I have a 1985 4Runner with Warn locking hubs on the front axle. Does leaving the hubs locked but having the truck in 2WD do anything, or should they always be unlocked in 2WD and locked in 4WD?

 

When you lock the hubs and keep 'er in 2wd, the front drive-train (T-case, front shaft, front diff, axle shafts) will be spinning but wont receive any power. Its not bad to run with the hubs locked all the time, just might cause a little preventable wear. Its recommended to ALWAYS lock your hubs when you go into 4wd, but people, including myself, use "2lo" for fun. Leave the hubs unlocked and pop 'er into 4lo.

 

and the front drive train wont spin when they are unlocked?

 

mmm, I leave mine locked sometimes for weeks but that's only if the snow gets somewhat deep. No harm done though untill you put it into 4wd

 

The front won't spin if they are unlocked, unless one or both of the hubs are stuck. You're supposed to drive at least 16 miles a month with the front hubs locked to allow proper lubrication of the front drive-train.

 

I leave mine locked from when the snow sticks until april or may. The only time I usually unlock them is if Im going on a trip to see my parents and the roads are dry.

 

the front drivetrain will spin (when in 4lo without hubs locked) but the wheels/tires will not spin

 

not trying to hijack, but this is related...

if you disconnected your rear d-shaft, and then put it in 4hi with hubs locked, essentially you have a FWD vehicle, right? There's no difference i can think of, and basically you could drive as long as you want like that.

so theoretically, you could pull one diff at a time for any out of pumpkin service and still have the vehicle to drive.

objections?

 

true i guess..but i'm pretty sure the front drivetrain wasn't designed to be used 100% of the time..or even used by itself?? (just using the front tires..no rear shaft)

 

No, you cannot pull a diff and drive around. Toyota truck and 4Runner axles are semi-floating. This means the weight of the vehicle is supported both at the diff, and the axle bearing. If you remove the diff, the bearing becomes a fulcrum it will bind and quickly fail, or just simply jam sideways.

Making the truck a FWD does nothing in the short term. It makes the truck tough to steer, but it will get you home in a pinch. Many people have done this.

It was not designed to be used 100% of the time, but it does no harm to drive like that.

 

thanx, DC. both are good things to know as i add to my knowledge of Toy trucks.

 

My land rover buddy seems to think that when I'm in 4wd, if I lock only one hub (i'm open diff front) that that wheel is guaranteed power, as opposed to locking both and having diferentiation between the two. I know (at least I think I know) that this is not true, but I'm having a hard time explaining it to him. I believe it to be false because the diferentiation is in the differential itself and has nothing to do with the wheel hubs being locked or not, is that the case?

 

Your buddy would only be correct if you had a locker in the front.

he doesn't understand the purpose of a differential, which as you stated allows differentiation between the two axles. With an open diff, you will always get power at the wheel with the least traction, aka the path of least resistance.