HavaCrack at a Nissan Patrol Autohub how to fix, dismantle or fit.

Have that annoying autohub ratcheting sound on a cold morning? Wrong transfer case oil, or you did not fit your autohub correctly.
OR, want to know how to easily dismantle and remove the brake from the autohub for a cheaparse conversion to a manual hub?
OR how to correctly fit/install your autohub, then watch this.
PS: I do not recommend removing the brake from the autohub to convert it to a manual hub, just go buy a manual hub but if you want to know the easy way to do it then havalook.

[@barefootbandit1]

Thank you for that good information mate I didn't know about the locking hub alignment

[@HavaCrack]

Glad the info helped out

[@brianlee545]

Thank you so much for this video. I have had issues with my auto hubs not unlocking properly. Your one comment regarding the circlip needing to be in the void and not the raised are was the issue. I had never had these apart so I believe someone in the past had assembled this wrong. All fixed thanks to me paying attention to your video.

[@HavaCrack]

Ok I am glad if it helped out. Mick

[@DenisColdham]

Great video mate! Just the info I needed. Thanks for taking the time to making such a informative video, it’s given me the confidence to do change over myself.

[@sj197919]

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I do have the rattling noise. Now I know how to make it manual.

[@HavaCrack]

If it is the racheting noise just take it off and see if it has been properly fitted, the autohubs are good.

[@lyndagarlick89]

Very helpful thanks. Cheers from NZ

[@lucamancini3147]

Mate you’re a champion very articulate on your explanation for us boneheads great channel thank you

[@HavaCrack]

Do not worry i am a bonehead too. Hope it helps with some of the mystery of the autohub. Mick

[@kaimoylan317]

Great video man

[@lachlannoom963]

Very informative

[@jakic91]

Thanks mate! The vid was a big help

[@HavaCrack]

Good to hear. Regards Mick

[@akarmkopeks5339]

Hey mate, one of the six bolts holding the hub in (8mm hex I think?) will not come loose have literally tried everything and almost ready to drill it out and re tap it but really don’t want to go that route Is there any tricks apart from general bolt removal/easyout/soaking you have for me? Should I get the 5 that will come out off and pry the hub a bit? Know this is an old video but it’s very well done and plenty of info I am just stuck on the last bolt and it’s dong my head kn, cheers 😅🥲

[@HavaCrack]

If you have not broken the bolt or stripped the hex head, you can remove the wheel and then apply heat with a propane torch to the hub adjacent to where the bolt threads are. It is probably a bit of corrosion in there as there should be no thread locker. Or If you had the wheel off and were struggling to hold the hub whilst trying to undo the bolt then put the wheel back on and lower the wheel back down to hold the hub as you apply force.

[@akarmkopeks5339]

@@HavaCrack legend I hit it with the torch and wd40 cooled it and she came out cheers for the reply and have a good one 🍻

[@cidadaodorense3231]

Do you have tonput a gasket or sealant on the autohub surface when mating it to the hub? Do you have to use some locktite on the autohub bolts when re-installing? Great video, thanks for putting all that info toghether.

[@HavaCrack]

No gasket or sealant to the mating surfaces and no thread locker. Toyotas had a gasket but i have never seen one on a nissan (gq or later). There should be nothing that leaks as the surfaces mate well and it is grease inside. If your axle oil seals leaked then you would notice an oil leak. But "NO" to your questions. Mick

[@glennbailey3]

G’day Mick. Thanks replying to my question on the other video and getting me to watch yours. Excellent video. Full of great information. I have a 79 series Landcruiser which is meant to use the same hub. When i removed it, it was like the auto locking section was left on the axle, being held on by a cir clip and the hub looks like yours when the auto pieces are removed. The other thing that is different it doesn’t have the ring you removed. I’m guessing i can take off the cir clip and remove the auto section and put the cir clip back on?? Do you think that would work?? I think it maybe the same question as the last. Thanks in advance. Glenn

[@HavaCrack]

Yes there is another design that had a circlip on the end of the axle that held the brake onto the axle end, thus they are a little different. The aligning ring on some landcruisers and even in the proper nissan manual locking hub sometimes stays in the hub assembly (you have to pull it out if you were changing the bearings), so it just may be in the hub itself. Yes if you want to remove the auto section then just put it back together without the brake. Why do you want to remove the autohub? Personally I keep my autohub, rarely use it as I always just overide and lock it. Regards, Mick

[@glennbailey3]

@@HavaCrack Thanks Mick. I wanted to get free wheeling hubs so i could reverse my camper trailer in low and also go down steep long hills if required. I saw this mod so i have tried to source as much info as i could and your video is the best by far. I did strike a snag though when mine weren’t the same as yours but you have helped me out. I will remove the brake and see what it looks like. Will i need to put the cir clip back on or is that only for the auto mechanism?

