Locking hubs on M37?

[Joe]

OK I admit it. I know next to nothing about locking hubs. But my M37 has the original engine and drive train and the gas mileage is terrible and the top speed is laughable so I'm looking for ways to improve it without destroying it's original character. I'm considering getting a set of hubs for it but I don't know which brands are good and which to avoid or what fits and what doesn't. For example I've been TOLD that hubs for the 3/4 IH trucks from the late fifty's and early sixty's will fit and that hubs from the old power wagons and some Dodge PUs will also fit as long as they had 19 splines and six bolts. I've looked at some of the application charts from Warn and others and I see that those all have 19 splines and six bolt mounts so does that mean they'll fit or is there more to it than that? I was looking at the Selectro hubs particularly the Classics, are they any good or should I stay with the Warn hubs? I know the Warns USED to be the hub of choice but is that still the case with the new ones? I'm not going rock crawling (we have no rocks in Florida!) but I may drive it off the road so I don't need THE strongest hub out there and I'd like to get something that at least looks like it might have come with the M37 and not some big shiny chromed thing that looks like it belongs in the hood! Any advice would be welcomed.

Yes I would love to install a set of 4.89 gears but I can't afford $1000 for them even if I could find some!

[Glenn]

Yeah, we have to import rocks if we want them here in Florida. I'm not sure how much your gas mileage will improve with hubs, having said that I do recommend them if you drive it much. I have heavy duty Selectro hubs on mine, Selectro are very good hubs in my book. There was a pair of hubs recently on ebay, have you looked on there?

[Joe]

The M37s isn't listed on Selectro's site so I'm not sure which hubs fit it. Selectro does list a 19 spline 6 bolt hub for the 57-68 W100 1/2 Dodge PU and the 57 to 74 W-200 3/4 ton PU but the only model hub that they say fits it is the #423 Chromed Supreme which I don't want. BUT I've found a number of listings on E-bay, CL and other places for 19 spline 6 bolt Selectro hubs but with completely different part numbers and in different style from the Supreme hubs. It SOUNDS like those may fit but not according to Selectro's application chart!!! And the model number given for many of those hubs aren't in Selectro's catalog!! One problem is that I don't know the axle spline size for M37. The OTHER hubs that I'm finding are mostly for 1 1/4" axles.

As Charlie Brown says; AAAGGGHHH!

[Tom @ Snake River]

I have been selling Selectro hubs for $305.00
www.snakeriver4x4.com

[Master Yota]

IMS - the hubs I had purchased for my M37 came from Superwinch - I don't remember the part number, but they were affordable. Finding hubs from a parts directory can be a PIA as most manufacturers don't supply a full listing in the book or online. They have a tendancy to supply part numbers for common or popular applications only. Last time I checked, an M37 front end was neither common or popluar...

I welcome the correction, but my understanding is that the front axles are the same between the M37 and the WM300 Civilian Power Wagon. In theory, the hubs designated for the WM should fit. The last of the WM series was built in '67 so that might help in your search.

Good hunting!

[Sal]

I was under the impression that the M37 was 16 spline and the Superwinch # 400508 would fit out trucks ?

[Joe]

FYI. I took one of my hubs off this morning and found that the axles are 1 3/8" o.d. at the splines. Selectro doesn't list anything for that size, only for 1 1/4". Also found some water in the axle. So much for the "restoration" that the previous owner did!

[Glenn]

IMS - the hubs I had purchased for my M37 came from Superwinch - I don't remember the part number, but they were affordable. Finding hubs from a parts directory can be a PIA as most manufacturers don't supply a full listing in the book or online. They have a tendancy to supply part numbers for common or popular applications only. Last time I checked, an M37 front end was neither common or popluar...

I welcome the correction, but my understanding is that the front axles are the same between the M37 and the WM300 Civilian Power Wagon. In theory, the hubs designated for the WM should fit. The last of the WM series was built in '67 so that might help in your search.

Good hunting!

I think that was the deal when I bought mine, them fitting the PW also.

