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OT- vacuum-engaged 4-wheel drive front hubs

P

P and R Pete

Member
I have a 4-wheel drive Kia Sportage. The front hubs are engaged via engine-vacuum: a vacuum line from the manifold goes to and exits a small tank, and then to an adjoining solenoid that opens the vacuum to the hubs, After that, a simple T-joint directs the vacuum to each hub.

I have 20 pounds of vacuum on the wheel-side of the solenoid when shifted to 4-wheel drive. Seems OK.
Vacuum at the R wheel is 20 pounds, at the L wheel about 13, so I guess I have plaque in the L artery.
Regardless, it isn"t shifting the hubs.
I haven"t yet taken a wheel off to get a better look at the hub, but question is, is there any maintenance/lubrication that can be done to the hubs to free them up?

Thanks
 

I have a KIA and the only way to really fix it is buy a set of Warn manual hubs. I think they can be had on ebay for a smaller price. They are easy to replace. KIA has lots of problems with there hubs and everyone I talked to said change.
 
Also check the seal in the outer knuckel. If this seal gets damaged or rust gets between the knuckel and seal there will be a vacume leak and hub will not lock.
 
Dunno a thing about the Kia... but I've got a Ranger that HAD vacuum hubs. Get a set of Warn or any other manual hub and be done of it.
Vacuum hubs, in my opinion, rank right up there with some of the dumbest ideas that ever left the drawing board.

Rod
 
Thanks, all.

Yes, I meant "inches". Doh!

Yes, vacuum-operated hubs seem totally cheesy. Guess I'll go the 'manual' route. Does this require special tools? Can it be done with the body of the hub remaining on the car? Approximate time per hub so I can plan?

thanks
 
Not sure on a KIA, especially since you'll have to take off the extra vac. equipment.

I can change out the hubs on my old GM PU in about 15 minutes each.
 
the early Sportages had all kinds of trouble with the front hubs change them to manual is no real fix for the vac.ones. they work fine in warm weather but never in cold also the little vac. switch on the fire wall drivers side was a lot of the trouble
 
Kia has a service bulletin about these, they have an updated hub and seal .Not sure if it's a fix all or not , seen a few of them in my shop . Lot of vac leaks,etc. Manual hubs is sure fix but on the $$ side either way you go .
 
You folks jynxed me (I think)!!!
I just bought a 97 and really like it. The last couple of days though, when taking off after backing up, I get a kind of rocking clunk. Same thing I got with my F250 in 4x4 on hard ground. Could it be that these hubs lock themselves randomly? because a couple of times it done it without being shifted into 4x4 before hand. Should I just go ahead and replace with manual hubs? The vehicle went through a pretty tough inspection about 50 km before I bought it, so I don't THINK there any warn parts.


Thanks, Dave
 
Just replaced some F-150 vaccum hubs, nice design, but boys do they ever mess up when they lose vaccum at highway speed and try to shift into locked for 1200 miles.
 
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