Full Time 4x4 Hubs 70 PW

[HJS]

So I recently bought a beater of a 70 w200. Some odd options and it has the special order tag. Total parts rig but I saw something interesting. It had the HD dana 44 with the 7 in closed knuckles, but no locking hubs. It has full time 4wd hubs on it. The truck ran and drove, slipped into 4h and 4L and it worked great. It's so rusty it's hard to tell if it was changed or if it was stock. Dodge did some weird stuff. Does anyone have any info? Ran into this before? Terrible idea to leave them on when I rebuild it?

[Wildergarten]

It had the HD dana 44 with the 7 in closed knuckles, but no locking hubs. It has full time 4wd hubs on it.

Curious! I'm guessing it might have been a truck meant never to run on asphalt. If it sat a long time the ring gear could have some rust. I'd be tempted to pull the cover, change the oil, and take a look. You might want to pull the front driveshaft until you inspect it as running it even without the T-case engaged would be harder on the front diff (although it would keep it coated in oil).

[712edf]

Does it have drum or disc brakes?

The full time D44 axle/hub was used from 74.5/75 through 79 and had discs.

Bucky

[dodgeboykim]

Locking Hubs were simply an option.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

The FSM shows front drive axles coming from the factory with "drive flanges" only. Locking hubs are an aftermarket product. Maybe they could also be special ordered? My first 62 W300 didn't have them, nor did a W500 I parted out. Many W500's didn't and still don't have them. Its a seller's market for Warn W500 locking hubs. Bidding starts at $500/set.

[712edf]

I don't think I have ever seen a 61-71 W100/200 with drive flanges. W300 & W500, yes. My W600 has them.

Bucky

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Me either Bucky. Except for the one mentioned above and the Dana 44F axle pictorial in the FSM. Would have to be pretty lame to drive your truck on the highway w/o the locking hubs.

[712edf]

Drive flanges were more common I suppose during the 40's-50's. Probably not an issue since most roads were dirt or gravel, there were no interstates & folks weren't in a fire of a hurry flying down the road to get somewhere. Drive flanges & low geared rigs matched the slow pace of life that was more prevalent back then. A 4x4 was basically a tractor with a cab & bed. Power steering/brakes/windows, automatic transmissions & air conditioning came about as our society became more delicate.

Bucky

[dodgeboykim]

I don't think I have ever seen a 61-71 W100/200 with drive flanges. W300 & W500, yes. My W600 has them.

Bucky

I have in my back yard a 66 Fargo W200 with drive flanges. Not common by any means.

[HJS]

It had the HD dana 44 with the 7 in closed knuckles, but no locking hubs. It has full time 4wd hubs on it.

Curious! I'm guessing it might have been a truck meant never to run on asphalt. If it sat a long time the ring gear could have some rust. I'd be tempted to pull the cover, change the oil, and take a look. You might want to pull the front driveshaft until you inspect it as running it even without the T-case engaged would be harder on the front diff (although it would keep it coated in oil).

So I am going to rebuild it, new bearing and such. It does have drum brakes. The data plate shows it originally had a HD front end. The truck is mostly going to be on pavement. My guess it this might have been a forest service truck but I have no way of knowing

[Wildergarten]

My guess it this might have been a forest service truck but I have no way of knowing

That is a legitimate guess. Have you scraped down to see if it has the original paint?

If you are going to drive that on pavement, you'll need a set of hubs. I had Warns on my '69, but the good news for you is that the same style was used on International Scouts and Jeeps. I sold a set of those to Hobcobble last year. You might ask him.

[HJS]

My guess it this might have been a forest service truck but I have no way of knowing

That is a legitimate guess. Have you scraped down to see if it has the original paint?

If you are going to drive that on pavement, you'll need a set of hubs. I had Warns on my '69, but the good news for you is that the same style was used on International Scouts and Jeeps. I sold a set of those to Hobcobble last year. You might ask him.

It was originally forest service Green. Long bed, 318 4 speed. Step side radio delete, just some weird options.
As far as the hubs go, that's good to know. Thanks for all the feed back

[Hobcobble]

Years ago...... I picked up a '70 W200 Dana 44 front axle from a fellow member down in Maryland.
It came out of a fire truck [brush buggy], as I recall. It had the full time 4WD
flanges on it. They're somewhere out in my shop.... I took them off to put on a pair of
period lock out hubs.

John

[wyota884]

I swapped my D44 for a D60 out of a '79 W300. It has drive flanges and I don't intend to change them. I don't see it harming anything in the t-case.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Just spins (wears) more gears, bearings and u-joints needlessly. Nothing has an infinite lifespan.

[Wildergarten]

I don't see it harming anything in the t-case.

I'm with Terry on this one: it's not the t-case that takes the grief of full-time hubs, but the driveline, spider gears, and front differential. It costs you mileage too spinning all that mass against friction. If you drive more than a thousand miles a year on pavement, it's probably worth installing locking hubs.

[712edf]

My rig has drive flanges. I don't drive it much, rarely more than 5-10 miles away from my home. I have it mainly for slick weather. I do have an ultra rare set of locking hubs for it but likely won't ever install them. The wear & tear of extra things spinning doesn't bother me, I have other vehicles for zipping along at speed.

Bucky