Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

After running my Auto hubs as manual hubs by removing the auto locker component I decided I didn't like getting the wheel spanner out to switch from Free to Locked and bought a new set of manual hubs from David.
Look at this beauty.

I just did a quick inspection and looking at it I am concerned about the drive clutch floating around on the shaft. I recall there is a groove on the shaft for a snap ring and that the GQ models do use a circlip or snap ring to keep some of the hub guts in place. There is no snap ring at the end of the shaft on my Patrol, just a groove.
The drive clutch is on the right.

Am I right in assuming I need a snap ring to keep the drive clutch in place so it does not accidentally bind with the driven clutch when set to free? I don't see any other way to prevent it from floating around and binding, or worse, breaking teeth off.

I doubt the snap ring has anything to do with controlling the hub's engagement sleeve. This must retract when the hub is un-locked.

If i understand correctly, the snap-ring's purpose is to keep the Birfield joint centered?

In the image above the hub driver is on the right. It fits over the shaft. What concerns me is that there is nothing I can see preventing it from sliding on the shaft and binding with the splines on the hub when it is retracted or in the free position.

I will fit in and see whether it is the case. Other forum members have indicated they just bolted the new hub in place and all is well. Perhaps I am just over thinking it.

My fears may have been unfounded, but tomorrow, an on the road test will confirm. I bolted the manual hubs in place and tested them by turning the prop shaft. With a small turn of the prop shaft I can feel the gear smoothly releasing and then running without any clatter or grinding. It locks in place easily and releases no problem. So I think it will be ok. They look the part too.

The groove I was expecting to need a snap ring is on the outer edge of the shaft, about 1 cm from the end, so not the snap ring for the Birfield joint. But, this groove is covered by the driver gear anyway, so no snap ring should be necessary. It is simply, apply grease, bolt on, wash hands. And now I have two spare hubs.

Thanks for the input Peter.

I think you really need that snap ring. It holds the gear that slides onto the axle splines in place. without it, it could move down the splines towards the manual hubs engagement gears at unwanted occasions.

The groove the snap ring would fit onto is covered by the driver, so there is no place to fit a snap ring.

I tested the hubs a bit today. Not once did I hear a snap or grinding when disengaging the hubs and driving off. Prop shaft moves freely once disengaged. I would have though something should keep it from moving about, but it seems to work fine this way.

Perhaps other forum members who have done the same can comment. I have seen posts for the GQ which mention a snap ring for the hubs, but not for the GU.

I have done the same conversion on my GU and there are some extra parts I needed to buy.

There is a ring that I had to order from Nissan to keep the hub centered, then the sprocket gear goes on over the CV shaft and then the spring clip. I had to pull the CV joint out a bit to get the spring clip/snap ring to catch.

If your spring clip cannot go over the shaft or you cannot see the groove in the CV shaft it means your hub is not in deep enough.
If that is the case your inner wheel bearing is not the correct tapor and causes the hub to sit about 5mm too far out.

That Hub should just replace the old HUB as is... Any snap ring on the side shaft should have been there before you started. That manual HUB is an EXACT replica of the Hardbody unit. The inner ring jobby that slides over the side shaft, gets held in place by the HUB cover, and will not move outward. Your moving part is that geared ring in the HUB, and is spring loaded to pull back away from the side shaft drive when you dis-ingage the HUB.

I have the Safari Hub and axle on my Sani, and they both look exactly the same... I never thought of looking to see if they would fit each other, darn I was doff, may have had a set of spares

Hi pgreef . My auto hubs doesnt work at all .
I have opened them and serviced it but there is a washer with 2 legs on that gets bent around the inner-gear assembly to hold the spring and alles in place . On my left side these were broken of and i found it lying loose in the hub ! I have a small machine shop so i fixed it with tig weld and grinded smooth . The auto function does nothing when i engage 4x4 but when i select lock with wheel spanner i get traction to front wheels . My right hand side wheel gives a big claaaack sound and you can actualy feel it disingaging when in lock position , i have checket the spline and all the gear faces but doesnt seem to have much wear . Can you please tell me where you baught those manual hubs ? I want to chuck thiese hubs

Hi Danie. I've PM'd you the contact details of David Volschenk where I bought mine.

I'm sorry to hear about your hub issues. I wanted manual hubs so when I removed mine for a clean and service I took the auto locker out. To be honest I have no idea if my auto locker worked, because it was all caked up with old grease inside and made unpleasant noises. It needed a good clean before I could see the insides.

Its turned out to be a pain to operate it as a manual with the wheel spanner and it just bugged me so I just bought a set of manuals so I can switch Free to Lock with a twist of my wrist, it's what I wanted from the beginning.