I have an '87 trooper II with auto locking hubs. My question is, have there been problems with these hubs? I have had a couple of times get a terrible noise in the front axle, but goes away when I shift into 4wd. And on the topic of 4wd, when in 4-low it pops out unless I am going downhill. When I run in 4-hi it's OK. New to this rig. Any help would be grateful. Thanks

 

Hi there- think I saw you were in Oregon, so am I, in Maupin. Regarding your questions: first the hubs- just get a set of warn hubs for it, no more problems with them. That's what I did. I can get you locate info if you need it. As to the jumping out of low range, apparently common problem, mine (1986, 2.3, manual trans) is doing the same thing. Will probably need to replace the High/Low sleeve and the output shaft assembly.

 

Thanks for the info. I did not get a owners manual with my '87 trooper so was not sure how or when to shift in 4wd. I found a small bit of info online, now not sure I like auto locking hubs. The '85 subaru I had came with a owners manual so I knew when and how to shift in and out of 4wd. Can I go to a parts store or need to go to specialty store for the hubs? I have a breakdown diagram of the transmission I got online.I figured I would have to pull the transmission. Thanks

 

The part number for the Warn hubs is 61385. If you Froogle them you'll find them at about $200 for the set. I think I paid about $160 for mine but $200 is the cheapest I see on there right now. Well worth the price though for the peace of mind. You can install them yourself in about an hour or less. The hardest part is getting the snap ring off the stub axle. You might have to get a pair of snap ring pliers that fits it to do the job. I used to be a professional mechanic so fortunately have the tools. Back to the jumping out of low range thing, maybe somebody on this forum has had some experience repairing them, as I haven't had one of these transfer cases apart yet. It appears that it uses an operating sleeve similar to those for shifting gears in the transmission, and in my experience anytime a transmission was jumping out of gear you have to replace the operating sleeve and the gear it engages with, in this case that's the output shaft. I just priced them from a dealer and the two of them are almost $500 so you might want to decide how badly you need low range. In my case, I use my Trooper for hunting, fishing, pulling a snowmobile trailer, etc. and I want to have the low range working. I think I'll look for a used transfer case first. If I can buy one reasonably I'll try that first, although it does seem that this may be a problem with many units. Maybe someone on this forum knows where there is one and will contact me. rlpearce@centurytel.net