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[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Newer bearings are lower friction than old?

Actually on all my stuff the older bearings are more efficient!

Some of my old stuff has ball bearings which roll much easier than the roller bearings on my new stuff. None of my new stuff has ball bearings but I do know that Metros have ball bearings on their rear wheels.

I believe the switch to rollers was made because they are more durable (more resistance to "flat-spotting", and proper preload adjustment is a bit less critical.

I remember a couple of occasions where I removed the front driveshaft on a 4x4. On a full-time 4x4 Chevy you could put lockouts in the hubs (or disassemble and pull the locking gear, then reassemble), then pull the front driveshaft, then drive it with the transfer case in 4WD LOCK. That would take all the rotating gear from the FWD out of the equation.

For Jeeps atleast. The wheel bearings used in YJs and XJs were crap, swapping over to the TJ style would net a small improvement.

True, but he would still be lugging around a now useless transfer case and front diff.......