Yukon Gear: Front Hub conversion ?
04-18-2013, 12:13 AM
#16
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I installed the Yukon kit on my 05 about 6 weeks ago. It was an easy install.
You did go back and pull the lockout apart and grease it before installing the cap didn't you?
You did go back and pull the lockout apart and grease it before installing the cap didn't you?
04-18-2013, 02:51 PM
#17
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No mods that I can remember. Kit comes with instructions & everything you need. (except u-joints)
We did have to separate the inner & outer axle shafts. So that we could install the new extended outer shaft. We also inspected & replaced the 60k dried out u-joints with new grease-able units.
After seeing how dry the axle u-joints where from being non-serviceable style joints. We removed the front drive shaft & replace all 3 u-joints on it. With grease-able u-joints. (cheap insurance)
Yes we did grease the lockouts.
I have not seen a huge difference in mileage yet. Alot depends on how I drive it. I do have a few trips this summer, that I hope can help me check this.
My biggest relief is knowing that everything is now serviceable & up to date. While also cutting down on unneeded rotating mass in the front drivetrain. Those 60k dried out u-joints in the axle & drive shaft really got my attention. It could have been real costly if one decided to let go on a road trip.
Thanks,
Jeromie
We did have to separate the inner & outer axle shafts. So that we could install the new extended outer shaft. We also inspected & replaced the 60k dried out u-joints with new grease-able units.
After seeing how dry the axle u-joints where from being non-serviceable style joints. We removed the front drive shaft & replace all 3 u-joints on it. With grease-able u-joints. (cheap insurance)
Yes we did grease the lockouts.
I have not seen a huge difference in mileage yet. Alot depends on how I drive it. I do have a few trips this summer, that I hope can help me check this.
My biggest relief is knowing that everything is now serviceable & up to date. While also cutting down on unneeded rotating mass in the front drivetrain. Those 60k dried out u-joints in the axle & drive shaft really got my attention. It could have been real costly if one decided to let go on a road trip.
Thanks,
Jeromie
04-18-2013, 02:54 PM
#18
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I haven't been able to drive the truck enough to see the actual mileage difference, but empty I run 3-5% less load at 60-75 mph. That's going to mean some mileage increase.
I too replaced my axle u-joints, but I went back with the OEM ones.
I too replaced my axle u-joints, but I went back with the OEM ones.
04-18-2013, 07:56 PM
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04-18-2013, 08:42 PM
#20
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Yes the Yukon uses a Chevy length 35 spline D60 stub shaft, and D60 bearings.
The Yukon kit is wider, but according to Yukon they tested a narrower kit and they were not happy with the heat increase from the closer bearings.
The Yukon kit is wider, but according to Yukon they tested a narrower kit and they were not happy with the heat increase from the closer bearings.
08-21-2013, 11:33 PM
#21
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Just finished installing Yukon Gear kit on my 97
After facing the prospect of replacing the left front unit bearing again (would have been the 5th since buying the truck in 03), I decided it was time to seriously consider this upgrade again. The worn unit bearing was causing the front wheels to pull to the right, which is what started me looking into this again. So far I'm very pleased with this decision and the results. I also like the fact these hubs and lockouts protrude only about an inch further than the outer end of the OEM hub caps (I'm still running stock Dodge 16-inch steel wheels). My kit, for 94-99 SRW 2500/3500 RAM, came with Yukon Hardcore lockouts.
I didn't get any pics of the process due to it being a 1-man task and my hands being dirty and greasy throughout most of it. I did take a few shots after getting it back on the road (below). I knew what to expect while removing the wheels, unit bearings and axle shafts, but there were a few got-cha moments that caused the project to take longer than expected. I recommend anyone doing this project, whether it be with the Yukon or other brands, to read the instructions thoroughly and check all parts for proper fit and de-burr any parts needing such. I found one ding on the threaded area of one spindle, crossing 2-3 threads, where something had impacted it and made spinning the spindle nuts past that area near impossible. I used a small triangle shaped file to clean up the dinged area (reshaping the threads slightly) and all was good after that. All other parts appeared to be free of any defects or burrs.
Due to the right front U-joint having been in service since who knows how long (never replaced during my ownership) I decided to replace both left and right U-joints with grease-able units. Popping them out of the yokes, even with a hydraulic press, was a little bit of a task. I used a heavy duty sockets, slightly larger than the U-joint cap, to help push them out. Even with these tools they required a few heavy smacks with a hammer on the heavy part of the yokes to get them to release the caps so the press could push them out. Cleaning the corrosion inside the cap holes made installing the new U-joints go in considerably easier.
