auto locking hub to oem hub with NP203

[roadwolf]

i bought 8 lug axle for my K10 and also a NP203 as i want to convert it full time.

These parts don't come from the same truck.

on my front axle i have selecto manual locking hub (lock/free) that i want to remove to bring it back as it was when build by the factory.

which parts do i need to do this ?

 

[highdesertrange]

ok I will take the bait. why would you want to convert to full time. a few of the negatives, lower fuel economy, wearing of expensive parts faster, harder to steer in tight turns. on another point full times do not have locking hubs, auto or manual. they have a gear in place of the hubs that keeps the axle locked in all the time(wearing parts that shouldn't be turning all the time). the full time 203 transfer case has a differential in it that distributes the power to the axle with the least traction, not really full time. what transfer case are you running now? you say you want it back to factory but full time and a 203 never came in an 1987. sorry if you think I am being negative but I am just pointing to facts. highdesertranger

 

[roadwolf]

I know most people are negative about full time, awd call it as you want.

I won't waste my and your time trying to explan why i think it's better but i can't prevent myself to ask you a question, do you know why dodge make a awd charger version for the police ?

I don't mind about fuel economy it s a pleasure truck not a daily driver, i do not run it more than 2000 miles per year.

my daily cars are also full time : i had a 5.9 lx limited GC jeep and now an audi quattro allroad, and a fiat panda 4x4. that's a select point for me.
If the next jeep wrangler will have an full time option i'll buy it else no.


My truck is actually stock for the drive line(gm 10 bolt and np208), but i have a D44 front 8 lugs and a 14 bolt FF 8 lugs from an older army K20 that might unfortunatly been converted to part time and a NP203 coming from an other one that is still full time.

Probalby my english is not so good, i wanted to say, i want the d44 front to switch back as it was born.
i found the name of the part i am looking for it s called drive flange.

 

[highdesertrange]

ok you looking for the gears that locks the front axle in full time. good luck with finding those. you also need the chrome cap/cover that goes on to. in the late 70's early 80's I worked for the company that patented the conversion to part time. I literally threw thousand of those in the trash. on busy days I could convert 10 trucks a day to part time. as far a why they went to full time it was cheaper for the manufacturer they could make more money per vehicle. also all wheel drive is not the same as 4 wheel drive. you could just leave your manual hubs locked in. check that chain in the 203. don't worry about your English. I could never ask anything on a French language website, even though my grandmother was French and spoke both fluently. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertrange]

on another note I just reread your post. the US military never used full time they were all part time. they did use the automatic hubs. highdesertranger

 

[roadwolf]

You're probably right, am not a specialist of army truck but i think the army truck we find in France are full time

here some pics from a french guy that is rebuilding an army or nato K20, and there is no locking up and the transfert case really look like a np203

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here is the link for the whole galley, where you can the see the military paint and some special military switchs on the dashboard

http://s619.photobucket.com/user/aurelcj7/library/chevy K20?sort=3&page=1

 

[highdesertrange]

well that is not a military gm power plant. that is a gas motor. military used 6.2 diesel. also the 203 was long gone buy the time the military started buying gm trucks. the military used a 205 or 208 transfer case both part time transfer cases. that front axle on that truck in the pic is a pre 74. the military did not buy gm trucks until the 80's. maybe this was all different in France. did the French military use gas engines in the 70's? to me that does not look like a military truck at all. I need some more detailed pics to be sure. that is a 70's era truck. did nato or the French military buy these trucks in the 70's? the US military did not start using these trucks until the early to mid 80's and they were all diesels and all part time. the problems of full time were known by then. remember these are 4 wheel drive not all wheel drive. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertrange]

ok I just noticed something else. that truck has a hei ignition that axle did not come on a hei ignition equipped truck. highdesertranger

 

[roadwolf]

Where did i say US army ?

