There's just something right...
There's just something right about seeing a lockout hub on a four-wheel drive rig. More than just a pretty face, though, lockouts offer several benefits.
It used to be that "locking the hubs" was a fundamental first step when heading off-highway. Over the years though, OE manufacturers defected from the lockout hub. Most four-wheel-drive vehicles built nowadays have front axles with internals that spin full-time with the wheels. Blame it partly on cost and partly on vocal buyers who want the convenience and simplicity of just pushing a button or pulling a lever to deliver power to all four wheels without having to lock hubs. Sure, these new systems are easy to use, but here's the thing: in many ways they create far more problems than they solve.
For instance, if your rig breaks an axleshaft, grenades the ring and pinion, or bends a front driveshaft on one of those new axles, there's a good chance you're hosed. Everything will want to turn the same as always, and the result can be an even bigger mess caused by collateral damage as the broken or bent parts flail away. If you can even move your rig at all, that is.
Those non-lockout axles have other quirks, too. They increase wear and tear on driveline components; they increase resistance, which can increase fuel consumption; and they usually have unitized bearings, which are expensive, non-serviceable, and prone to failure.
Here's the complete SpynTec...
Here's the complete SpynTec Hub Conversion Kit for the JK Wrangler as it came from Solid Axle Industries.
So what can you do? Well, listen up. That bugle call you hear is the aftermarket cavalry coming to the rescue. In this story, we're going to look at a Solid Axle Industries SpynTec Conversion Kit. We hung out at Attitude Performance in Arlington Heights, Illinois, while owner Matt Dinelli bolted a SpynTec kit on a Jeep Wrangler JK Rubicon. This kit creates a fixed-spindle front axle, which offers the ability to unlock the hubs whenever you want. But that's not all. This kit replaces the troublesome and expensive unitized bearings with more affordable, serviceable bearings; it uses proven 760X axleshaft U-joints; it includes front and rear alloy axleshafts; it changes the bolt pattern from 5-on-5 to 5-on-51/2; it includes beefy Warn Premium hubs; and it includes a spare tire adapter so a spare with the same bolt pattern can be installed. It's also important to note that this kit will not affect the JK's ABS or Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Additionally, the kit fully seals the ABS sensor and tone ring from contaminants both on- and off-highway.
Hey, lockout hubs are good. If you're not convinced, go back, reread the second and third paragraphs, and then picture your rig immobile and your wallet empty from a fat towing bill.
1. Installation begins with the removal of the wheels and tires, brake calipers, rotors, three 12-point bolts (per side) that hold the unitized bearings to the knuckles, and the ABS sensors. The shaft assemblies can then be removed from the axle housing as shown. Set aside the metal dust shields and the 12-point bolts, as they'll be reused.
2. Next up, each knuckle bore...
2. Next up, each knuckle bore needs to be cleaned up to ensure a smooth mounting surface for the new spindles. Dinelli used a wire wheel on a cordless drill, but a fine emery cloth with also work. A light coat of antiseize on the knuckle bore will aid in spindle removal down the road.
3. The new stub shafts come...
3. The new stub shafts come complete with new 760X U-joints installed, so most of the work is done. The stub shafts just have to be mated to the new axleshafts.
4. After assembling the axleshafts,...
4. After assembling the axleshafts, they're slid into the housing. The factory dust shield and the new spindle assemblies go on next.
5. The ABS sensor (shown)...
5. The ABS sensor (shown) will be impossible to route through the dust shield if the spindle is completely seated in the knuckle first. So on each side, the sensor needs to be routed as the spindle is being installed. Dinelli also slightly enlarged the ABS hole in each dust shield to ensure that the wiring wouldn't be damaged.
6. Before the factory spindle...
6. Before the factory spindle bolts can be reinstalled to hold the spindle in place, they need to have 1/8 to 3/16 inch removed from the "nub" on each bolt. After that, they're installed with antiseize on the threads.
7. The hub and rotor assembly...
7. The hub and rotor assembly go on next. It's worth noting that the SpynTec kit includes Timken and Spicer bearings and races, while the seals are made by Chicago Rawhide. The hub/rotor assembly is a Raybestos unit.
8. Next up, each side gets...
8. Next up, each side gets an outer wheel bearing, inner spindle nut, spindle lock ring, outer spindle nut, lockout hub body and hub body snap ring.
9. Finally, the Warn Premium...
9. Finally, the Warn Premium hub dial body is installed to each side, the brake calipers are reinstalled and the front is completed.
10. As we mentioned earlier,...
10. As we mentioned earlier, the SpynTec kit includes new rear alloy axleshafts with a 5-on-5 bolt pattern to match the front. The first step to install these axles is to remove the wheels/tires, brake rotors, ABS sensors, and then the four nuts (per side) from each of the mounting bolts that hold the stock axles in place in the housing.
11. Then you can simply pull...
11. Then you can simply pull each factory axleshaft out of the housing.
12. It's very important to...
12. It's very important to remember to remove the factory race from each side before installing the new axleshafts. With the factory components out of the way, the new axleshaft assemblies are simply slid into the housing and bolted in place.
13. The kit reuses the factory...
13. The kit reuses the factory brake rotors, and these rotors are centered by the axle flange. The factory rotors have to be drilled to coincide with the new bolt pattern. Our kit didn't come with a template, so Dinelli used a wheel adapter as a guide. Ultimately, he drilled each hole to 5/8-inch diameter.
14. With the drilling completed,...
14. With the drilling completed, each factory brake rotor was simply slid onto the wheel studs. The ABS sensors and the brake calipers were installed, completing the rear axle mods.
15. The SpynTec kit also includes...
15. The SpynTec kit also includes a new bolt-on adapter (you'll have to provide nuts) for the factory spare tire mount so a spare wheel with the new bolt pattern can be installed.
16. The last step in the install...
16. The last step in the install was to swap the tires from the old wheels to the new wheels and get 'em bolted to the JK.
Don't Have a Jeep, But Still Want Lockout Hubs?
Solid Axle Industries also offers SpynTec Conversion Kits for solid axle-equipped 1994-2008 Dodge fullsize pickups and 1999-2004 Ford pickups.
Lockouts and Towing
If you use your rig to tow, or if you flat-tow your rig, unlocking the front axle via lockouts will help decrease wear and tear on front axle components and decrease overall drag. Will you see an increase in fuel mileage? Probably not a large increase, but hey, every little bit helps.
What Does It Cost?
At the time this story was written, the SpynTec kit for all models had an MSRP of $1,995. Matt Dinelli at Attitude Performance says he charges approximately $336 to install the kit on this application. Other applications will be similar.