• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Locking hub conversions

H

haligan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Memphis, Tn.
i am in need of replacing my front wheel bearings. And as I am sure y'all know that the front comes in a nonservicable setup. So I want to convert the front to locking hubs. The only 2 kits I have found is Warn and Milemarker. Warn seems to be a bit more pricy compared to the Milemarker. Has anyone had any luck with either one. And what are the pros and cons of each. i think I want to go with the Milemarker unless I hear something really bad.
 
I didn't know about the Milemarker conversion. Where can I find info on this?
 
Chuck I just looked at the Milemarker site. They don't list any hubs for the XJ and the conversions for Jeep are to convert to original QuadraTrac to a part-time 4WD system.

Where on their site should I be looking?

{Edit} Never mind -- I found it. Thanks
 
XJCHUCK72 said:
www.Milemarker.com :laugh2:

Air compressors/Jeep conversions
Click to expand...

Click on catalog, then aircompressors/jeepconversions

it's the second from the top on the left side.

TruckFarm, seems to have the same info and a good price. There really isn't much info, I only heard about using the OEM disc's here on the board. You can try searching for it here, there was a small discussion not long ago.

Missed your Edit.
 
I'm still waiting for the funds o be freed up to do it but I am using the milermarker kit. they come ith crommoly shafts like the warn and do not reuier machining of rotors so i realy like it.buy july i'll have them.
 
I don't know anything about the MM hub conversion, but I've seen plenty of their hubs. The MM hubs are generally not as strong as Warn hubs. I have good friends who run MM hubs on purpose to act as a weak link, and they break them somewhat regularly, while the Warn Premium hubs (both internally splined) rarely break.

The 5 on 4.5 hub kit from Warn, and from the pics, also MM, use Bronco II hubs, which are not very strong. The first hub kits that Warn came out with (5 on 4.5) broke a lot of hubs. Warn immediately went back and worked on the hub and now those hubs hold up very well. Quite a few are running 35's in the rocks with those Warn hubs and they aren't breaking. I haven't ever seen or heard about the Mile Marker hub kit, this is the first time, so I haven't heard if the hubs will hold up or not.

If MM uses their Bronco II hub, I would assume it's not very strong, just like when Warn's kit first came out. Considering this, and since Warn hubs are generally stronger than MM hubs anyway, I would spend a few more bucks and stick with the proven product.

My .02
 
Warn Hubs....

I installed this kit on my '98 year before last. I hear you talking about prefering the MM kit because does not require replacement of the stock rotors. This is one of the GOOD THINGS about the Warn kit....at least on the later XJ's that use composite rotors. This kit requires earlier Wrangler full cast rotors which are more dimensionally stable- tend not to warp. Mine have not warped a bit in 30k miles with some really hard use.

Have not seen the MM kit so as to make any kind of a direct comparison, but i will tell you that the components of the Warn kit were top quality that included very HD bearings and greasable ujoints...and that bearing hub is a work of beauty!!

Good company support too- Email them and they will send you the installation instructions. Was possibly the best mod i made on my Jeep.
 
hub conversions

Well I went ahead and did it. I ordered the MM kit. As far as the rotors go I did not mention that I already have after market rotors. They are cross drilled and slotted ones from JCWhitney that are for the wrangler. I also went ahead and ordered a set of front "super axle seals" from quadratec. Has any one used these? Did I waist my money? Any way I will Keep U all updated once they get here and installed.:firedevil
 
MM kit

Pleaes keep us posted as to how the quality of the kit is, ease of installation, etc!

Thanks

Rob Bubala

:cool:
 
What year XJ??

The reason i ask is that you cannot just install full cast rotors on a hub that had composite previous. Changes the position of the rotor surface to caliper/pad placement. The only way you can do that is to use this kit to accommodate that change...or possibly using earlier style hubs, or maybe a whole Wrangler set-up.

Oh, and so far, slotted or/and cross drilled rotors seem to have had no appreciable effect on stopping power or resistance to warping on Jeeps people say. Seems it just looks cool. Also, the stock rotors that are then cross drilled in disregard to the vents actually tend to crack- need to be indexed...and i hear you got them from JC Whitney.