[@HavaCrack]

@@glennbailey3 If you are only doing short runs on a hard surface, I wouldn't worry about the hubs being in as you should not get binding on the drivetrain as you will still have an open front diff. But personally in preference to removing the brake I would just try and find a secondhand set (or new) manual hubs and fit those. Although I show how to remove the brake the easy way, I would rather keep the auto or go to the proper manual hubs. Mick

[@glennbailey3]

@@HavaCrack Thanks Mick. I have removed the brake in the hub. I like the fact it would be easy to put back if I change my mind. Thanks for video and your reply’s. Cheers.

[@CzarWilkins]

Nice video man. Thanks for the explanation. My patrol is a 99 second hand. I had to replace a broken bearing and when I removed the hub It came apart with the "brake" already separated. I found that weird, but I was thinking that it was normal since was my first time seeing something like that. For the sake of curiosity I removed the other one and came as a single unit. I lubbed them after some cleaning. Probably put too much grease, last time I went some seriuos offroading they began to rachet more frecuently. I was told to replace them. Maybe I should use them in lock position. Do you know what means when "experts" says that aftermarkets are "stronger". My time to hit the bush again is near!!!

[@HavaCrack]

I have never been sure of the people who say manual hubs are stronger, I would not put too much emphasis on that statement. I have seen autohubs used where cvs have broken but the autohubs are fine and it takes quite a bit to break a cv. Re manually locking the hubs, that is what I do, and i only ever have them in auto mode if I was moving a short distance, just habit for me though. If yours were ratcheting yes could be too much grease, but if you want to check that the meshing splines are not damaged you know how to pull them apart to clean and inspect. If they do not have any damaged splines then lightly grease etc. and put back together. Mick

[@CzarWilkins]

@@HavaCrack Ok, thanks, I will do the check!

[@ian9toes]

Do you reckon it would be possible to weld some 10 or 12mm rod to the bolt head to make a T-handle so you can lock the hubs by hand?

[@HavaCrack]

Probably not. At a guess I think the metal is sintered metal (powdered metal), which if it is won't weld too good. If you do not want to carry your wheel brace and you are thinking of a smaller tool then just buy a cheap socket that fits and weld a bar or similar to that. I have a gu so I permanently keep my wheelbase in the door pocket. Mick

[@ian9toes]

@@HavaCrack I’ve found a 2nd hand manual set. So will keep the autos as spares

[@davidholyoake5767]

How did you find the auto hubs, when you had the auto lokka in? Good information.

[@HavaCrack]

Hi David, when I had the autolocker I had manual locking hubs as that was in my Gq (y60). In this GU I have a front harrop e-locker. I have had no issues with the autohubs and the e-locker and in my opinion the autohub is just as strong and reliable as the manual hubs. There is no real difference between and autohub and a manual hub, just one automatically locks, but even then I always run my autohub in the manual lock mode when 4wding. The autohub won't engage with an autolocker, the only thing that will engage the autohub is when you are in 4wd and you have the drive shaft turning the axles when then activates the autohub via the autiohub 'brake' that I have shown you. My brother runs an autolocker with autohubs and he has not altered them at all i.e. removed the brake, but you will read on the i-net that there is a lot who remove the brake. All I suggest is do it my way as it is a lot easier and it won't cause any damage if you ever want to put it back together. I guess where people have trouble with the autohub is not installing it correctly by aligning the brake plate with the slots in the axle. As I said in the video you can install it incorrectly which then causes it to engage by itself and then cause issues. If you have a autolocker or are thinking of getting one, they are a great front locker in the patrol with the rear LSD setup, the only reason I went selectable on the GU was due to the traction control (not that this is great on the GU). Regards, Mick

[@ianweal3081]

@@HavaCrack I just stumbled across this video. I am so pleased I did. The very best explanation I have ever seen of the GU auto hub. Basically it's 2 dog collar clutches, one either side. I'm about to install a auto locker I purchased when the truck was new, (2017) but haven't done so as I actually found my traction control fairly effective, assists scrambles on rocky inclines. If I'd know how effective it was I wouldn't have purchased the auto locker, but ha, it's sits in a box on my shed bench looking at me, so it's time it was out of the box and in the truck. Now I clearly understand the auto hub action, I'll be leaving them as they are, no reason to fit manual hubs with auto locker, as I suspected. Thanks for removing the mystery to the auto hub mechanism, regards.

