Deuce Front lock in/out hubs ? What history of use , MPG change with them?

I am in the process of trading for a M109 deuce with regular locked in hubs. Has anyone had good service from lock in/out front hubs? Did they make any MPG difference that you could determine? What is your opinion on lockable hubs?

Before you flame me I have reviewed site for examples and the search function will not work on my computer!!! Thanks Mark

A stock deuce does not have locked hubs, it has spline caps.

No MPG gain, as everything still turns, but you do get better(less) tire wear. I couldn't stomach the $500 they wanted for some, so I got some de-splined hubs.

gimpyrobb said:

A stock deuce does not have locked hubs, it has spline caps.

No MPG gain, as everything still turns, but you do get better(less) tire wear. I couldn't stomach the $500 they wanted for some, so I got some de-splined hubs.

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My drive shaft and chunk and axles do not turn running down the road with locking hubs. You must have air shift "T" case to use locking hubs on a 2 1/2 ton.

I have air shift transfer case so with hubs locked out the front axle should not turn. All 4x4 trucks I know have some form of lockable hub to increase mpg. I remember that monster trucks ran spools in their Rockwell axles and to turn in the show ring some one turned out one hub to allow steering. I know Uncle Sam has deep pockets for fuel but I have to do the best I can with my toys.

If you use the term "deuce lock out hub" in google, the first hit will have 6 links to threads on Steel Soldiers. The info is there and searchable on any device if you are willing to try.

Your best bet for efficiency would be to have your injectors pulled and make sure they are with in specs. I doubt there will be any mpg increase with lock out hubs, it is a 13000 pound truck with the aero-dynamics of a brick.

Things would be easy to find on site if search function worked and not show me a blank filled screen. I am not stupid or lazy or a combination of the two and only post a question when all else fails.

gimpyrobb said:

Your best bet for efficiency would be to have your injectors pulled and make sure they are with in specs. I doubt there will be any mpg increase with lock out hubs, it is a 13000 pound truck with the aero-dynamics of a brick.

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Theoretically, there would be an increase in fuel economy since there would be less drag and rotating mass. It is quite noticeable how much easier it is to rotate the front wheels when you have the spline caps off.

Granted any increase is probably so minute you won't notice it.

Now slightly easier steering and less wear and tear in your front axle are added benefits of lockout hubs that are noticeable.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?119782-The-best-lockout-hubs-for-a-Deuce

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?36943-Lockout-hubs

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?28164-Deuce-lockout-hubs

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?129148-WTB-Lockout-Hubs-for-M35A2

search results, i hope that helps.

There would be more gained by a single rear lockout.

I saw a 1 mpg improvement on about 300 miles of 50-55 mph. This was with home-made desplined caps.

On the home made caps .did you mill out the splines only? Did you put some kind of bushing or bearing to carry the end of the axle shaft? I have heard of hub covers used in Willys Jeeps. Thanks everyone for treads and info so far. Mark

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61sleepercab said:

Things would be easy to find on site if search function worked and not show me a blank filled screen. I am not stupid or lazy or a combination of the two and only post a question when all else fails.

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Sounds like a problem with your computer settings not the site search function .

VPed said:

I saw a 1 mpg improvement on about 300 miles of 50-55 mph. This was with home-made desplined caps.

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My truck is a bobbed deuce and I burn WMO fuel. I purchased and de-splined a set of hubs a while back. I also installed bronze bushings (found them on ebay) and grease fittings in the caps. De-splining the hubs serves to reduce the drag of the tires in turns caused by the ackerman angle built into the steering geometry of every vehicle on the road. I picked up about the same gain in MPG, 1 mpg, and maybe just a little more. The best gain for me was a somewhat reduced steering effort. I think the turning circle got a bit tighter due to the reduced drag but I never bothered to measure it. I have a set of hubs with the splines still in them. If I need 4X4, I just swap them out.

gimpyrobb said:

Your best bet for efficiency would be to have your injectors pulled and make sure they are with in specs.

