Which hub is it?

[mbw13]

Hi all,

sounds like a dumb question!

I've got a 1996 Wizard (LTD) 3.1TD. I've got no idea what kind of hubs it's got. I presume they're auto-locking? Correct me if I'm wrong. One thing I've noticed is that they don't seem to lock in straight away, compared to the old Trooper which as soon as you shifted the transfer lever into 4WD, the hubs were locked in.

Cheers,
Mike.

[geeves]

3 choises.
Manual but if it was these there would be a knob on each hub
Auto These should have auto written on them This is most likley. They normaly take about a meter to lock or unlock. Any furthur and a clean and grease or change to manuals is a good idea.
If you have torque on demand which I belive wasnt introduced till 1999 there is no visable hub on the outside.

[Witchdoctor]

;D I have the torque type on my 96 Mu

Cheers Geeves

Dave

[Bruce]

The torque on demand where standard on the 1996 Wizards and there for there are no hubs, the previous own of our Wiz put manual hubs on just stops the CVs going round when not in 4WD, I think.
Cheers Bruce

[mbw13]

Cheers for the responses guys, there is no visable hubs, just a black cover looking thing. I need to invest in an English manual, the Jap version obviosly doesn't make any sense, how does this torque on demand thing work, such as engaging, disengaging, effectiveness? etc

[JustinW]

Your Wizard is like mine. They have no frewheeling hubs as such. There are drive flanges at the end of the stub axles. The freewheeling action is actieved by a vaccuum operated clutch (of some description, I've never had one apart) on the front axle by the diff. When you are out of 4wd one axle spins but is not connected to the diff. The other side spins the diff and the diff action means the drive shaft doesn't turn. Clear as mud? This is my understanding of it, if I'm wrong hopefully someone will correct me.

This system means you have all the advantages of auto freewheeling hubs ie put the lever in 4wd and it engages with the advantages of manual freewheeling hubs ie when they are in they are in and won't pop out in reverse or other embarressing situations.

The drawback, and there has to be one, is that the axles and CVs are still turning and hence wearing. This can be a problem particularly if you have raised suspension as the CVs run at a bigger angle and you end up chewing out CV boots, which is a really messy job to change! One way to over come this is to fit manual hubs and engage them in the morning before you go 4wding and disengage them when you get home.

As for engaging and disengaging they are great. As soon as you engage 4wd they go in and come out as soon as you release the load after disengaging 4wd. As for how effective, look at the photo on the left. My vehicle was quiety driven into this position and quiety backed out of it. If it had auto hubs they probably would have unlocked when I backed up and I would have disappeared backwards down the hill.

[Bruce]

Hi Justin, you would have read my thread here, on that I probably was not real clear, anyway the previous owner told me similar as you have said, kept going through cv's and was told to put manual hubs on. Which he did, I was going to take them off the Wizard and put the normal hubs back on it and the manuals on the MU, which has auto of course (they are crap especially now I wont to put a front Lokka on) so Iam very happy to see this thread of your here, thanks mate.
Cheers Bruce

[pig75]

yes auto hubs are crap just listen to them release at the worst time video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8097726906641502670