Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

anyone have on there Delica manual locking hubs? if so did they come with or did you purchase them after the fact ,I perfer to have them on any off road 4x4 ive owned ,just for the sake of knowing if its in or out and they are easier to maintain ,in my opinion anyways. Would anyone know wher i could purchase such a item and has anyone done matainance on the auto locking ones and how did it go.

Hello,
I had manual hubs put on right after I got my Delica, and now they have been transferred to my new one, (which I should get back in a week or two! ) They were ordered from Millners in the UK. I like them much better than the auto-hubs, because, like you said, knowing if they are in or out. In the winter, if it looks like I might need 4WD, I can lock them before I leave, and if things get slippy I can then shift on the fly without having to stop or slow down.

Jungle Jon wrote: In the winter, if it looks like I might need 4WD, I can lock them before I leave, and if things get slippy I can then shift on the fly without having to stop or slow down.

You can do the same with the auto lockers. Once they are locked you can go in and out of 4wd on the fly even on the hwy. Thats what i do in the winter. Anyhow, all that aside, manual lockers are more dependable for extreme rugged 4x4ing... My auto's work like a charm so far, they haven't failed me in anything. (How much were the manual lockers? It is a great mod and I will want to do it down the road)

Josh

josh wrote:How much were the manual lockers?

Sorry, they were built into the deal when I bought my first van, and I don't remember how much they were installed. Milners Offroad has them listed at GBP£55, but you'd add shipping, customs, etc. to that. Sorry couldn't help more.

Thanks Jon, it'll be awhile for the hubs anyhow... heck for that price I can get onboard air... but a hydraulic winch is next on the list after the WVO install that takes place this weekend (hopefully, the kit hasn't showed up yet... it should be here by now).

Josh

Ok so we've been through this a little bit before but i'm still unclear...

Josh, you're saying that once locked you can engage the 4wd on the fly. My indicator light is out, but I it's easy enough to know when fully engaged. My concern then is how do I fully disengage? I recall a friend's Ford required him to back up a few yards to turn the hubs out of the splines. Is it possible that those front axles are engaged and turning with the front wheels? If so, that added drag must be hard on fuel economy, bearings and u-joint's etc.

josh wrote: You can do the same with the auto lockers. Once they are locked you can go in and out of 4wd on the fly even on the hwy. Thats what i do in the winter. Anyhow, all that aside, manual lockers are more dependable for extreme rugged 4x4ing... My auto's work like a charm so far, they haven't failed me in anything. (How much were the manual lockers? It is a great mod and I will want to do it down the road)

Josh

Torchard, my '88 Toyota 4x4 had the manual hubs, and after you unlock them, they will disengage even with out backing up. It just may take a little while (maybe a kilometer or so), but they will pop out. Actually, if you have manual hubs, it is imperative that you drive with them in the locked position for about 10KM a month to lubricate the hub assembly. You don't have to be in 4x4, and you shouldn't engage the transfer case on dry/wet pavement. I liked the manual hub setup, because, disengaged, it was a lot quieter and easier on fuel. (was like driving a 2WD pickup). I imagine the same would apply for running manual hubs on a Deli.

Oops I should clarify I have the stock auto hubs. thanks.

collector wrote:Torchard, my '88 Toyota 4x4 had the manual hubs, and after you unlock them, they will disengage even with out backing up. It just may take a little while (maybe a kilometer or so), but they will pop out. Actually, if you have manual hubs, it is imperative that you drive with them in the locked position for about 10KM a month to lubricate the hub assembly. You don't have to be in 4x4, and you shouldn't engage the transfer case on dry/wet pavement. I liked the manual hub setup, because, disengaged, it was a lot quieter and easier on fuel. (was like driving a 2WD pickup). I imagine the same would apply for running manual hubs on a Deli.

On the stock auto hubs, they operate like manual ones. You have to be stopped to initially engage them. After they are engaged then you can flip in and out of 4wd as often as you want on the fly. Yes it is harder on the fuel mileage... but you only keep them locked when you know you will probably need them. Its the same with manual, after you lock the hubs its harder on the fuel mileage.