Another thing that slowed me down some was when it was time to drive the inner spindle bearing race into one of the hubs. Apparently there was an imperceptible irregularity and possibly conflicting manufacturing tolerances (the hub area near the edge of where the race needed to start being driven possibly being somewhat small and possibly the race being ever so large) that made installing it a real bear at first. I solved the problem by putting the race in our chest freezer over night, to shrink it a little, then taking it out and straight to the hub for installing it the next day. That made all the difference.
The last thing that made the installation difficult was the type of snap rings Yukon provided for installing in the groove near the end of the stub axle shaft, to hold the coil spring and driven and driver coupler discs in place. If you can imagine a snap ring made similar to 3 flattened coils of a slinky toy, with no snap ring tabs or holes for any tool to be used, you have an idea of what they're like. I've never seen any like this before and everyone I showed them to hadn't either. I simply couldn't figure how to get this type of snap ring over the end of the stub axle, all the while using one hand to push the coupler discs into the hub (against the spring pressure) while your hands are all greasy and slippery and using your other hand to get this new type snap ring installed into the groove.
I finally decided to see if a conventional snap ring with tabs and holes for snap ring pliers to spread it open could be used by checking all parts in that area to see if there would be any mechanical interference. I determined there wouldn't be and bought a couple of 1.5" snap rings and in no time they were in. And there wasn't any issue with using these instead. In my opinion this is something that Yukon should consider providing instead of these new type.
At any rate, after both spindles and hubs were installed and with the truck back on the road, I'm very glad I bought the kit and replaced the unit bearings with old school hubs and manual lockout spindles. I immediately noticed there was less steering effort to turn the front wheels with the lockouts in the free position. I have maybe 75 miles on the new hubs so it's a little early to tell if there will be a fuel mileage improvement to be gained. I did check the temperature of both hubs after the initial test outing with a digital laser thermometer and were warm to the touch, but not to bad, with one hub being 110-degrees right where the hub goes through the wheel and the other hub being 111-degrees. Also, the truck no longer has any pull to either side, confirming the unit bearing was at fault. I've also noticed the truck seems to roll easier in ever so slight road incline/decline areas where I know it wouldn't roll before, so there seems to be a little less rolling resistance than before. Hopefully this will translate into measurably better fuel mileage, however the main reason for this upgrade was to get rid of the unreliable unit bearing problems forever.
BTW, I bought my kit from EMS Offroad. I talked with Tom (as I recall) who answered all my questions and got the kit shipped to me very quickly. The kit cost me $1350 plus shipping. If anyone is considering this or any other brand kit I recommend giving EMS a call to see what they can do for you (I have no affiliation with them - I'm only a satisfied customer passing on my customer experience).
I didn't get any pics of the process due to it being a 1-man task and my hands being dirty and greasy throughout most of it. I did take a few shots after getting it back on the road (below). I knew what to expect while removing the wheels, unit bearings and axle shafts, but there were a few got-cha moments that caused the project to take longer than expected. I recommend anyone doing this project, whether it be with the Yukon or other brands, to read the instructions thoroughly and check all parts for proper fit and de-burr any parts needing such. I found one ding on the threaded area of one spindle, crossing 2-3 threads, where something had impacted it and made spinning the spindle nuts past that area near impossible. I used a small triangle shaped file to clean up the dinged area (reshaping the threads slightly) and all was good after that. All other parts appeared to be free of any defects or burrs.
Due to the right front U-joint having been in service since who knows how long (never replaced during my ownership) I decided to replace both left and right U-joints with grease-able units. Popping them out of the yokes, even with a hydraulic press, was a little bit of a task. I used a heavy duty sockets, slightly larger than the U-joint cap, to help push them out. Even with these tools they required a few heavy smacks with a hammer on the heavy part of the yokes to get them to release the caps so the press could push them out. Cleaning the corrosion inside the cap holes made installing the new U-joints go in considerably easier.
Another thing that slowed me down some was when it was time to drive the inner spindle bearing race into one of the hubs. Apparently there was an imperceptible irregularity and possibly conflicting manufacturing tolerances (the hub area near the edge of where the race needed to start being driven possibly being somewhat small and possibly the race being ever so large) that made installing it a real bear at first. I solved the problem by putting the race in our chest freezer over night, to shrink it a little, then taking it out and straight to the hub for installing it the next day. That made all the difference.
