Hub Conversion - Dodge Diesel

MassZJ · #1 08-23-2009, 01:16 PM

Been doing a lot of searching and researching and figured I would just go and post up. I have an 03 2500 want to convert the hub assembly to a normal manual locking hub setup. What I am looking for is to be able to service the front end without having to replace the hub assembly every time. Better MPG would be a bonus, but am not betting there will be much in terms of gains there.

I have found 3 places so far that sell kits to do the conversion and upgrade the outers to 35 spline. Seems to be a wide range in prices too.

Dynatrac - $1989 - http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/...t-p-19444.html
EMS Offroad - $1550 - http://emsoffroad.com/shop/index.php...roducts_id=216
DLUX Fab - $940 - http://www.dluxfab.com/

Anyone here do the conversion and what are your thoughts? Worth the $$ to modify the axle to the way it should have been in the first place?

JP-4.5 · #2 08-23-2009, 03:41 PM

I When I searched around the one I chose was SolidAxle
http://www.solidaxle.com/ProductCart...7&idproduct=88

The DLUX is new to me? I have never heard of them. I have about 30k on mine and am glad I did the conversion. Did not think about the savings as I plan to keep the truck for a long time and just wanted a serviceable unit. I had one hub bearing fail and was when I decided to make the change. I believe I saw 1-1.5 better MPG but it is very hard to determine if it was just the hubs as I have made other changes in the same time frame. I do think it will help the front end parts live longer by relieving some of the work of the steering from moving all the 4x4 parts.

Good luck with your choice...

One of the big items when I chose SolidAxle was their unit came completely assembled. The other 2 at the time you had to assemble and reading some of the manuals talked about a special press for the wheel studs. One of them wanted you to remove the wheel studs from the old setup and move them to the new unit.

Highway 4x4 · #3 08-23-2009, 05:07 PM

This has been beat to death here. Yea, I want to do it but it's the $$$$ for something that is working just fine as it is.

MassZJ · #4 08-24-2009, 07:52 AM

I agree it is a lot of $$$ for something that is working fine. But whenl you need to change out a u-joint and you go to pull the hub and it doesnt just fall right out like one would hope. Then you would wish you could just spin 2 nuts off the spindle, slide the hub off, remove the spindle, and BAM, easily change said u-joint. That is the beauty of this modification.

I received an email back from the guy at DLUX, his kit is for trucks up to 2002 with the D60 axle, so that is out.

Are there any other places or companies putting a conversion kit together or is it just Dynatrac, Solid and EMS?

enafzige · #5 08-24-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Are there any other places or companies putting a conversion kit together or is it just Dynatrac, Solid and EMS?

Unless they've started a big production run in the past few weeks, the Solid kit is no more. They stopped producing maybe a year ago, and all suppliers that I checked were out of existing stock.

I don't think you can beat the Dynatrac kit. Call and talk to them, and check out the pictures of their Dynaloc hubs...the difference between them and the Warn are AMAZING!

DODGER BOMBER · #6 08-24-2009, 12:06 PM

I got the EMS kit. 110,000km and not 1 issue yet. Worth every penny in my mind. I run 37's and it made my truck 100 times better than stock and i did gain some MPG from it. Like i said worth every penny. I looked at the Dyna trac before i bought EMS, i think they were over priced so i saved 700 bucks and went ems and have been happy with there product ever since.

ddestruel · #7 08-24-2009, 01:37 PM

ive had both dynatrac and EMS kits few minor differences. i dont need premium warn hubs, platic warn hubs work for me nor the bearing races etc installed for me so i opt for the EMS kit for the $ savings. at the time it was 1295 when i bought it and dyna trac was $1900.

