Selectro FW Hubs

[geodon]

I'm at the stage of getting the hubs shipshape: brakes, seals & bearings.

I have Selectro FW hubs fitted and a search of this forum for background resulted in my recalling the immortal words of Kamahl viz: "How can people be so unkind!"

But, they seem to be working OK & I believe if it ain't broke you don't fix it.

Can someone tell me how they are removed without having to dodge flying springs & ball bearings?

They have 6 (SIX!) Phillips head screws holding the cover on. Seems like overkill! Is this a British thing? i.e. you can usually tell the nationality of an item by how it's attached. eg:

British: 10 bolts

American: 4 BIG bolts

German: a metal clip

Japanese: a plastic clip

[rick130]

Selectro are US made hubs.

I had a set on one of my Jeeps a very long time ago (mid eighties), just can't recall how they came apart, but it was pretty easy. and they always worked, never had a problem with them but I always kept a set of standard drive flanges under the seat incase I broke a hub out bush.

[Johnno1969]

I had a set of Selectros like the ones in your pics. They sheared one day under light load on a greasy slope. Like Rick says - not a bad idea to keep some standard drive flanges up your sleeve. For me, I turfed the Selectros for standard flanges and would not change back...

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Removing Selectro hubs is easy. Take a 12oz ball pene hammer and smash up the hub. :o Then fit genuine Land Rover or HiTough drive flanges.

The reason you use a hammer is so that they can't be refitted. ;)


Otherwise unscrew the phillips screws and be careful things don't spring everywhere. Then you can access the nut on the end of the axle and the six mounting bolts.

BTW it's not that Selectro are bad per se, but IMHO FW hubs create more expensive problems than they create any savings.

[rick130]

[snip]

BTW it's not that Selectro are bad per se, but IMHO FW hubs create more expensive problems than they create any savings.

Yes and no.

We still have manual hubs on our GU Patrol and I use them, but we both occasionally (once a week or so) lock them to keep things lubricated, etc.
I've seen a few front drive shaft splines flogged out and heard of a few diff pinion bearings brinelled on too many part time 4WD's from sitting in the one spot for too long.

Having them unlocked does reduce a small % of driveline 'buzz' on the highway.

[Col.Coleman]

And can be a godsend on a vehicle that already has 50 odd years of driveline wear.

CC

[Wolfman_TWP]

I'm at the stage of getting the hubs shipshape: brakes, seals & bearings.

I have Selectro FW hubs fitted and a search of this forum for background resulted in my recalling the immortal words of Kamahl viz: "How can people be so unkind!"

But, they seem to be working OK & I believe if it ain't broke you don't fix it.

Can someone tell me how they are removed without having to dodge flying springs & ball bearings?

They have 6 (SIX!) Phillips head screws holding the cover on. Seems like overkill! Is this a British thing? i.e. you can usually tell the nationality of an item by how it's attached. eg:

British: 10 bolts

American: 4 BIG bolts

German: a metal clip

Japanese: a plastic clip

Just remove the inner 3 screws.. The outer ones hold in the cam. Putting them back is very time consuming.. Be careful. There's a manual for them on this forum somewhere..

Wolf

PS: I found a copy of the instructions on my PC.. Added it here..

[Lotz-A-Landies]

And can be a godsend on a vehicle that already has 50 odd years of driveline wear.

CCCC I hear what you are saying, BUT: if you already have driveline wear, particularly in the prop shaft splines, having the FW hubs disengaged will finish off the prop shaft by wearing the remains of the splines in a single plane. At least a spinning prop shaft wears evenly everytime the front axle rides over a bump and the shaft compresses, a stationary shaft only wears the same points of the spline as the shaft compresses and extends with every bump and corner.

Diana

[isuzurover]

CC I hear what you are saying, BUT: if you already have driveline wear, particularly in the prop shaft splines, having the FW hubs disengaged will finish off the prop shaft by wearing the remains of the splines in a single plane. At least a spinning prop shaft wears evenly everytime the front axle rides over a bump and the shaft compresses, a stationary shaft only wears the same points of the spline as the shaft compresses and extends with every bump and corner.

Diana

I tend to agree. I have seen a number of cruisers and hiluxes over the years which have needed the front end rebuilt from lack of use. Some were surprisingly new.

[geodon]

Wolfman, absolutely magnificent!

Thank you!

[jasonk]

In my case I chose to change back from Selectros to the standard drive flanges. But I cleaned up and greased the Selectros, sealed them in a Jiffy bag and carried them around in the back of the Land Rover in case I had the misfortune of breaking a front axle or front diff.

I did break a front axle a few weeks ago, and was able to easily refit the Selectros allowing me to drive home from between Stanthorpe and Warwick to Brisbane worry free.

Cheers,
Jason