Manual Hubs on an 02 Taco DC

[LawlerClan]

I searched the forum but didn't see anything. I have an 04 4wd Tacoma with the auto hubs. I spend 95% or more of the time in 2wd on the road and rack up some pretty good miles as it is my DD. I am toying with the idea of converting the auto hubs to manual.

Has anyone done this?
How much if any mpg might I gain?
Anything to be concerned about?

I realize that the gas savings may not make up for the cost but I get some perverse satisfacton out of spending the money up front and saving a little everytime I go to the pump. If it lessens wear on the vehicle all the better.

It is a Toyota certified vehicle so I am assuming this will not help with the remainder of the 3 yr/36k or 10/yr 100k warrenty?

Thanks in advance.

Chip

 

[offroad_nomad]

Check out Off Road Solutions Manual Hub Conversion Kit.

Yea, I know it's expensive.

I know of several 3rd Gen 4Runners using the ORS kit. I've been thinking about adding it to my 4Runner as well.

 

[Bighead]

You can either find a manual hub Tacoma doing an SAS and buy the the spindles and axles or you can do the junkyard search. This page has a list of items to look for if you decide to search the yards: Do it yourself Tacoma Manual Hub Swap to a 1996-2002 4Runner

 

[Martinjmpr]

Interesting article. Thanks for the link. I like the idea of manual hubs (both from a strength/possibility of failure viewpoint and also a fuel economy viewpoint.) I was all set to email ORS to ask questions when I noticed that they're just across town in Arvada...I may just decide to pay them a visit in person! Cool!

 

[DaveInDenver]

Interesting article. Thanks for the link. I like the idea of manual hubs (both from a strength/possibility of failure viewpoint and also a fuel economy viewpoint.) I was all set to email ORS to ask questions when I noticed that they're just across town in Arvada...I may just decide to pay them a visit in person! Cool!

I'm personally a fan of manual hubs, xfer cases and all that. I don't get tremendously better mileage with my hubs open, a mile per gallon or two. Mainly I think the advantage on IFS trucks is the reduction of wear and tear on the CV joints when you lift the truck. Stronger, replacing a two piece arrangement with an actuator with one solid axle is good, but you add in hubs that can fail where before you just had drive plates. Warn hubs are OK IMHO, but Aisin hubs are very strong, not known for becoming grenades or anything. I have bashed mine enough to break the dials on occasion, but the hubs themselves are plenty strong. There are more pieces in the hubs with manual dials. An Aisin hub has around 30 pieces in it and there are a couple of new parts on the spindle itself, a c-clip, etc. Honestly, though, if my truck didn't have manual hubs and it cost $1000 to convert it, I'd probably skip it and buy a fridge and beer to stock it instead. This assumes that you do not need them because of a lift or something.

 

[mountainpete]

My personal opinion:

While I like manual hubs for the reliablity, the cost of such a conversion and resulting benefits do not justify the expense. The MPG increase is minor and you can replace a lot of CV's for that money. Do your homework of how long it will take for you to see financial benefits before you commit to anything. Or just spend that thousand dollars and hours of time into an adventure you will never forget.

Going SAS - that's a whole other story... unk03:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Well, I have no plans to lift my truck (funny thing: Everyone in the family who sees it always asks if it's been lifted! Must be the optional 16" wheels that the original owner ordered!) and I agree that $1000 is a huge chunk of change. I guess it comes down to whether the ADD system is as reliable as the manual hubs. While I realize that manual hubs can fail, (a) I'm not a hardcore rock-crawler, and (b) I've never broken or damaged a hub on any of my previous 4x4's, which goes all the way back to my very first vehicle, a 1957 International Travelall with a 240 Six and a two-stick transfer case! (bought in 1979 and sold in 1982.)

Dave: I'm with you on the manual stuff. One of the reasons I wanted a 2004 is that it's the last year with a manual shifting T-case. I hate pushbutton T-cases, and was very disappointed to see Toyota going to them with the '05 Tacos. A buddy of mine had a '99 Ranger with the pushbutton T-case and in Laramie's cold weather it would sometimes fail to engage. I think he had it back at the dealer numerous times to try and fix it, and although they eventually did, my point is that I don't mind automatic thingies if they give you a genuinely new capability to do something you couldn't do before (like an auto tranny or full-time 4wd) but to put a fragile, point-failure device into a system that ultimately doesn't give you anything "extra" is just dumb. Except for the fact that it allows the interior designers to use the same interior for a 4x4 that they use for the 4x2, I cannot see one single advantage of the pushbutton T-case over the manually shifted T-case. I mean, it's not like it takes weightlifter strength to move the t-case handle! Hell, you don't even have to throw in the clutch!

I kind of feel the same way about power windows, power doors and remote keyless entry. My last car (a 1999 Subaru Outback) had all of these things (plus an auto tranny) and while it was nice, there was always a nagging feeling in the back of my head that if any of these things failed, I was looking at a hefty repair bill to repair something that was, ultimately, a luxury and not a neccessity. So when I got the Taco, with its 5-speed tranny, manual T-case shifter, and roll-up windows, I felt a lot more comfortable that there were fewer things to go wrong.

 

[viter]

I think ADD on 2001-2004 tacomas is plenty strong and reliable not to require upgrading to manual hubs. Plus it offers on-the-fly 2wd to 4wd and back switching capability which can be usefull on the trail. IMO switching to manual hubs will be a waste, but that's just my opinion.
Sorry, can't actually answer any of your questions on MPG or doing the switch, except for suggesting searching for info on TTORA.

 

[RoundOut]

Although I don't have a Taco, my experience on the Tundra (my daily driver, too) with ORS manual hub conversion kit is quite pleasant. I was busting CV boots way too often (3 outer boots, two on one side and one on the other) after my lift. The 4x4 Tundras (00-06 Access Cabs) are usually OK without incident up to 2.5 inches of lift, especially if you drop the differential with spacers. My heavy front bumper dropped the front almost an inch over stock, so I lifted mine 3.5", settling at 2.5". The articulation on extension is pretty extreme, keeping me off the skinny pedal in rough terrain, but my CVs remain as tight as the day I bought the vehicle. I think it is because the last 49,000 miles have been without much wear on the CVs.

I got my truck lifted after using up the rubber on the original tires at 32,000. At 48,000 and 3 boots in the most recent 18,000 miles, I elected to get the kit. I did not see noticeable improvement in fuel economy, though. I have never had to replace the boots since. I am at 81,000 miles. In town, the only time I engage the hubs is on very slick roads during our Houston deluges. Offroad, I engage them if it is muddy or if it looks like I will need the 4wd, but not otherwise.

Although some have expressed concerns, the ADD works great on my truck. I'd be surprised if it is much different on the Tacos. Many of the other parts of the drive train are similar on both platforms. I hope this helps.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Hmmmm....well, if the ADD isn't failure prone, I may just keep it. The old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. Besides for $1000 I can get all sorts of cool stuff....