I just say this because the emphasis on those rotors you have placed may not be that great to have steered you in that particular direction.

Keep us posted. I am interested in how this kit goes together!!

Good luck!!!!
 
FYI: the MM Kit requires the same rotors and rotor mods that the Warn kit does, their instructions even state this.

Somewhere I'll have to dig up pics that a guy sent me who didn't use the full cast rotors on his MM kit when he first installed it. The rotor tore away from the "hat" while he was trying to stop on the road. It wasn't pretty. You also have to machine the center of the rotor hat just as you do for the Warn kit.

FYI: i have the first 2 pages of the MM installation instructions (which list the parts and rotor information) in PDF form if anyone is interested in a copy by email. It's 515KB.
 
someone was aying something about spobi on this thread....

I don't know jack about this stuff, but i hope its eagle that's posting spobi.....

that would be awesome!

spankings for eagle.

(fingers crossed)
 
Its hard to say how much you may gain in milage. I've heard 1 to 2 mpg but not sure if i belive it but it also depends on the vehical. As far as the kit reqiering machiend rotor thats new to me. I talked to a rep from Milemarker whos personal Daily drive was an XJ on 33s and he told me they didn't requier any thing but then again who knows theres plent of "experts " who don't know $h!t.
 
I'm running manual hubs on my XJ with 35's now, but I cant' really comment on mileage changes because I went to 4.56 gears at the same time that I got hubs. I can say though, that the combo of 4.56's and manual hubs increased my mileage with 33's by about 3mpg, going from 11-12mpg with stock 3.55's to 14-15mpg. Now that I'm running 35's, mileage is back to the 13's though most of the time. That's in mixed driving.

And the MM kit does require boring out the center hole of the rotor, as well as using the full-cast rotors. Again, I've got a .pdf file from MM of the first 2 pages from their instructions, if anyone's interested in a copy via email.
 
Sorry it took so long to reply. I have been out of town. Any way, to address the rotors, they are the full cast rotors. and yes I do have to have the center of the pilot hole machined outless then a 1/4 of an inch. I need to find a shop here in Memphis that will do that before I start. The rotors I have have been on my Jeep for about 1 and a half years. I love them. I have found that they creat a shorter stopping distance when wet. not to mention i have had the same pads for the same duration of the disks and still have plunty of pad togo. the only reason I have found that the rotors crack is due to extreme heat and then rapid cooling, such as taking a garden hose to them after driving an hour in city traffic.
As far as the kit I will start on it next week. But it looks pretty stout. I have already pulle it out of the box and had a look.
 
BTT


Haligan, how are you liking the MM kit?

I just want to make sure I fully understand all this. If I get the MM or Warn Kit I'll have to get earlier Wrangler (full cast) rotors & have them slightly machined on the inside? What years can I use for the rotors and how much do I have to get machined out?

The warn kit comes with an alloy stub shaft and the milemarker stub shaft isn't alloy? I'd rather have weaker hubs and let those be the fuse, but I don't want the stub shaft to be the weak link.....


Jason, I'd be interested in the instructions to look over...

Judd, what do you mean you can't change out the rotors with out accomodating them? You mean a pad change or what? "only way to do it is to use this kit" ... are you saying the only way I can switch to full cast rotors is to get a MM or Warn kit?


I'm just trying to clear up all this so I can get a better estimate of how much this is actually going to cost me.....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Anak
Ah. The Joys of Living in Idaho
Replies
8
Views
89
JohnX
JohnX
X
Making the frame purdy
2 3
Replies
44
Views
594
Bent
Bent
techno1154
Raise the trac bar
Replies
14
Views
3K
techno1154
techno1154
Z
3.5” lift - longer lower control arms or drop brackets?
Replies
8
Views
3K
Zojirushi
Z
T
Brake bleeding: vacuum/pressure or old school?
Replies
10
Views
707
lawsoncl
L
Back
Top