Hello everyone,

I am brand spanking new to this forum and bought my Japanese import Isuzu Bighorn with the 3.1 diesel a few months ago. I never really tried out the 4WD before and I went to do just that recently and noticed that it turned on a dime while leaving the dirt and going back onto the black top in 4L with no resistance at all and this got me wondering if my 4WD was working. I rolled down my windows and listened. After a few experiments I noticed that my front left auto locking hub makes a loud ticking noise that corresponds with the turning on the wheel. This was cause for alarm so I got the Bighorn on jack stands and tried it out. Sure enough, back wheels spin and both front wheels stay stationary. While in 4WD with my wife pressing the gas pedal, I walked around to listen to the clicking noise that still came from the front left hub. I had the cover plate off of the hub so I could see the CV axle underneath. The axle was spinning inside of the hub, and I could see it was kind of jumping with each click, which made me think the teeth of the auto locking hub may have been worn and were skipping over the axle teeth. I took the hub off, cleaned it, inspected it, lubed it, installed it and got the same result. I have never been a fan of auto hubs anyway, and I wanted to switch to a manual locking hub, so I bought some Aisin manual hubs that the internet insisted would fit a 1995 Trooper. I felt really good about the whole thing until I got the auto hub off and realized the hub I bought needed a way smaller axle than what my Isuzu has. The axle on my Isuzu is a 17 spline, but the circumference of the axle is far too large for the opening of the manual hubs, and the pattern of the axle teeth are much more square than the manual hubs, which are 17 straight points like a star shape.So here is my dilemma: I have a pricey set of quality manual locking hubs that do not fit my stock CV axles. Is there a way to get CV axles that I can swap out to fit the teeth of these hubs? Do they even make such a thing with the stock tooth pattern on the transmission side but smaller teeth that would fit on the hub side? Is it more realistic to try returning these hubs and finding another set of manual hubs, and if so, does anyone know of manual hubs that fit a 1995 Trooper? All of the ones I see either do not specify or show the pattern, or show a much smaller hole like the ones that I bought. Any information on CV axle kits that would allow me to swap on these manual hubs or information on other manual hubs that fit the stock axle would be much appreciated.

Also, do you guys think this sounds like strictly a hub issue? It is clear that the left hub is jumping the teeth of the axle somehow. The axle is being spun, it just isn’t being properly engaged by the hub. The front drive shaft spins in 4WD (obviously because the front left half shaft is spinning), so I am thinking that the left hub is verifiably bad and the right one is not engaging either. I figure if the axle can be seen spinning inside of the hub, 4WD has been properly selected by the transmission, but the hub is failing to lock the wheel to the axle, right? I did not have the presence of mind to pop the cover plate off of the right one to look, which is regrettable, but I will jack it up again soon.

Thanks everyone!

 

I am currently having the same problem with my 95 trooper and wanted to switch to locking hubs. After reading this it sounds like their might be more involved than i thought and i was wondering what you ended up doing and if the hub was your issue or not

 

IDK about a 95 but later years like my 2000 have neither auto nor manual hubs. Instead of the front wheels being disconnected at the wheel hubs for 2WD/4WD the hubs are permanently connected to the axle shafts. To go from 2WD to 4WD vaccum solenoids connect/disconnect the long side axle shaft at an assembly near the diff.
IIRC Warn made some manual conversion hubs.