What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

Can this cause damage? What about burnouts and fishtailing?
If I remember correctly the reason you have front hubs in the first place is because when you drive on hard pavement with the hubs locked the rotational differences between the front wheels and rear wheels could damage the transfer case so you are only supsto drive with the hubs locked on the dirt. Is this right or wrong?
Can you put a locker or limited slip or Detroit locker in the front axle? And if you did so would you still need to have hubs?

I was watching this vid


And noticed that this truck has center caps on the wheels that cover the hubs. That is what prompted this question.

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

Locking the hubs causes the internal parts of the front axle plus the front driveshaft and a couple parts in the transfer case to rotate all the time.

It doesn't hurt anything except gas mileage.

The front to rear forces you are talking about happen when the transfer case is engaged also.

My daily driver Dodge Ram does not have hubs but a front axle disconnect. My Wife's DD Ram is a year newer and it does not. The axle spins all the time.

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

The purpose of lock-out hubs is to allow the front wheels to "free wheel",the same as a 2wd. They are an after thought that was not originally part of the design. The axle does not BECOME "live" until the transfer case is engaged from inside the cab. With hubs locked-in and transfer case in 2Hi,the wheels are turning the axle shafts and the driveshaft can also turn. With hubs locked-in and transfer case in 4Hi (or 4Lo),the wheels are turned by the axle. The point of lock-out hubs is to save wear & tear on the front drive parts,tires (some),and fuel economy (less drag).
You can run traction devices in front axles. You would only want a locker if the vehicle was strickly used on poor traction because the differentiation between wheels when turning,as you mentioned,is a concern. A posi/limited slop is what you need in front. GM offered a front posi,that few trucks were spec'd with

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

To add to special-K's comment.

I have an eaton e-locker in my front axle (dana 44)

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

at 5-6 mpg's, i leave mine unlocked on the road, but soon as i go off-road, there locked. nothing worse than having to get out in the water or mud to lock them

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

its actually good to run the hubs locked with xfer case in 2wd every once in a while. helps keep everything loose and ready to use. in fact as soon as winter hits my hubs are locked all winter until there is no chance of snow. shift on the fly 4wd!

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

Thanks for clearing that up guys.

Anybody care to venture a guess as to what size tires and rims are on the truck above?

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

id say about 35"s with 17" wheels

Re: What happens if you drive with you hubs locked all the time?
 

You will scrub the crap out of your tires!
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