The last thing that made the installation difficult was the type of snap rings Yukon provided for installing in the groove near the end of the stub axle shaft, to hold the coil spring and driven and driver coupler discs in place. If you can imagine a snap ring made similar to 3 flattened coils of a slinky toy, with no snap ring tabs or holes for any tool to be used, you have an idea of what they're like. I've never seen any like this before and everyone I showed them to hadn't either. I simply couldn't figure how to get this type of snap ring over the end of the stub axle, all the while using one hand to push the coupler discs into the hub (against the spring pressure) while your hands are all greasy and slippery and using your other hand to get this new type snap ring installed into the groove.
I finally decided to see if a conventional snap ring with tabs and holes for snap ring pliers to spread it open could be used by checking all parts in that area to see if there would be any mechanical interference. I determined there wouldn't be and bought a couple of 1.5" snap rings and in no time they were in. And there wasn't any issue with using these instead. In my opinion this is something that Yukon should consider providing instead of these new type.
At any rate, after both spindles and hubs were installed and with the truck back on the road, I'm very glad I bought the kit and replaced the unit bearings with old school hubs and manual lockout spindles. I immediately noticed there was less steering effort to turn the front wheels with the lockouts in the free position. I have maybe 75 miles on the new hubs so it's a little early to tell if there will be a fuel mileage improvement to be gained. I did check the temperature of both hubs after the initial test outing with a digital laser thermometer and were warm to the touch, but not to bad, with one hub being 110-degrees right where the hub goes through the wheel and the other hub being 111-degrees. Also, the truck no longer has any pull to either side, confirming the unit bearing was at fault. I've also noticed the truck seems to roll easier in ever so slight road incline/decline areas where I know it wouldn't roll before, so there seems to be a little less rolling resistance than before. Hopefully this will translate into measurably better fuel mileage, however the main reason for this upgrade was to get rid of the unreliable unit bearing problems forever.
BTW, I bought my kit from EMS Offroad. I talked with Tom (as I recall) who answered all my questions and got the kit shipped to me very quickly. The kit cost me $1350 plus shipping. If anyone is considering this or any other brand kit I recommend giving EMS a call to see what they can do for you (I have no affiliation with them - I'm only a satisfied customer passing on my customer experience).
08-22-2013, 09:48 AM
#22
Registered User
After witnessing the Hubs from Hell removal yesterday at the shop I use,hopefully I'll be able to fund some freespins. I haven't read any heat related complaints from Dynatrac or Spyntec owners which seem to share the same length setup. My friend's beaten his Dynaloc setup to death in Baja on his '05 CTD w/aluminum flatbed mounted Phoenix popup. No issues. He repacked the bearings @ 25K and they looked like new. Dynatrac's got a customer w/400K+ on his bearings in their ad.
08-25-2013, 11:52 AM
#23
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I have about 300 miles on my new hubs and been monitoring the heat and all I can say is so far so good - no heat issues.
One other thing I forgot to mention in my first post above that slowed the assembly process somewhat and that was the fact the longer hubs made the process of pressing the new wheel studs through the rotor and hub a little more complicated. I have a 12-ton hydraulic press and had to figure a new/revised method for supporting the hub that I used when working with the unit bearings. After getting a process figured out the rest of the studs went in without too much more time than the old method.
Like most others, the first time removing the OEM unit bearings can be a challenge. Thankfully, there had been several other DTR members who provided very helpful tips for using the trucks power steering and sockets to make the chore much easier. After removing the OEM hub the first time the others I replaced were much quicker due to not needing to fight the corrosion built up around the OEM unit bearing. Now, provided I did everything right and such, I shouldn't have to deal with that ever again.
One other thing I forgot to mention in my first post above that slowed the assembly process somewhat and that was the fact the longer hubs made the process of pressing the new wheel studs through the rotor and hub a little more complicated. I have a 12-ton hydraulic press and had to figure a new/revised method for supporting the hub that I used when working with the unit bearings. After getting a process figured out the rest of the studs went in without too much more time than the old method.
Like most others, the first time removing the OEM unit bearings can be a challenge. Thankfully, there had been several other DTR members who provided very helpful tips for using the trucks power steering and sockets to make the chore much easier. After removing the OEM hub the first time the others I replaced were much quicker due to not needing to fight the corrosion built up around the OEM unit bearing. Now, provided I did everything right and such, I shouldn't have to deal with that ever again.
09-13-2013, 07:19 AM
#24
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I think it's safe to say that it's well worth the money reguardless of what free spin kit you install.