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Plus One. The Deuce ain't never gonna be a MPG champ, but there are incremental gains to be had by: 1) having your injectors pop-tested and balanced, 2) removing that 10 pound radiator fan and replacing it with either electrics or a plastic flex fan, 3) de-splining the front hubs or installing lock out hubs and 4) installing better tires. Almost ANY tires will give better mpg's (and wear) than the NDT's. Like the loose change in your couch cushions, it does add up.

Information on the plastic flex-fan can be found here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?119295-Nylon-Radiator-Fan/page4&highlight=flex+fan

If you are burning WMO fuels, pay careful attention to the viscosity of your fuel blend. If you blend WMO fuels carefully, you can get fuel mileage pretty close to that of diesel.

There may be some aerodynamic gain to be had by reducing the frontal area of the truck. I am thinking this may be done by lowering the height of the bed cover to even with or maybe a little lower than the roof of the cab.

An air dam running left to right under the front bumper might also help reduce turbulence under the truck and reduce aerodynamic drag. This may also serve to increase the speed of air through the radiator and help out with cooling. I haven't tried these last two yet, but they are on my list.


Anything that reduces rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag (frontal area), or parasitic drag on the engine will help out with MPG's, if only a little. Is it worth the cost or the effort? I guess that's up to you.

Like everything else, there are two schools of thought on these ideas and both sides are pretty passionate about their pet theory.

Recovry4x4 said:

If you use the term "deuce lock out hub" in google, the first hit will have 6 links to threads on Steel Soldiers.

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Plus 1. Learn to use google or bing for your searches. I would use something like "deuce lock out hub Steel Soldiers" when looking for something. It really helps to use the site name.

I made my homemade caps out of some PVC fittings. I do not remember the exact size but it was something like three inch flange adapters and glue on caps. Whatever the flange size was coincided close enough with the hub bolt pattern. I did have to machine the flange O.D. about a quarter inch or so to fit inside of the wheel hub opening. Since it had plenty of room with the pipe cap, the splines were nowhere near rubbing on anything so no bushings required. I bolted them on using longer bolts but I only used four bolts since at that point, it is just a dust cover.

I gave them to a friend before he embarked on a monumental trip so I cannot check for the exact components. Memory does not serve like it once did.

I sold bonedoc a M35a2 and before he drove it home he put lock outs on it. He drove from NC to PA and said he got 8 mpg average!!
Truck had previously had all injectors pulled, cleaned, and reset above spec, fresh repack on wheel bearings and brakes adjusted, and 395 tires.

Having the front driveline unlocked when taking a road trip is a big plus!
The difference in the way the truck handles and reduced vibration noise levels are definitely noticeable.
I just put on a set of warn lockout hubs and swapped to an air shift transfer case on my deuce tractor in preparation for this year's Ga Rally trip (1000 miles), last year I didn't have them and got an estimated 6.5 miles per gal pulling the "Taj" with everything turning, I'll see if there's any difference this trip.
One thing I have observed, the difference in "road feel" is less noticeable when running radials compared to bias ply ndt's.

gimpyrobb said:

Your best bet for efficiency would be to have your injectors pulled and make sure they are with in specs. I doubt there will be any mpg increase with lock out hubs, it is a 13000 pound truck with the aero-dynamics of a brick.

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I'm with Gimp on this one. I was getting 7mpg on the highway with high exhaust gas temps. I also have a single rear axle disconnect from Oversion, and still got about 7mpg (estimate because use WMO for fuel and fill a 5 gallon race can back and forth to fill it up, so I just counted how many gallons that way). I could tell I was going through more fuel too around town too. I pop tested my injectors and they were all low and popping off a 2400 PSI or so when they should have been up to 3000-3100 PSI. I adjusted them and it was a huge difference. It idles smoother and everything. So I guess the moral of my story is that lock up hubs may be nice and give you a little bit of fuel economy but the best bang for your buck if you have not done it is pop testing your injectors (might be around $120 to have a diesel shop do) and adjusting the intake and exhaust valves (very low cost if not free if you dont need gaskets). A well running engine up to spec will out get your best fuel mileage, so start there do you have a good foundation to work from.