tkerrigan

I installed a freespin kit on my 04.5 Laramie this weekend. Only thing left is to bore out the hubcaps. Anybody have any wisdom on correct cutting tools to use so as to not grab the plastic and self destruct. I am thinking useing a milling machine.

4x4not

You mean like these?




Oh, sorry, can't help ya! But I think a dremel would work, though tedious

HappyGA

maybe some sort of fine tooth hole saw in a drill????

Why not go to your local tire shop or accessory store and buy a set of chrome caps that are made for hubs that have the manual lock sin them?? Just a sugestion, or try the hole saw. Go to a hardware store and tell them you want something that is not very aggressive so as not to RIP the plastic when it starts to cut.

I would not think a hole saw that is made for wood will cut the plastic to well and leave a nice cut with out cracking it once it tries to go all the way through.

SolarYellow05

tkerrigan,

Did you install the dynatrac kit or is there another kit out there now?

tkerrigan

I installed the dynatrac, I haven't seen any others.

SolarYellow05

Ok, thanks. I'm hoping someone will make something a little more affordable. I haven't looked into this so I don't know if there's a way to do it with less parts that the dynatrac kit includes.

04.5RAMHD

RIGHT GEAR + AXLE is making a kit using 30 spline stubs, but I'm not
sure how the price compares to Dynatrac.

04.5RAMHD

The only things in the Dynatrac kit that could possibly be deleted or cheaper
are the bearings which one could supply themselves if they felt they had a cheaper source and the 35 spline stub shafts for which 30 spline ones could be used. I suppose one could also supply their own hub locking mechanisms
as well. I think you are mainly paying for the engineering.

04.5RAMHD

The milling machine is the way to go ! Use a turn table and 1/8" endmill.

XLR8R

Wow - that's a lot of bling for a Cummins!

pybyr

What is your opinion of the Dynatrac after installing it and now using it? I have a 2006 2500 5.9 that I REALLY like and about the only thing that unimpresses me on the truck that is the absence of manual hubs and the unit bearing eventual catastrophic failure issue. Do you notice and improvement in MPG from the manual hubs such that you can expect to save back the cost within some vaguely reasonable time? How much of a headache was it to install the kit? Many thanks! Trevor

4x4dually

And you know, call me dumb, but that is exactly what I had in my mind when I read the post. I thought to myself...GOD....NO!!!!!!

Argo

me too. I have seen a cummins 4x4 with spinners though.

tkerrigan

I only have about 25 miles on the kit, but resetting and looking at the overhead on the freeway, it looks like at least 1 mpg. You should save roughly about 1 cent per mile or $1000 for every 100,000 miles. I intend to, if possible, to grind the turning stops now that the u-joints aren't normally involved and cut the turning radius and make it more manuveralble. I just won't turn quite as far if I'm in 4WD. I pull a 5WH, so it is important for me to be able to back into spaces in low range. The unit bearings are at least $180 per side, if you can find them when you desparately need them. The timkens and seals in this kit shouldn't be more than about $90.00 total. The disadvantage is that you should repack the bearings about every 30,000 miles or so. I got my hubcaps bored out and I had to cut 1/4" off of every stud to be able to shove them all the way on. I used a 4.5" side grinder with a thin cut off wheel. It went easy.

pybyr

Thanks-- my 2500 already handles better and turns a tighter radius than the 1st generation Toyota Tacoma it replaced (better MPG too!). I am actually amazed how little the 2500's "spinning all the time" front end drive affects the handling. When my blue oval SuperDooDoo that preceded the Tacoma had episodes of failed auto hubs (twice under warranty and once just after warranty (never off-roaded) which was one of the reasons I waved it good-bye), the u-joints at the knuckles always gave me a "thunka thunka" in parking that I have never had on the Dodge.