Warn Hubs - 4.5 or 5.5

[ScottyY2K]

I have a stock axle set-up now with Dana 44/30. I would really like to beef up my axles and have decided to do a Warn hub conversion in front and Warn full floater in the rear (and new inners).

I am also wanting to get some new rims. I am tired of the dented and ever rusting steelies I now have.

I am running 35" tires and from what I have read the 4.5 would probably suit my needs fine but I like the idea of the hub fuses in the 5.5 and the additional strength of the 5.5 and if I am getting new rims anyway.... I plan to do a rear disk brake conversion when I do the rearend.

Hub fuses - Is there any reason NOT to do the fuses if you are running the 5.5? I talked to Warn and they indicated that the clutch ring?? that the fuse replaces is rated at 80,000 inlbs while the fuse is rated at 46,000 in lbs. The numbers do not mean much to me except that the fuse will obviously snap sooner than the clutch ring would.

Any reasons NOT to go to the 5.5?

Thanks!!

[Robert J. Yates]

The 4.5 hub is intended to act as a fuse although sometimes that does not happen. Also, if you are running a Detroit in the front, you want to stay away from the 5.5 with hub fuses as the hub fuses will also take out the Detroit.

If you plan on running larger tires, swapping in a bigger axle go with teh 5.5 kit. If not,t eh 4.5 kit works very well on the 30 with 35" tires.

The 5 on 4.5 hub will not stand up if used in the rear. Why do you want to go to floating hubs in the rear? The stock 44 axles arn't all that bad.
Garry

[Robert J. Yates]

Ooops! didn't see the reference to the rear full floater

[TJRON]

The bigger hubs are purtier but they might not stay that way as they stick out further.

[ScottyY2K]

Robert & GHall- I never intended to go bigger than 33's but here I am sitting on 35's. I do not "plan" to go bigger than 35's but that could change.

I have been wanting to beef up my stock axles (primarily the 30) or get a set of spares. I hate the thought of being on a trail and have an axle break. With my luck it'll be the middle of Nevada and I'll be alone. I ruined an axle on the Rubicon last summer and thankfully a buddy had a driver's side spare front axle. It was the U-Joint that went but it took the axle out. I know I can't make the thing bulletproof, but I can try. I thought with this plan I could isolate the breakage to an easily replaceable hub fuse. I am running ARB's front and rear.

I've been doing a ton of reading about the hubs and talked to a couple of "experts" and this seems to me to be a good plan.

Another bonus (as related in an earlier thread), along with a stronger axle is that I flat tow a lot and would like to be able to unlock the rear axle for towing (thus bypassing the 300 mile tow limit recommended by Atlas). So, I thought I'd be killing a few issues at once by getting a full floater and disk brake conversion in the rear.

I am getting new rims soon and this seems like the right time to bump to the 5.5 hub.

After a few more mods and a lot more seat time I might even be ready to come down and play at JV with you guys.

[TJRON]

Hey Scotty,
I joined a small club here and have been showed some good trails, so next time you come out we can do some rock crawling here in Las Vegas!
Of course we can go down (or up) that ridge again if you prefer!
Ron

[ScottyY2K]

Originally posted by TJRON
Hey Scotty,
I joined a small club here and have been showed some good trails, so next time you come out we can do some rock crawling here in Las Vegas!
Of course we can go down (or up) that ridge again if you prefer!
Ron

Ron - My HEEP is not nearly as skinny as it used to be on 33x10.50's. I might (and I do stress "might") not be as big of a *****, in off camber conditions, these days...

Some rocks in Vegas sounds great ...or that ridge again.

I may not have my fearless co-pilot next time though.

[TDW]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
Also, if you are running a Detroit in the front, you want to stay away from the 5.5 with hub fuses as the hub fuses will also take out the Detroit.

I have broken a Warn inner and a Warn outer on two separate occasions while using hub fuses.

[Hyperman]

I run the hub fuses on the front of my CJ7. I run 35" MTRs. I bent a Warn axle, broke the ring and pinion and the hub fuse is fine! By the way, Warn did give me a replacement axle. Pretty interesting. I do still run the hub fuses, since it seems the right thing to do with the D30 I have in the front.