[@obligedheart7523]

Hey mate my brake of whatever is call was on my axle with a curclip

[@hajy2000]

Does the Nissan Patrol need a single autolock to completely lock it؟

[@HavaCrack]

It must be locked both sides, does not matter if it is a manual or autoloader. The hub lock only locks the hub to the axle half shift, it does not lock the diff or full axle. Hope that makes sense and helps, Mick

[@obligedheart7523]

I’ve taken it all off do I just put it back together without the circlip and auto part?

[@HavaCrack]

Re your first question, do you have the exact same type of autohub as in the video as there was a different model in the first series of the GQ (y60) patrols/safaris. See if this link works to the image of a old version that has a snap ring (circlip) in between Brake A and Brake B. www.justanswer.com/nissan/4wun8-nissan-datsun-pickup-1983-petrol-patrol-auto-lock-hubs.html If your autohub was the same as in the video, then the circlip that you may be referring to on the end of the axle stays in place as that stops the axle from moving inwards. These autohubs will come off as one piece as in the video. If your autohub is the same as in the video (the brake is the plate I remove in the video with the 4 tabs) ...and the brake is still on the end of the axle then the aligning ring that I also tap out must be out as well. There is really no reason why that should have all fallen apart. If you want to stop using the autohub feature then yes you remove the brake with the ramping plate, just reinsert the aligning ring into the autohub. I know that sounds like I am going in circles, but it depends on if you have the same type as I have in the video as to what I say. Mick

[@obligedheart7523]

@@HavaCrack na mines different to the video is held on with a curclip once I take the hub off I removed it took the auto part off put the curclip and little spacer back on

[@HavaCrack]

@@obligedheart7523 Yes that is the earlier version. Yes you did it correctly. Mick

[@Itschrisg96]

@@obligedheart7523 Mine has a the c clip, so I just remove the part of the brake that is hold with the spring?

[@amair3144]

Como lo hago manuales, has un vídeo 📹

[@aleks0001]

I've got an issue with my hubs that seem to be not locking in properly and clicking loudly. It started after I did the swivel hub rebuild and replaced all the bearings. I've watched your video a few times and taken these hubs apart multiple times and I can't see anything wrong with them to save my life, yet they are still doing it. Here is a video I made of the issue when in auto mode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4GYqXyVgsR5fpo Any ideas ?

[@HavaCrack]

1/. Did you have any issue before you pulled your swivel hubs apart? 2/. When you put the locking hub back onto the hub did you have to apply any inward pressure to join the two parts? If so, then the cut out sections the locking pins that I described in the video were not properly aligned. There should be no force required when putting the locking hub back in place. 3/. If you did not have the issue before you started your work and there the locking sections were properly aligned as in point 2, then have you put too much grease on the outside of the output shaft/axle or within the locking hub as this can force the locking hub to start to engage. The clicking noise you hear are the splines inside of the locking hub just starting to grab eachother and they are ratcheting around. The usual thing to cause this are the points above. Mick

[@aleks0001]

@@HavaCrack cheers mare. I didnt have the issue before rebuilding the swivel hubs. I made sure i aligned the hubs like you shown in the video. I did put a lot of grease in the hub but i assumed the locking ring would seat it all correctly regardless. Ive currently converted the hubs to manual to get around the issue but its a bit annoying that I cant work out why they are clicking now. I spun the drive shaft by hand and it seems to be locking unlocking each wheel constantly it cant seem to lock both of them and I think thats the sound of the clicking. Might just be one of those never figure it out issues. I did appreciate your video a lot and I did learn a lot so thank you regardless.

[@HavaCrack]

@@aleks0001 Try removing some grease. There is no real need for a lot of grease on the end of the axle shaft / splines and at the end of where you screw on the locking washers (the ones that hold the bearings in the hub). Further within the locking hub there should only be a small amount of molydemum disulfide grease. If you pulled the actual locking hub apart did you make sure that it is seated properly and not partially on the ramps (about 6.22 in the video)?

[@aleks0001]

@@HavaCrack I meant the grease is inside. Theres very little grease on the outside or the splines. Ive had the hubs apart 20 times now hahaha ive double tripple checked everything. A guy one one of the forums said that the flat tabs that hold the gear on the spring part should be facing a bit up and not flat on the gear. But in your video they look flat to me so I assumed he made a mistake.