Problems with AUTO FREE WHEEL HUB on '90 Ti petrol Patrol

[Echotree]

Hi all,

I'm having an issue with the Automatic free wheel hubs on my newly acquired 90 mod Ti petrol (high roof vesion) These hubs are different to the manual free wheel hubs in that they have a "LOCK" and "AUTO" position, rather than "LOCK" and "FREE" on the manual free wheel hubs.

I have found that the passenger side front hub, when in the "Auto" position is remaining locked despite foward and reverse movements, (while I am in 2wd) or jacking up that wheel and moving both the wheel and front shaft back and forwards. I have also moved and tapped the position selector, without success. The driver's side hub is freeing itself and appears to be functioning normally, except that it starts to 'grate' or 'click' when I get up to 2nd/3rd gear speed (assuming b/c the other side is locked in and it isn't), and when I slow down to nearly walking pace, it engages with a clonk, and the clicking therefore stops. It is locking automatically when in 4wd and driven by the front shaft forward or reverse, as it is designed to do.

Unfortunately my manual does not have a pictorial representation of the Auto hub, only the manual hub. It does give a verbal description however and also provids the disassembly and reassembly info.

I am wondering if anyone else has had any experiance with this issue? I noted in the manual that the Auto hub cannot be dismantled, so do I just have to source another whole hub, or is there a way of freeing up this one that is locking in the Auto position, when it should be free?

I am also wondering if the manual free wheel hubs will fit on this axel? (The axel, as far as I can assertain is a LSD type).

I am currently driving the vehicle with the hubs in the locked position to avoid the nasty clicking sound, which I am sure is not good for the vehicle! Any thoughts or even diagrams of the internals of the Auto free wheel hub would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

[93patrol]

Driving with the hubs locked is no issue other than a little bit fuel usage. The best thing you can do is service your front hubs either by you doing it or getting a mechanic to do it.

Try a search on YouTube there should be someone on there doing a service on the hubs and a step by step way to do it

[NissanGQ4.2]

The auto hubs can be dismantled and yes manual hubs will fit, your front diff will not likely be LSD only the rear.

When hubs locked in auto position the front hubs will automatically engage when in 4wd and the disengage by reversing a few meters. When doing a track where you know a lot of reversing maybe involved its better to lock them in manual before hand or you will find it will keep unlocking.

Have a read of this thread: www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?596-Fixing-GQ-GU-auto-hubs&highlight=auto+locking+hubs

I removed my auto locking mechanism due 2 it failing with the same issues your experiencing.

Cheers

Toddie

[klompy]

If your happy with the auto hubs source a replacement but if you change to a different set of hubs make sure you know how they fit and get all the bits in he right place,it can be confusing.

[Col.T]

G'day Echoman,
seems as if some of us have a set of bummer auto hubs and others never get to experience that pleasure.
I suspect that continual use of the auto set without manually locking them in causes some sort of wear and they finally give you the TomTits like we've both got.
My wagon was used by a highways work site inspector out back and that's when the wear occurred before I got it at auction, I reckon.
The conversion shown at the thread above is going to have to happen for me real soon as it's just getting worse all the time. Replacement manuals will be the last resort.
Good luck,
Col

[04OFF]

.

When hubs locked in auto position the front hubs will automatically engage when in 4wd and the disengage by reversing a few meters. When doing a track where you know a lot of reversing maybe involved its better to lock them in manual before hand or you will find it will keep unlocking.



Not exactly right Todd, Auto hubs should NOT actually disengage when reversing if you are still in 4WD, otherwise you could never reverse up a muddy hill, or free yourself from sand by rocking/rolling backwards and forwards etc

The disengage problem is, when you get a front wheel in the air, or one wheel loses and regains traction, or, you are aggressive with on/off throttle in slippy conditions, the hubs can get "over driven" by the inertia carried by the spinning road wheel, in this case, the tyre and wheel spins faster than the axel, this simulates or tells the auto hub, the car is actually in 2WD.

So in this situation, the hub attempts to unlock thinking 2WD has been selected (of course the car is still in 4WD), and as soon as the car regains traction, the axel is now spinning faster than the wheel, and so the axel is now "driving" the hub again, and so hub does exactly what it is designed to do when you select 4WD, "engage !"


All this normally happens when you are on the throttle climbing a hill etc, and giving the car lots of revs or a bit of stick, (imagine wheel stopped, and locking the hub in while the axel is spinning at 3000rpm) the result is to weaken, or smash a hub, both causing a failure now (or later when you do something easy), so then of course, people blame the auto hubs, accusing them of being very weak, when really it was just user error that caused them to fail :clownredpuff:

[NissanGQ4.2]

Not exactly right Todd, Auto hubs should NOT actually disengage when reversing if you are still in 4WD, otherwise you could never reverse up a muddy hill, or free yourself from sand by rocking/rolling backwards and forwards etc

Sorry yep I stand corrected :):):)

Thanks for the explanation :):):)

[Echotree]

Thanks NissanGQ4.2 for the useful link. I think I might pull them off today and do the job!

Is there a way to externally identify if the front diff id LSD? I was told by a mechanic who is into Patrols that it may have been, but have no knowledge in this area myself.

Thanks to everyone for the great replies and willingness to give your time to answer my questions,

Blessings,

[Echotree]

Job done! Unfortunately one of the hubs had disintergrated and when I pulled it off, I got broken bits of metal, but I have just stuck it back for now free spinning. I will get a set of manual hubs off another patrol I have recently bought for parts, but not picked up yet, when I get it.

All the best and thanks again for all the great info!

[NissanGQ4.2]

Thanks NissanGQ4.2 for the useful link. I think I might pull them off today and do the job!

Is there a way to externally identify if the front diff id LSD? I was told by a mechanic who is into Patrols that it may have been, but have no knowledge in this area myself.

Thanks to everyone for the great replies and willingness to give your time to answer my questions,

Blessings,

No worries mate, I have copied your LSD question into its own thread which can be found here: www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?24753-Is-there-a-way-to-externally-identify-if-the-front-diff-id-LSD&p=450171&posted=1#post450171

Cheers

Toddie