Hub conversion vs. locker?

whats better on a daily driver? the price for the warn kit is really close to a locker. also does the warn kit come with heavy duty wheel bearings? i need to replace mine. im relativly new to the locker world so no fancy lingo please. thanks guys !

keith h-

well, a hub conversion only gives you manual hubs, it does nothing with your differential, so offroad there won't be any difference vs right now -- you'll still have an open differential.

well, if you are going to spend a lot of time off road, I would go for the locker.depending on what locker you are looking at, (since you are comparing the price of the Warn kit to a locker, I am guessing ARB) you could be in one for less than $300. I run a lock rite in the front of mine. I drove it 30 miles one way 5 days a week for close to two years without incident. In my opiniion, the Warn hub conversion is nice, but you can drop a lock rite in your axle, and make several trips to the U Pull It yard for spare axle shafts (if needed) for a lot less. Personally, I suscribe to the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) principle. If I breaak a stock (297 U jointed shaft) in the middle of nowhere, as long as there is a junkyard around, I shouldn't have much trouble finding a replacement. IF I broke one of Warn's parts, on the other hand.... Well- not much chance of stumbling across a replacement for that.

just my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth.

My suggestion is not spending the $700+ on the Warn manual hub kit, it is nice, but not worth it on the dana 30. Spend the $ on a 44 to replace the 30 if you have the $. Keep it simple like was said and get a lock rite and spare axle shafts or if you have the budget for $700 or so get a arb and then you only use it when you need it and limit the stress you put on the 30 dealing with a auto locker that is always on. Either way spare axle shafts would be nice, preferrably with 297/760 u-joints and non disco.

Troy

we're not debating the worthiness of the hub kit (IMHO it's very much worth it, D44's are overrated), the original question was the hub kit vs a locker. Keith didn't really understand the differences in the two concepts, and he and I have chatted backchannel about it and I think he understands what each kit does and doesn't do now and what they're for (very different purposes).

Yes, locking hubs and a locking differential are very different things. My wife still gets confused occasionally

So do I...

Would you care to elaborate.

here is my research on manual locking hubs:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39069

lockers - grab bag - your up to your own to search for thoes...


anyway - a manual hub convertion unlocks the Hubs (on the d30 they are always locked in) making it so to shift into 4x4 you need to get out and twist the hubs and engage them.

the advantage of manual hubs is:
less wear and tear on the axleshaft u-joints, shafts, ring and pinion, carrier, front DS, and front T-case output

also - if you already had a front locker and didnt want to ratchet while in the street - manual hubs would help you out.
basicaly this mod makes it so that you can completly disconect your front drivetrain and it wont have to move anymore.