I've been told by my mechanic, who has done some research, that the hubs on the Alpha H1s were designed differently, in order to make them more quiet and more reliable at highway speeds. I use my 2002 H1 as a daily driver at highway speeds that don't exceed 65 mph. I'm wondering if this would be a prudent upgrade. Can anyone comment on this? We had discussed what the possibility of upgrading the hubs would be like. Would it be complicated? Very expensive???

 

I'm a 91B All Wheel Mechanic in the Army and there just 2 gears in there to turn the counter clockwise from the transmission to clockwise to the tires. I don't think there's much you can really do but I have never played with a civy HMMWV.

 

The Alpha hubs had helical hub gears to cut down on rocking at stopping and noise. They were somewhat successful but the straight cut gears are stronger.

 

Thanks, gentlemen
!
Now I know why I get that rocking when I stop hard!

I'm not that concerned about the noise of the gears; it would be hard to hear them over the tires (Goodyear GSAs)!
Now, if the present gears are stronger, how do they handle sustained highway speeds (assuming I keep the speed at or under 65 MPH)? Do they build up excessive heat? I drive about 70 miles daily at highway speeds. Any other concerns about those speeds (My tach reads 2300 RPM @ 65 MPH)???

All input would be greatly appreciated; I'm doing everything I can in the realm of preventive intervention.

Dan

 

Your TD truck can handle the speed/heat without issues for the hub gears.

 

Thanks!
That's reassuring to know! ;-)

 

I'm a B as well, mechanically there arent terribly different, the new 52's and up are close to a civy Alpha

 

Alphas had 12.1 frames, half shafts, 12" brakes, upgraded steering parts, 6.6 Duramax 300 HPmotors and Allison trannies. I am not sure what a 52 is. I have seen some really cool, highly modified special forces Humvees with some wild suspensions on them.

 

You guys are starting to get WAY above my head! ;-)

I did get a chance a few days ago to talk to a tech advisor (Rick Wallick?) at AM General. He also stated flat-out that the geared hubs are more than capable of handling highway speeds, and also believed they are stronger. As a matter of fact he said these same hubs are used in Baja racing (Rod Hall), exceeding speeds far in excess of what I would even imagine approaching on the highway.
I asked him what he would think could be a possible weak link on the H1, and he brought up the T-case. He emphatically recommended using synthetic lubricant in it, and believed it to be a good idea for all areas that need lubricants, simply because of the way synthetics handle the extremes of temperature. He was a good one to talk to, and was very enthusiastic...

 

M1152 is the second to last newest model of the HMMWV, they came with ther 4 pistons front brakes and the turbo motor and a stronger trnsfercase. The M1165 came with a new y pipe after the header and now above the tranmission and also the fan is angled with the radiator.