I have a few thousand miles on mine and am loving it. Biggest gotcha for me when I installed mine was getting all the 18mm bolts loose. I didn't have a powerful enough impact so I jad to use a breaker bar with a piece of pipe over it.
I have a few thousand miles on mine and am loving it. Biggest gotcha for me when I installed mine was getting all the 18mm bolts loose. I didn't have a powerful enough impact so I jad to use a breaker bar with a piece of pipe over it.
09-14-2013, 09:23 PM
#25
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The problem with making changes for mileage is that it takes so long to repay the investment. As said above, a "solid" 1mpg increase. At that rate it will take nearly 200,000 miles to break even. Unless you pay some one to do the work for you, and then it's considerably longer.
The only wear and tear you save will be on the axles, differential gears, and front drive shaft. Those parts will still wear out (it just takes longer), and can be replaced for less than the cost of installing this kit. So you don't save much money there, either.
If your hubs are already shot, and you need to replace those parts anyway, then this is a good option I suppose. But only if you plan on keeping the truck for a long time.
The only wear and tear you save will be on the axles, differential gears, and front drive shaft. Those parts will still wear out (it just takes longer), and can be replaced for less than the cost of installing this kit. So you don't save much money there, either.
If your hubs are already shot, and you need to replace those parts anyway, then this is a good option I suppose. But only if you plan on keeping the truck for a long time.
I fail to see how the parts in the above quote can wear out when they are not turning.
Jim O
06-11-2014, 10:37 PM
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OK, after having my hubs for about 12K miles I thought it's time to provide some more feedback. Long story short, I feel this is one of the best things I've bought and done for my truck. As mentioned earlier, the steering is noticeably lighter with the hub in free position and it's easier to backup, especially using 4-lo. While it had been quite a long time since calculating hi-way mileage when I had the OEM unit bearings I did check mileage last fall as I was driving to my elk hunting area, towing our Coleman pop-up camper (weighs about 2K or so). I filled my tank just east of Colorado Springs then drove north to Denver then went west on I-70 and topped the tank in Glenwood Springs. The route was a driving mix of 75-80 mph down to 50 or so (due to road construction zones) as well as the long climb up to Georgetown and then Vail Pass. When I checked mileage after that fill-up I was pleased to find I got right at 20 mpg.
Since that time I occasionally check the hub temps and they are running nice and cool. Another thing I've noticed is my front end has staying in alignment longer. When driving a road that doesn't have a pronounced crown or when high winds aren't trying to blow vehicles off the road, I can easily control and truck with very light finger touch on the steering wheel and can even let go of the wheel and not have to grab it to correct for drift for QUITE a long distance. I've also noticed my tires are wearing more evenly and tread depth isn't dropping as quickly either, indicating I'm getting somewhat better tire mileage too.
So, with all the advantages listed above and the fact I should likely never have to replace the bearing (or at least not for a VERY long time), I count this mod as one of the best I've done for my truck. And I know this thread is in the 3rd Gen forum but I didn't one specific to this topic in 2nd Gen at the time. Even so, I believe the newer Rams will benefit from this mod too, especially those running tires several sizes larger than stock and if your truck is taken off-road like I do with mine.
Since that time I occasionally check the hub temps and they are running nice and cool. Another thing I've noticed is my front end has staying in alignment longer. When driving a road that doesn't have a pronounced crown or when high winds aren't trying to blow vehicles off the road, I can easily control and truck with very light finger touch on the steering wheel and can even let go of the wheel and not have to grab it to correct for drift for QUITE a long distance. I've also noticed my tires are wearing more evenly and tread depth isn't dropping as quickly either, indicating I'm getting somewhat better tire mileage too.
So, with all the advantages listed above and the fact I should likely never have to replace the bearing (or at least not for a VERY long time), I count this mod as one of the best I've done for my truck. And I know this thread is in the 3rd Gen forum but I didn't one specific to this topic in 2nd Gen at the time. Even so, I believe the newer Rams will benefit from this mod too, especially those running tires several sizes larger than stock and if your truck is taken off-road like I do with mine.
05-15-2018, 03:10 PM
#30
They fit a normal rotor, so any bigger rotor made to fit the original mount would probably work. If your looking for better performance you can look at better brakes that are oem sized. I'm running the extreme stop pads and slotted/cross drilled rotors and they work well but make a lot of dust. I've put some similar style power stop rotors on other trucks and they don't dust near as much but still stop good.