I that guy has a kit that works from 2000-2002 then it whould be adaptable for the 2003-07 my kit on my 03 came off my 02.

everyone always forgets when they say things are working fine why spend the money........... It's the saturday evening on highway 50 in the middle of NV when your unit i bearing starts squeeling and you discover 10 miles later that the closest town with a repair shop is 80 miles away (towing bill for truck + towing bill for trailer) and the closest replacement unit bearing was a dodge only part so you'll be spending money on overnight shipping monday morning to hopefully get it monday night or tuesday morning (add hotel bills + mechanic+food and lost travel time for 3 days when you are on a trip)

pretty quick $1500 investment especially after the towing bill etc i find the replacement of a problematic part that is impossible to inspect and repack with grease prior to traveling across the most desolate road in the country seems pretty cheap. or you can do it my way like i did in 2002 and spend close to $1400 on one replacement wheel bearing only to find out 3000 miles later that the other side was going then 30k miles later the $1400 gold plated bearing took a crap again SO in two years i spent close to $2000 on two unit bearings only to 30k miles later find out i needed to invest more money in unit bearings....... $1295 was cheap at that point vs ever spending 3 more days in BFE NV and paying toothless meth towing company to haul me into bend you over mechanical repair shop in a town with not much more than a brothel, several hotels and 3 TV channels all in the heat of August.

SOhappy · #8 08-24-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddestruel

everyone always forgets when they say things are working fine why spend the money........... It's the saturday evening on highway 50 in the middle of NV when your unit i bearing starts squeeling and you discover 10 miles later that the closest town with a repair shop is 80 miles away ...

Something similar happened to me in on trip that took me through Minden, NV. Luckily I was able to limp into the Napa parking lot, buy the part, borrow their tools, fix it myself and and I was on my way in a few hours for just the cost of the parts.

No toothless meth towing company or brothels involved.

pullin hard · #9 08-24-2009, 11:01 PM

that was the high light of my night!!!!!
i have a buddy that runs the ems kit, seems pretty good, i installed it. the rotors they use are not as thick, and they are ford parts, but no problems with his kit, i have seen the dyna trac kit too, and it seems really good too. i guess it depends on what money you want to sell out, and what bearings each kit uses, i will be looking into both kits myself, and will go with which ever i can easily get oparts for regardless of price.

MassZJ · #10 08-26-2009, 04:33 PM

EMS says they are on BO for about 6 weeks...

Asher · #11 08-26-2009, 09:44 PM

I don't know anything about fords, but since thier bolt patterns are the same, and don't they run AAMC alxes also??? If so has anyone looked to see if the spindles would bolt onto our knuckles or something???

The biggest problem I have with the current lockout offering is how much those things stick out. If you see the ones on fords they are almost flush with the wheel surface... I am guessing someone has already researched this option, but if not maybe someone (that can look closely at a ford set up) could. Sure would be a great option, especially being able to use factory parts instead of aftermarket stuff...

rootercycles · #12 08-28-2009, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highway 4x4

This has been beat to death here. Yea, I want to do it but it's the $$$$ for something that is working just fine as it is.

I did the EMS kit. At the time I did it, (2007), the kit was not fully assembled. This has been the best upgrade by far to my ride! As for "working just fine", they went with the current hub design to save cost of manufacturing, not because its a superior design.

UnrulyNFS · #13 08-28-2009, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassZJ

I have found 3 places so far that sell kits to do the conversion and upgrade the outers to 35 spline. Seems to be a wide range in prices too.

Dynatrac - $1989 - http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/...t-p-19444.html
EMS Offroad - $1550 - http://emsoffroad.com/shop/index.php...roducts_id=216
DLUX Fab - $940 - http://www.dluxfab.com/

Anyone here do the conversion and what are your thoughts? Worth the $$ to modify the axle to the way it should have been in the first place?

No ABS on the DLUX kit.

Guess that's why their so much cheaper. Of course, some people might like that.

MassZJ · #14 08-28-2009, 06:48 AM

UnrulyNFS, if you read my next post, the DLUX kit is not designed to work with AAM axle, only the D60. I spoke with the owner and he is working on a kit but not sure when it will be read for production. As for ABS, it is an additional $300 I believe to add that on if you want/need it.

UnrulyNFS · #15 08-28-2009, 07:36 AM

I did read the post. I was looking for a 2nd gen and was wondering why it was cheaper. I've already got free spins and was not looking for a 3rd gen. He did say his kits through 2002 were ready though? My buddy's truck is an '02 and his website says he was still working on the '00-'02 trucks.

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