[SOTVEN]

I RUN A PAIR OF SUPERWINCH HUBS, (UNKNOWN MODEL NUMBER). WITH THE STOCK POWERTRAIN. WHEN I INSTALLED THEM BACK IN THE DAY, MY GAS CONSUMPTION DROPPED ON AVERAGE 10 PERCENT, WINDING NOISES AT "HIGH" SPEEDS FROM THE FRONT AXLE DISAPEARED, STATIC STEERING IMPROVED, AND AS OF HIGH SPEED MY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE EXCCEDED THE 60 MPH MARK ON THE HIGHWAY A FEW TIMES (WITH NO TOP, AND THE WINDSHIELD FOLDED THAT WAS). ACCELERATION IMPROVED ALSO. AS OF THE 19 SPLINE P.W. HUBS THEY WILL NOT FIT. THE M37 IS 16 SQUARE SPLINE, THOSE ARE 19 POINTY SPLINE. I HAD SALVAGED A PAIR OF WARN "LOCKOMATIC" FROM A 70'S P.W. (I THINK IT WAS A 300, 8 LUGNUTSS PER WHEEL) AT HOPES THAT THEY WOULD FIT MY M37. NOP. ALSO THE OUTER HUB SHELL EVEN THOUGH IT HAS 6 MOUNTING BOLTS, IT IS OF SMALLER OVERALL DIAMETER.

[Joe]

Shoot! I didn't even bother to count the splines when I had mine apart but I did notice that the tops were square. I guess I'll take it apart again and this time I'll count the splines AND measure to bolt circle diameter just so there's no doubts.

Sal. I just checked Superwinch site and # 400508 has been discontinued but they say it fits the 42–56 WC 50 & 60. That's the only application for that part that I saw on their site. FWIW Selectro also list a 1 ton WC 50 & WC 60 and they say that their model 11022-01 will fit it. Their Hub Specification Guide doesn't list an 11022-01 but it does list the 11022 but gives four different sizes of bolt circles, axles sizes and bolt and spline counts but NONE of them is a 1 3/8" axle. What does that mean? I haven't a clue! But the stars definitely aren't aligning on this one!

[Glenn]

Did you see Tom's post above? Snake River sells Selectros.

[jbxx]

I got mine from John at Midwest Military.
Don't remember the model #, but they are Superwinch.
I don't think that they are as good as the Selectro's, but for my mild ap, they are fine.
Keep the fixed hubs in the toolbox if there is a problem, an easy swap.
J.B.

[Master Yota]

The Selectro's for me would be a second choice - only due to the design of the hub. I used to run them on a Ford (don't hate me...) and I found that in deep muddy ruts, occaisionaly the mud flowing past the hub would cause the hub body to turn and unlock the hub (I've sheared the hub teeth off more than once from this). I would imagine that with the hub sticking way out on an M37 - due to the wheel offset - that this problem might be compounded. A more conventional "turn the dial" design might stay engaged better. This is a moot point however if you rarely see mud or deep ruts, or even rocks for that matter...

I found my hubs from a vendor on ebay. Discontinued stock doesen't always mean unavailable.

Good hunting.

[Glenn]

I do agree about the Selectro design, Warn hubs or that type of design is much better. The Selectro hubs do kind of click into place however when turned, but I suspect that might not hold them securely locked as mentioned in ruts and such.

[m-37Bruce]

The Selectro's for me would be a second choice - only due to the design of the hub. I used to run them on a Ford (don't hate me...) and I found that in deep muddy ruts, occaisionaly the mud flowing past the hub would cause the hub body to turn and unlock the hub (I've sheared the hub teeth off more than once from this). I would imagine that with the hub sticking way out on an M37 - due to the wheel offset - that this problem might be compounded. A more conventional "turn the dial" design might stay engaged better. This is a moot point however if you rarely see mud or deep ruts, or even rocks for that matter...

I found my hubs from a vendor on ebay. Discontinued stock doesen't always mean unavailable.

Good hunting.

Bryan Sage makes a hub protector for our rigs, it's designed just to prevent this from happening & protects the hub itself. It's flat black, I think?