Thread: Old Nissan Safari query

Update is...all fixed.
New parts both sides (to make a 'proper' job of it).
Safari is back on the road, and with new WOF.
Young bloke did all the mechanical, and leg work (finding bits) too.

The problem with auto hubs is that the time you discover they don't work is the time you really do want them to work.
My old Prado decided the hubs were too old down a bank next to the Piako one afternoon...... what a rodeo it was getting out of there.

Yup... In actuality I was probably lucky mine dig the dog return spring fail and locked up while driving down the road in 2wd. At least you get a fright and find out without having to do a massive recovery as well!

My fuel economy improved by 1L/100km in my old SWB when I swapped the auto hubs for manuals..

At least one had obviously been full time rather than auto.

Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

My fuel economy improved by 1L/100km in my old SWB when I swapped the auto hubs for manuals..

At least one had obviously been full time rather than auto.

Yeah I didn't seem to have that issue, but I suspect the hubs were trying to engage at speed rather than being locked on all the time. If the hub is locked all the time like that, it's possible that the diff and front driveshaft are dragging and spinning one half shaft just enough to make the hub think that it's being driven and activating the hub locking mechanism. The other possibility is that the hub is simply not unlocking after being in 4wd as well. The third and probably the most common fault (apart from the one I had where the hubs try to lock at speed) is the hubs just stop locking full stop...

One thing to check with them is that the half shaft end float is still contained. If the hub starts playing up, it can dislodge the half shaft retaining circlip that stops the half shaft sliding back into the diff, and that can cause engagement issues and wear on the end of the shaft and the inside splines of the hub.