Keeping Hubs Locked?

[blubuckaroo]

I can understand the argument for wear. I've got over 300K on the car but the front u-joint and axles are as good as new. If they don't spin, they don't wear.
But, I don't think wear is what "Drifter" was asking when he started this thread. I think he was asking about locked hubs causing damage.
Did you ever play the party game "telephone" as a kid? That's what's happened here.%)

 

[Broncobowsher]

Define your level of "damage"
Is normal wear considered damage?
Will the front axle explode into a million parts?

 

[blubuckaroo]

Define your level of "damage"
Is normal wear considered damage?
Will the front axle explode into a million parts?

Absolutely not.
One time, on a long trip, my factory rear Trac-Loc stripped one of the axle splines.
I still had 250 freeway miles to go. I pulled the rear driveline and finished the trip in "front wheel drive" at 70 MPH.
Certainly there would be some wear, but there was no damage. That front driveline, axles, and transfer case are still running fine.

 

[GloNDark]

Other than offroad driving, I usually lock the hubs on my 73 in Nov or Dec and leave them locked until Apr/May when the top comes off. hahaha

 

[patterdale]

Worked on a few of these back in the 80's. What happens if you don't spin them regularly is they lay there and vibrate just a little. Eventually the spindle bearings wear tiny little divots in the shafts. This causes a vibration when you do eventually lock them in. Also worked on equipment in an osb mill. If the heavy stuff like shafts in large geneaters sit for much time the bears and shafts deform in a similar manor. This stuff is made to spin, not sit idle for long periods of time. The rear spins all the time. Extra wear should not be a problem on the front with the hubs locked in. Like others said, a limited slip might wear the clutches, okay. Our 70 is limited slip both front and rear. The front is not going to wear any more than the rear.