The reason usually behind a change over from auto to manual is that auto hubs can sometimes "pop out" of lock when you are in a real tough spot. Manuals are definatly tougher and more reliable. But often this is of no concern to those of us that aren't wheeling in a meter of muck.

Yes, to disengage the auto hubs you just need to back up a meter or so.Anyhow, I hope this babble helped.

Josh

Hi Delica aficianados. Jim from Vancouver here. Long time lurker, first time poster. This site is awesome. I've learned so much about this fabulous machine and am now the proud owner of a 92 Exceed.

When I first drove her home I noticed that both hubs were quite hot, auto lockers. I had the bearings replaced (they looked toasted) and the rotors. When I drove it home the hubs were even hotter than before. Next day, I took her for a 12 km drive and got out to check the hubs/rotors. The hubs were cool but the rotors were hot. I stopped again after about 4 kms and the hubs were too hot to keep your hand on. Not to hot to touch but no leaving them there. The shop I got the work done at advised that braking would cause this and was no cause for concern. Any one have an opinion they are willing to share? I've read previous posts about the subject here and on the other site but haven't seem my specific question answered. Is it normal for the hubs to get hot afer 12 kms of city driving/braking? What should I look for if this is not good? Keep in mind the bearings and rotors have just been replaced.

Thanks and I'll post some pics after my first road trip in two weeks.

Jim

monkey wrote:I noticed that both hubs were quite hot, auto lockers. I had the bearings replaced (they looked toasted) and the rotors. When I drove it home the hubs were even hotter than before. Next day, I took her for a 12 km drive and got out to check the hubs/rotors. The hubs were cool but the rotors were hot. I stopped again after about 4 kms and the hubs were too hot to keep your hand on. Not to hot to touch but no leaving them there. The shop I got the work done at advised that braking would cause this and was no cause for concern. Any one have an opinion they are willing to share?

I had that problem quite awhile ago, I was worried about it too. Sorry I cannot point you in the right direction though, mine seems to have sorted itself out and been fine for many many months and miles since.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=68&hilit=hot+hubs

Josh

Thanks. Yes, just wanted to confirm the auto hubs required backing-up to disengage.

And I better get that wee light bulb changed out also.

And linked to Josh's earlier post is this reference to the UK site http://www.delicaclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=7708

If you are finding the rotors getting hot first, in my opinion, it's probably not the bearings, but the rotor/caliper. I wonder if the new pads are a tch wide. I guess they will wear down shortly. It's possible also that your new bearings are a bit too tight. Jack it up and turn the wheel to see how much resistance there is and you'll also get a sense of where the resistance comes from e.g. bearing or brake.

However my favourite strategy when faced with similar mysteries is to 1) scrunch my eyes closed verrry tightly 2) drink two or perhaps more rum and cokes 3) go to bed. Often all will be well the next day.

--T

josh wrote:

monkey wrote:I noticed that both hubs were quite hot, auto lockers. I had the bearings replaced (they looked toasted) and the rotors. When I drove it home the hubs were even hotter than before. Next day, I took her for a 12 km drive and got out to check the hubs/rotors. The hubs were cool but the rotors were hot. I stopped again after about 4 kms and the hubs were too hot to keep your hand on. Not to hot to touch but no leaving them there. The shop I got the work done at advised that braking would cause this and was no cause for concern. Any one have an opinion they are willing to share?

I had that problem quite awhile ago, I was worried about it too. Sorry I cannot point you in the right direction though, mine seems to have sorted itself out and been fine for many many months and miles since.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=68&hilit=hot+hubs

Josh

Thanks for the input guys. I had read the posts on this and the UK site. I'm hoping it will just go away but I can't drink rum. (ever since I was 16... you all know the story) I will jack it up and check the resistance this weekend.

Went on my first long drive after replacing the pads and found that my hubs were very hot. I had it in 4 wheel drive on some logging roads today. Had lunch for hour and a half and they had cooled down by then. Drove another 25 km with not much braking, still in 4wd and they were not hot at this point. When I arrived home 100km later they were warm but not hot. Would say that my new pads were wearing themselves in and now they are a good width. My brakes do still seem a little spongey but when you get the pedal down they definitely stop the van very quickly.
Sean