles, then you only need two locking hubs. One for one side of the front steering axle, and one for one side of the front tandem axle. I know this is anathema to many who prefer the symmetry of two locking hubs...

It's because there is a lag on OEM Detroit trucks set up this way. When you are in 2 Hi, the front driveshaft is not turning, one axle shaft is turning forwards at road speed , the inner stub of the disconnected axle is turning backwards at the same rpm, and the outer end of the diconnected...

Dunno. Of course, two of us could go halfsies.

Apparently the issue of whether one locking hub is enough on the front, or if you need two, is like asking 'which wax is best?' on a Corvette forum. Everyone has their own opinion. My own questioning is not because I particularly care if anyone uses one or two. My question was prompted after...

Over 20 years ago I bought a brand new Chevy 4x4. I was concerned by the way the front axle disconnected - the passenger's side axle disconnected by a dog clutch. I visualized all that stuff spinning around inside, and anticipated trouble. I now have a quarter million miles on that axle...

I agree. (I did not see your reply when I responded above.)

I am not sure about that. With the transfer case in neutral and one hub disconnected, the ring and pinion will not rotate (neglecting some nominal movement due to friction). The GM and Jeep 4WD systems I described only disconnect one axle. Disengaging a dog clutch on one axle is the same as...