please look at this

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Do you think it s mph ? or km/h like canadian

after a few research (you make me work) i found canadian forces used gasoline K20 in the 70's
somebody is speaking about that here
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/chevy/1060864-1976-k20-canadian-forces-chev.html

for the Hei ignition that 's a common uprgrade.

another thing about vocabulary for me and in europe 4WD means the whole group of véhicules that are able to transmit power to both front and rear axles not taking care if it is part time, full time, semi full time, slip detection, able to transmit power to the only wheel on the ground, off raod or road only with locking central or not pseudo electronic lock differential.

for example an audi quattro can be a full time with the longitunal engines with a torsen system or a slip detection 4wd on a transversal engine that run the rear wheels when front are starting speening with the haldex system

here is some 4wd test with different type of transmission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOvTSM0IC7s

i had a part time 4wd pick up, i didn't like the traction loss of the rear of the rain or the snow, and how hard it was to take a small radius turn in 4HI.

4 part time is probalby the best thing for you but is not answering to my needs.

The three permanent 4WD i had/have always did what i want them to do and it s enought for soft offroad.

 

[Stewzer55]

I would not say that the 203 is a bad case, worse comes to worse you could just run the hubs in lock all the time and still have the full time capabilities. Also, the beauty of the 203 is in that it can also lock when needed.

My daily driver has AutoTrac and when that is in Auto 4X4 it locks in the front differential and when the rear starts to slip it puts power to the front by locking in the clutch which I think is similar to the Haldex. Its great on slippery roads when 4Hi is too much.

GM used a few cases that were like driving in Auto 4X4 all the time with SmartTrak in Olds Bravadas and some Astro/Safari vans from 98+ that had no low range. It was in 2Hi with the front locked and locked the clutch in the case until needed

 

[roadwolf]

i had an autotrac on a chevy 1999 6.0 silverado, and i didn't like it, it s only good on straight line.

once i was on wet slipery highway access ramp turning down left, i was quite fast the rear began to slip so the front engaged and as there is no center differential in this case, the truck wanted to straight foward dangerously approching the road protection rail, it was hot !

i agree with you with the np203 is the best of both world, i don't mean the best t-case. the only thing bad with it, it's very heavy

 

[highdesertrange]

well sorry about the military slip up. it seems you are set on full time, so go for it. do you have the same axle that's in the pic in post #6. that's a first design dana 44. that axle came on k20's. that hub design was not real common even here in the US. if you have the second design dana 44 this was very common. the k5, k10, and k20 used the same hub. although I think you are going to search hard to find the factory hubs. I just saw a truck with the full time intact but it was the first one I have seen in years. here in the US I would bet that better than 80% of the full times were converted to part time and the ones that were not didn't last. I will keep an eye out for you just let us know what type of hub you have, 1st or 2nd design. you could always do what I suggested in a previous post just use locking hubs and leave them locked in. highdesertranger

 

[bucket]

Yeah it's been a few years since I've noticed a truck that didn't have selectable hubs swapped in. Seems like all of them still around have been swapped even if the t-case hasn't had a part-time kit installed.

 

[farmerchris]

lot of offroad only buggies run drive flanges for the strength factor,no hubs to blow,so they are available that way. like here http://completeoffroad.com/c-73838-locking-hubs-drive-flanges-dana-44.html. you could put the blank cover on and it would look like the factory cover which was a blank piece of metal.this place also sells the drive flanges too,but the outside cover is too fancy for your use. however the blank cover could be used on these too. http://www.rcvperformance.com/product-details.aspx?sku=D44-SLUG

 

[roadwolf]

Thanks guys for you answers, as my locking are not in good shape chrome plated has gone, i was wondering if going back to oem set up would be a good thing.

i've nothing against locking up, it is just i want to replace them for the visual aspect, now that i know that drive flange are more expensive than locking up, i'll propably buy new locking.

here is some pics of my axles :

http://ti1ca.com/Album-k10-8-lug-axle-l26y04le