Free Spin conversions??

[juniort444e]

Any one covert their trucks over to the free spin hub conversions? If so who did you use, Dyna Trac's kit or Ballistic Fabrications kit.

Im looking into doing this very soon.

Is it worth the cost?

Is it really a better solution to our nonservicable hubs?

Is it strong like they say it is?

 

[2000wa250]

Interested too....here's a bump

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Denver]

PMF has a kit as well. I'll be getting the PMF one when the time comes. It replaces the unit bearing with a traditional wheel bearing that is serviceable and I believe it is easier to replace than the unit bearing.

 

[Vader's Fury]

I am looking into this as well.

Gotta be some guys on here with experience with these.

 

[juniort444e]

Thats what i hear for all of them.

The price for one from Dyna, is somewhere close to if not more than $2000
One from Ballistic is $1100 ish.

Im just trying to figure out who likes them and who doesnt and for what ever reasons. I dont want to spend that kind of money and it not last. But have servicable bearing is sooooo nice.

 

[MadDiesel73]

havent seen the kit from ballistic fab. looks cool though id like to see some install instructions. since it says some modification is needed.

 

[lincolnlocker]

Only benefit really would be the bearing setup!!

 

[Zmann]

We already have a free spin unlike some trucks

and installing a unit bearing is easier IMHO and the whole reason is they don't need set up

you also loose your ESOF with the unit bearing delete kits

 

[juniort444e]

Whats esof

 

[Zmann]

if u have the dash actuated Electronic Shift On the Fly = ESOF
you loose that ,, but you don't have your specifics listed so it may not be an issue

actually if I didn't have ESOF I would think about the swap harder

 

[Strictly Diesel]

DynaTrac here. I hardly every use 4x4, but with full manual hubs I can now use 2WD-Low with just a flick of the switch on the dash...nice for pushing trailers around.

DT kit is very nice, I would do it again. Bearings are serviceable, spread farther apart than the unit bearings so they can handle more load, more easily replaced for less $ if needed...I think it's a great idea.

 

[Zmann]

I have 2 low and ESOF but I got creative with wiring and a relay ;-)

 

[co04cobra]

You guys would rather spend 2K to go back in time. That would be like converting your PSD back to a IDI. Greasing wheel bearings is a PITA and time consuming. If you buy quailty unit bearings you might replace one every 100K miles or so. You could replace unit bearings till 500K miles for 2 grand. You also can have 2wd lo with just regular lock/out hubs.

The only situation these might work would be if you spent a lot of time in extremely muddy or under water conditions. Just my .02

 

[G Racing]

Oversized tires will take a toll on the factory bearings.

 

[juniort444e]

My unit bearing now are pretty much ruined. And I am at 188000. They have been getting worse since 120000, i just neglected them until now.

Whats wrong with greasing the bearings. I would rather do that, while i have to grease all the other fittings every year than worry about how much money i dont have at any giving time to replace a whole unit bearing.

Thanks Strictly diesel. thats the feed back i was looking for.

Zmann, obviously you can tell i dont have that, because i didnt even know what it was. Mine are manual lock outs.

And whats this 2lo you guys are talking about.

 

[Trapn 6.0]

2lo. Keep your front hubs unlocked and put t-case in 4 wheel low and voila, you have low gear to just the rear wheels.

 

[Vader's Fury]

Oversized tires and the fact that I spend alot of time driving around the fields on the farm and other back roads are the reasons I am looking into this. I have 160k on my truck and they need replaced. I have already replaced the unit bearings once around 75k.

 

[Charles]

Here's the main thing to keep in mind.

There's no need to compare the ease, or cost associated with replacing bearings with each system, because if you rid yourself of the unit bearings, you will simply never replace another bearing as long as you live.

It's not like the conversion allows you to run cheaper bearings, although it does. But that's not the point. The point is.... when you run a REAL bearing assembly, where LARGE bearings are separated by TWICE the distance, they simply DON'T require replacement.

Go on with your life and stop buying unitized assemblies for the rest of your life.


I have NEVVVVVVVVER replaced, nor serviced the bearings on ANY of our vehicles before they switched to unitized bearings. EVER.

NONE of them have any play or problems with the bearings.


It's physics. You can't support the same load on bearings spaced right next to one another without incurring dramatically more stress than if the bearings were spaced a few times farther apart.

The OEM's did NOT go to unitized bearings because they were more durable. They were CHEAPER to use when building trucks in an assembly line, and they get to sell you hundreds of dollars worth of unitized bearing assemblies for the rest of the truck's life.

Duh.

 

[Vader's Fury]

LOL Duh.....

 

[Charles]

LOL Duh.....

I was just trying to say, it's not used because it's superior. It's pretty much inferior in every way aside from time to assemble on a line, and never ending source of parts revenue.

Hence their widespread use by OEM's.


Ford gets nearly 500 dollars from me every other year when I buy ONE of them. Anybody that thinks that's crazy.... you're right. Anyone that thinks I'm crazy for paying that, you're right. Show me a cheaper one for an early 99 without ABS and I'll dive on it.

I may build my own bearing conversion.