Half-Ton Yukon Locking Hub Conversion

Half Ton Hub Conversion Yukon Gear Spin Free Kit Installation Installed Yukon Gear Spin Free Kit

Half Ton Hub Conversion Yukon Gear Spin Free Kit Installation Factory Dana 44 Unit Bearing

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Hub conversions are nothing new. Off-road enthusiasts have been doing hub conversions before unit bearings were even found on 4x4s. Guys would piece together their own packages to add bigger spindles and bearings onto weaker-equipped Dana 44s. When Jeep, Ford, and Dodge started using unit bearings as factory equipment on front solid-axle 4x4s, aftermarket drivetrain companies were quick to address the demand by enthusiasts to disconnect the axleshafts from the spinning wheel and tire.

Why would 4x4 owners want to do this? South Bay Truck & 4x4 in Hawthorne, California, tells us that for most owners it’s a concern about the drag of the drivetrain. Fuel economy is increased and wear is decreased when [locking] hubs are “disconnected” from the front drive axles (not to mention the fact that the kits add a rebuildable hub in place of a throw-away unit bearing). On older unit bearing-equipped 4x4s, unit bearings were weaker (some even dangerous if failed) and doing a hub conversion greatly increases strength and reliability. Unit bearings found on current vehicles are much more robust than their predecessors and can match rebuildable hubs in strength and longevity.

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A hub conversion is not a cheap endeavor and the question of cost of conversion versus cost of a complete axle swap obviously comes into play. But sometimes you want to keep the axle your vehicle came equipped with. If we were always after the cheapest and strongest, we’d all have 14-Bolt rear axles under our trucks. Modifying your stock axle better ensures proper fitment, adaptability to other aftermarket products, and usually keeps costs down since you’re building your existing axle.

But unit bearing-to-hub conversions are only made for select vehicles—ones that are popular with off-roaders who will buy the kits. That meant the Dana 30 (Jeep) and Dana 60 (Dodge and Ford) were covered. No one had yet addressed the ’94-to-’01 Dodge Ram 1500 Dana 44 unit bearings until Yukon Gear took notice and designed the Spin Free kit that converts a failure-prone unit bearing to a Ford Dana 44 style hub and spindle. For a half-ton Dodge guy, this is the best (and only) way to keep your Dodge front outers together with prolonged off-road use.

Is It Worth It?

Well, that depends on the condition of your ’94-to-’01 Ram 1500 4x4. We’ve seen these trucks sell for $1,000 (running) and an owner of a thousand-dollar Ram would probably scoff at a $1,300 kit for his front axle. But the owner of a nicer Ram—maybe one that already has a locker in the front axle and a truss on the housing—might want to stick with his stock axle and do the Yukon locking hub conversion.

A Dodge Ram owner could find an old Ford axle with locking hubs and the correct 5x5.5 lug pattern to swap in, but all new suspension mounts and steering provisions would have to be made, and that would likely make swapping out the entire axle more costly than just adding Yukon Gear’s Spin Free kit.

Bottom line: If you are keeping your Dodge Ram’s front axle, then it’s definitely worth doing the Yukon hub conversion. The strength and added safety make the kit almost necessary if you off-road your half-ton Dodge.

01. The factory Dana 44 unit bearing on a 1994-to-2001 Dodge Ram 1500 truck turned out to be a poor design for wear and failure resistance. Some owners reported a total separation and departure of the wheel, tire, and outer part of the unit bearing upon failure. That’s scary.
01. The factory Dana 44 unit bearing on a 1994-to-2001 Dodge Ram 1500 truck turned out to
02. Yukon Gear’s Spin Free kit for the solid axle unit bearing Ram 4x4 comes with new outer axleshafts, brake rotors, spindles, Warn premium locking hubs, and all the necessary Timken bearings and seals. This kit deletes your original unit bearing, brake rotor, and inner axleshaft. If your U-joints are worn out, now is a perfect time to replace them.
02. Yukon Gear’s Spin Free kit for the solid axle unit bearing Ram 4x4 comes with new out
03. New 4340 chromoly outer axleshafts replace the stock shafts. South Bay Truck & 4x4 noted that the ears of Yukon’s chromoly axleshafts were thicker, but there was no interference at full steering lock. Since’94-to’01 Ram 4x4s have ABS sensors that take readings off the spinning outer axleshafts, ABS systems will not work with the Spin Free kit since the new axle assemblies will no longer be spinning with the front wheels (when in 2WD). Therefore, the new shafts are not designed to take the ABS rings.
03. New 4340 chromoly outer axleshafts replace the stock shafts. South Bay Truck & 4x4 no

04. The Yukon Gear spindle bolts directly onto the factory Dodge Dana 44 knuckle the same as the unit bearing would.
04. The Yukon Gear spindle bolts directly onto the factory Dodge Dana 44 knuckle the same
05. Yukon’s Spin Free kit has all the necessary bearings, seals, and hardware to make the kit 100-percent bolt-on and easy to install at home if you’re familiar with rebuildable, locking hubs.
05. Yukon’s Spin Free kit has all the necessary bearings, seals, and hardware to make the
06. A Ford Dana 44 5x5.5-lug brake rotor is included with the kit. The knuckle remains unchanged so the original brake caliper is also reused. The only downside to this hub conversion kit is brake servicing. The rotor can no longer be easily lifted from the unit bearing after removing the caliper and instead the hub assembly must be removed and the studs pounded out if rotor surfacing or replacement is needed.
06. A Ford Dana 44 5x5.5-lug brake rotor is included with the kit. The knuckle remains un