Hubs Research Archives

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Dana Spicer Hub/Lok Hubs

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Unlike the other Hub Lok hubs made for jeeps, this Hub Lok hub model was designed for early Ford Broncos. It is listed for $149 on the Bronco Graveyard website. I can’t confirm if these are rare or not.

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Originally posted on June 8, 2023: The seller of these Hub Lok hubs for jeeps sold the hubs with the original installation and operation instructions! The manual accompanying the hubs confirms that the Hub Lok hubs were sold by Dana and/or Spicer, which is what we thought, but lacked physical evidence as proof.

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An original dash sticker? Probably not another one of these around!hub-lock-dana-spicer-hubs11

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1954 Warn Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I spotted this Warn hub brochure out of Canada on eBay. It’s not I have documented. Its 1954 date makes it a fairly early one for the locking and automatic hub models.

This is the front of the brochure:

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The is the back of the brochure:

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If you open from the back, it reveals this page:

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The this page opens horizontally again to reveal the interior three pages (8.5″ x 11″)

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This is the back of the fully opened brochure.

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Cutlas Manufacturing History

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE 3: Added an Automatic hub example shared by Seth (at bottom)

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Originally Posted April 28th, 2017:

UPDATE 2: Niels shared a photo of his rare Cutlas key that can be used to spin the screws of the Power-Lock Hub.

UPDATE: 1) Well, it seems I forgot to read through this and edit it (I murdered the title for example) 2) The ending of the post has changed, thanks to Paul spotting an ad in the 1976 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine.

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This is a Cutlas brochure for the company’s first hub, the Power-Lock.

In January of 1958, James Russell Lloyd, who up to that point had been president of the Free-Lock Company in Denver, filed a patent for a new type of hub on behalf of a company called the Cutlas Tool and Manufacturing Company out of Lyons, Illinois. At the time, Lloyd was still based in Denver (according to the patent filing), so what his relationship was with the Cutlas and Free-Lock companies at that time isn’t clear.

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Patent was awarded in January of 1962.

Unlike the Free-Lock hubs, which relied on a rotating center piece to engage and disengage the hubs, the Cutlas hub had two rotating screws that had to be spun to engage and disengage the hubs.

In May of 1958, Lloyd copyrighted the term Power-Lock Free Wheeling Hub, a name which the hubs would be known as from then onward. Here are some photos:

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BestLok and EasyLok Hubs

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE II: This post was originally posted August 29, 2018:

Information about Husky and Dualmatic has been updated and more closely examined here.

Maury and I have been trying to determine how BestLok and EasyLok hubs are connected and how they are connected to Warn, Husky, and Dualmatic. The short answer is that we don’t quite know yet. But, below is what we do know. (Note, while Husky and Dualmatic are mentioned, it’s not a full history of either hub, histories I do need to address at some point).

In January of 1972, Richard Williams filed a patent, assigned to Warn-Belleview, for a new type of hub. Below is the image of that hub.

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What’s curious is that there’s no documentation that Warn ever sold these hubs.

Even more curious, by July of 1972 this exact hub was produced and sold under the brand EasyLok, as advertised here, in the July issue of Four Wheeler Magazine:

1972-07-easylok-hub-fourwheeler-mag-ad-better

Why these hubs weren’t sold nor branded under any traditional seller of the time is a mystery to us.

Earlier this year, Maury spotted a set of hubs with the Warn patented design that were manufactured in 1982. Maury managed to get ahold of photos that show the hubs were manufactured and warranteed by BestopDualmatic (a joined company formed when Wynn industries combined the companies around 1974).
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F. E. G. Hubs

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

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Bill Falconer scored a set of extremely rare “summer”-type hubs that are stamped F.E.G. Even better, he was able to get the original box that accompanied them, which included some additional information.

When I first published the post about the various Summer Hub models, I included a photo of an F.E.G. hub, but the only reference I had was that photo. I could finding nothing else about them. Thankfully, the New Hampshire Fish and Game, which owned these hubs originally, bought from a Willys dealership in Colebrook, New Hampshire (which has since been bulldozed), kept the information it had. So, now we know a little more.

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According to the Box’s information, these summer hubs were $20. F.E.G also offered a locking type for $65. Unfortunately, the part showing how to order the hubs was torn from the box.

So, what does “F.E.G.” mean? In researching these, I found a company called F.E.G. out of Mexico that has a subsidiary parts maker, HOWEVER it appears the company wasn’t around in the 1950s. Thus, I am at a dead-end on the company’s history. I suppose it’s possible that F.E.G. are just someone’s initials.

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1944 MB Willows, CA $300

• CATEGORIES: MB • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s a mix of parts, including a set of Watson hubs. Thanks to Bill for spotting it.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1029336818028784/

“For parts only it has a mb body the frame is I think a cj5 not Shure of the year but it is one that came with the Buick odd fire… fenders, hood, grill, rollbar, towbar and other pictured parts. The body has some rust damage lower driver side and is rough but fixable. It’s on my trailer I could deliver within 100 mi for gas money.”

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1956 Warn Hub Manual

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Documents, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I have been going through a whole two stuffed Willys Motors Equipment Books and documents as part of trying to organize the stuff I’ve purchased recently. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed this Warn manual when I first when through the books. I suspect (hope) I find some other cool items. This brochure has a form number of SR-456-4, which possibly means it was produced in April of 1956, but this is a version 4 of the manual.

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1956-04-warn-selective-hub-manual4 Continue reading

 
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Warn Summer Hubs Waffle Style $299

• CATEGORIES: Parts • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Glenn spotted these hubs for sale. No location provided, but shipping is supposed to only be $5.75.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/277256207988311/

“WARN Willys Jeep – SUMMER HUBS – 2WD Freewheel, Vintage. A little less than 3.5” bolt pattern. Not exactly sure which years and model axles and Jeeps that these fit. See photos for detailed description, more available on request. Appears needle bearings are still present.”

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Warn Brochure Form WC-1060

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I was surprised to find I didn’t own this brochure when I saw it on eBay, so I bought it. It highlights the Locking mub and the Lock-O-matic hub.

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NOS Free-Lock 27-spline Hubs

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Thanks to Chris for selling me these NOS Free-Lock 27-spline hubs he got from a friend. He also included copies of the original documents that were included with the hubs. Since I have a Dana 30 on Biscuit, these will got on it once I start working on it.

This doc is one I posted last week:

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I’m guessing the warranty is no longer any good, lol?

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As I mentioned last week, this doc is the first evidence I’ve seen that Free-Lock became a “division” (whether actual or virtual) within Dualmatic. It is my belief that Selectro was another division:

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Here is one look at the hubs:

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And, a second look:

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