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Yukon HardCore Locking Hubs Install

73K views 295 replies 77 participants last post by  csutton7 
#1 ·
YUKON HARDCORE LOCKING HUBS INSTALL
By Wayne Hartwig - DiffsOnly.com. The Differential Experts. Auto Parts & Services.

Problem:
Locking hubs on the current market are weak and hard to turn. With most needing to use pliers to get them to lock/unlock.

Solution:
The Yukon Hardcore Locking Hub is a new to the market locking hub. It’s a very simple design. It’s very easy to turn and uses much stronger chrome-moly internals. These hubs will not disengage under high torque applications. They will not vibrate to the lock/free position while driving down the highway or your favorite trail. They are literally so easy to turn, you ask yourself if it actually locked/unlocked! And to top it off, they are shorter than other hubs, to keep them off the rocks.

I installed these free of grease, to display the hubs and procedure better. When you assemble them, make sure you use plenty of grease on the contact points/splines.

1-Received the Hardcore Locking Hubs from Yukon. Like everything else I’ve received from them, it was well packaged. Even though the hubs comes in their own packaging, Yukon will package that package inside of another box with material to keep everything safe and looking nice when it arrives.





2-Here’s the box:





3-Open it up and here’s what’s inside.



4-And the directions



5-All opened up, and spread out



6-Side comparison of the profile with a competitor’s manual locking hub.

 
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#2 ·
7-Now on to the install. First, you need to remove your old hubs/drive flanges and make sure the inner splines of your wheel hubs are clean and free of rust or hardened grease. How well you prep this area will pay off later, as any issues here can make it difficult in turning the dial later. Now is an excellent time to service your wheel hub and spindle bearings!


8-Now liberally grease the inner splines of the hub and install the spring (again, grease not shown).



9-Install the spacer.



10-Now liberally grease the two drivers (outer splines and locking teeth) and push them into the hub.



11-Now push it in place and install the snap ring on the end of your stub shaft.



12-Now install the cam spacer into the retaining plate, push into place and install the larger snap ring.


13-Now push on the cam spacer and make sure there is about 3/16-1/4” of float between the driver and the snap ring on the stub shaft. If there is more/less, take it apart and make sure you got the correct spacer, if unsure call tech support.



14-Now to install the cap/dial. Lube the ears of the cam spacer, first. When you put the cap in place, make sure the ears of the cam spacer fit into the grooves of the cap. As well, put the dial in the ‘locked’ position. Now snug up each bolt/washer in a criss cross pattern and operate the dial, making sure it’s still easy to turn as you finish torquing the bolts to 22 inlbs. When you’re finished, again, make sure the dial is easy to turn. As well, set it to ‘free’ and make sure the tire free spins. And when turned to ‘lock’ that it indeed locks.


15- There it is! All done and ready to test. My overall impression of the Yukon Locking Hubs is very good. They appear to be built right, with a lot of thought in the design and with the quality parts that make up the locking hub, it should work great for many years to come! As well, if you need drive flange strength, but with the convenience of a selectable hub, these are for you!

DiffsOnly.com, LLC
6002 E Alki Ave, #6
Spokane, WA 99212
Tel: 509-340-3911
 
#111 ·
This part where I had troubles when I install mine into my 97 ford D60 hubs

I had to use deadblow to get the drivers in. More specific, the one that engages the hub splines. I believe because the spring "spread" out so it prevent the driver in as the spring get in the way between the spline on the driver and the hub's spline.

Did I miss something that will make the installation easier?

By the way I'm really happy with the product!
 
#4 ·
I can get you one, but there is nothing there. The cap is two solid pieces, with 2 big o rings; one between the selector and the body, and the body and the wheel hub. The selecter is solid, with a ramp and groove, to assure it stays in the unlocked position and won't vibrate loose. These fail to the lock position.

Actually, come to think of it, there is a cad drawing in the directions, on page 9:
http://www.ringpinion.com/Content/H...s/Hardcore_Locking_Hub_Installation_Guide.pdf


Let me know if you'd like see actual pictures of any portion and I'll get you one.
 
#5 ·
Nice writeup and thanks. I've been curious to look at the details of these. Pity they won't fit my Dodge axle, regardless of what Yukon has listed as the application on the package. Someone needs to inform the parts world that Dodge used external hubs exclusively up until about 1990 and even then both internal and external were available. :D
 
#7 ·
The kit will work on the 79-93 Dodge, non-disconnect, internal hub type.
My curiosity is if there's a real thread in there ? I am sure its better than the stamped version .
The body and dial isn't threaded at all. If you have the bezel off, in your hand, you can spin the dial a full 720*+ The dial just pushes out of the body and has a o ring groove in it. The only moving parts is the dial, but it's a solid ramp. And then of course the one driver and cam actuator....
 
#13 ·
PM Sent!
See some similarities between these and the old spicers. They look to be the best lockouts yet.
Exactly, and I have the same opinion of them. I've had my set for nearly a year and feel the same way about them today as I did when I installed the prototype set.
 
#17 ·
I have all the relevant Mopar Parts Manuals that show nothing but the external locking hubs and matching wheel hubs being available for the years I stated. I'll contact them when I get a minute to compile everything.
 
#18 ·
:smokin:
 
#20 ·
I got a set of these from Wayne the day they went on sale. I was using slugs on a non-trailered rig so I'd take them in and out all the time. PITA.

I'm running 41s, Atlas 4:1 and Yukon chromos.

I have several trips on them and couldn't be happier. I still carry my old slugs with me just in case but I don't think I'll ever need them.

Awesome product. Great write up, Wayne.
 
#25 ·
Yeah, I can't get anything but contact info for guys in sales and that's about worthless to try and get anything really done. Oh, well, it just makes their company look bad to have all those obvious mistakes in their product applications. Morons. :shaking:

Back on topic, the hubs look great but until they come out with an external version I doubt I will buy a set.
 
#26 ·
Here's a picture of the backside of the dial, Jess... :smokin: let me know if it shows what you were looking for :)




Also, I cut open one of the drivers so people can see inside. Note there are no heat treat lines and it has a rockwell of 60.

 
#28 ·
Yes. If you have a BOM of an axle that it will fit, let me know and I'll relay it back to Yukon.
 
#29 · (Edited)
#30 ·
If the GM full time D60s are anything like the Dodge full time D60s with drive flanges the wheel hubs are specific to the full time models. Everything else can swap between internal and external locking hub models but the wheel hubs themselves are different.
 
#34 ·
Agreed. All '75-'79 Dodge D60s are full time 4WD and use a external drive flange bolted to the wheel hub to keep the axle shafts engaged all the time. Here is a pic from the D60 Bible of a typical Dodge full time 4WD D60 hub with drive flange:



Naturally there is no way in hell the Yukon hub will mount to that wheel hub. I had assumed GM full time D60s were the same, but maybe that is not the case. The issue with '80-'90 Dodge D60s is that they use the identical wheel hubs but instead of the drive flange they all use the external Dana Dualmatic/Milemarker Selectro style hubs that bolt onto the same wheel hub the full time 4WD models used like my '82 W250 D60 in my Ramcharger:



Later Dodge D60s look basically the same as the '80s GM D60s with internal Warn hubs from the factory though some did still get built with the old style hubs for unknown reasons.
 
#37 ·
I had a set of late 70's GM D60 bearing hubs from a full time 4WD truck that did NOT have the snap ring groove machined into them. There was no way to to install a set of manual hubs as a result without having the hub groove machined into them. Everything other aspect of these bearing hubs was identical to the later hubs with the groove.
 
#40 ·
In the works :D
 
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