KJ Manual Locking Hubs?

Dadzilla927 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:08 pm **Posts:** 2

I am new to the CRD rabbit hole (someday I’ll buy a Honda so I can spend more time driving than fixing), and would like to know if anybody has explored installing manual hubs on the KJ. If it’s impossible for some silly reason, please go easy on me…I’m good at turning wrenches, just not so good sometimes at knowing which bolt to put them on.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:23 pm

Dadzilla927 wrote:

I am new to the CRD rabbit hole (someday I’ll buy a Honda so I can spend more time driving than fixing), and would like to know if anybody has explored installing manual hubs on the KJ. If it’s impossible for some silly reason, please go easy on me…I’m good at turning wrenches, just not so good sometimes at knowing which bolt to put them on.

I believe the answer is quite simple; (1) no one makes any conversion kits, and (2) the slight benefits, if any, gained by having them would be negligible as opposed to the costs and labor involved to install them. If you really must have them, it would involve modifying and installing a solid front axle conversion that supports selectable manual lockout hubs.
It is doable, but gets very, very expensive and labor intensive...

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sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 378

I wish someone would make a conversion kit for the IFS hubs.
The one major benefit I see is having 2LO without having to tear into the transfer case, or in my case not even be able to do that as they don't make a selector that fits in the NP241J transfer case.

Dadzilla927 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:08 pm **Posts:** 2

I don’t understand why it would be a problem. I mean, the end of a cv axle should look the same as the end of a solid axle stub axle to a hub system. Right? Splines are splines?

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:31 am

Dadzilla927 wrote:

I don’t understand why it would be a problem. I mean, the end of a cv axle should look the same as the end of a solid axle stub axle to a hub system. Right? Splines are splines?

It is not a problem, but someone would have to design, engineer, develop, and manufacture a special hub and stub axle which is the end of the outer CV joint for fitment to the Jeep Liberty, and all the selectable hub parts for a retrofit.
Keep in mind, the Jeep Liberty CRD is a 16 year old vehicle, so the demand for this type of upgrade would be extremely low and they would never recoup their engineering and manufacturing costs or the cost to purchase said item would be astronomical and no one would buy one. :grim:

It would be cheaper to just install a solid front axle like a Dana 44 or one of the others that has selectable locking hubs already available. :wink:

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 378

no doubt, if I worked in a machine shop I'd be all over making something. I'd once had the idea of a center "cap" that you secured to the axle via a single bolt in the center of the axle, to "lock" the axle to the hub. It'd be a little cumbersome, but it's not a function I'd expect to be doing all the time anyways.

Now since the person did mention they have a diesel, they should have the NP242 t-case, they could try and hunt down the teraflex kit that gives them 2LO.

KJ Manual Locking Hubs?

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