https://www.justdifferentials.com/TOY43421-60039-p/toy43421-60039.htm

For starters, I am building up a 1981 front axle for my 94 4runner. It had the lockouts stolen from it before it came to me. But that got me thinking, my fzj80 doesn't have lockouts and my 94 4runner doesn't have lockouts. If you are running an open front differential, why would you ever need to unlock the front hubs? My two current 4x4s don't. Can you not just use a 30 spline drive flange similar to the one in the link? Lock out hubs just seen like an unneeded extra point of failure. Has anyone seen or thought about this? Is there something about this that doesn't work?

 

There's no reason you can't do it.

All front end internals will turn all the time, as will the front driveshaft.

Early military jeeps were built like this.

 

The only downside is the constant running of the front axle parts .

If that is not going to be a issue go for it.

 

I am leaning towards it. The land cruiser is almost the exact same axle and it has spun for 230,000 miles. I'm sure a newly rebuilt axle can handle it. Worst that could happen is I have to unbolt the flange in an emergency.

 

I would just run hubs on the front unless this is a trail rig only. If theres no need to have all that spinning then why have all that spinning

 

It'll cost you a bit in gas mileage, maybe 5%, but other than that, there's no real downside. It's pretty much the same hardware as the rear drive line, and that spins all the time while you're driving the truck and no one gives that a second thought. Typical rear drive lines last at least 200,000 miles unless something goes wrong with the lubrication. There's validity to the argument that drive lines that are in continuous use last longer than ones that are used intermittently, because the wear surfaces stay coated in grease/oil and don't get rust spots from disuse and resultant oil film breakdown.

 

so you assume hes not running a steer axle in the front?

 

of course not, it's not a forklift..it's a comparison

 

I just cant see where running flanges is a great idea on the street. I know the land crusiers use them but i cant see any advantage to them. Seems like the bad far outweighs the good. If you are too lazy to get out and lock hubs then you are too lazy to do a SAS in the first place.

 

Its also cost as well. Flanges are 100 for a pair. Good aisin hubs can be twice that. But with the gas use, it could take cost out of the comparison. And I don't mind locking the hubs every time. My pickup had them and it didn't bother me to lock them in for the day then unlock them when I remembered to. If it kills my gas mileage I might get hubs. I know my mileage will already be garbage with 4.88s.