1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Looking for Info on my Thor Hubs

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by dvw86, Jan 10, 2010.

  1. Jan 10, 2010
    dvw86

    dvw86 Member

    Eastern Washington
    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2007
    Messages:
    191
    My grandfather installed a set of Thor "Lectro-Matic" hubs on my Jeep years ago. He is no longer with us to ask him questions, but my Dad says they have an electric motor in them. You would flip a switch on the dash and the hubs would spin in or out. He said that you could also use a screwdriver to turn the screw in the middle of the hub to engage or disengage them. Anybody have any information or know anything about them. I am debating on trying to rebuild them or just sell them and replace them with a set of Warn hubs.
    Thanks
    Dan

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Jan 10, 2010
    EricM

    EricM Active Member

    Southern California
    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2007
    Messages:
    1,019
    Electric? Do you see any wires going to them? I wonder how they would deal with electrical connections to a rotating wheel?
     
  3. Jan 10, 2010
    blevisay

    blevisay Oh Noooooooooooooooo! Staff Member

    Portland Tn.
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    4,348
    slip rings and brushes
     
  4. Jan 10, 2010
    USMC_LB

    USMC_LB Member

    Tipton Co, TN
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2009
    Messages:
    129
    Here is the only thing I could find on the net. The picture is at the bottom of the page and does not look like yours does. But, it is a make of the Thor Lectro Matic.

    http://www.pangolin4x4.com/pangolin4x4/reference/lib/fwh/fwh.html

    I think they are neat and you should see if you can get 'em going.

    If you do not have the time or patience I would definitely find someone who could appreciate the hubs and sell them.

    The practical side of me says to sell em and get some Warns, the nostalgic side would like to see em saved and be used!

    TimD
     
  5. Jan 10, 2010
    blevisay

    blevisay Oh Noooooooooooooooo! Staff Member

    Portland Tn.
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    4,348
  6. Jan 10, 2010
    dvw86

    dvw86 Member

    Eastern Washington
    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2007
    Messages:
    191
    Ya I've found that site before too, but it doesn't tell me much. I guess that I'll just have to take them off and see if I can figure them out.
     
  7. Jan 11, 2010
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    9,221
    Guys, guys! We've asked several times that horse trading take place in private messages not in the tech forum.

    This is for technical information, not trading or selling parts. Thanks.
     
  8. Jan 13, 2010
    Vanguard

    Vanguard Take Off! Staff Member

    Vista, CA USA
    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2006
    Messages:
    2,256
    My bad. :(

    Hey look steve, I got a trash can! R)
     
  9. Jan 22, 2010
    dvw86

    dvw86 Member

    Eastern Washington
    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2007
    Messages:
    191
    I ended up taking them apart and thought that you guys might like to see how they work. I'm sorry if this post is a little long, but I couldn't find any information on these and I thought that the pictures may help someone else who has the same hubs.

    When my Dad said that they were electric, I assumed that they had a little motor that would “spin” them in or out of engagement. What I realized was that they were more like a solenoid or electromagnet. There is a coil of wire on the wheel side of the hub. When power is applied to the coil it becomes a magnet and draws itself to the axle side of the hub. There are little “teeth” machined into the facing sides of the hub. These teeth engage and the axle side of the hub turns the wheel or magnet side of the hub. A wire is ran through the back of the backing plate through a hole and provides the electricity to the magnetic coil. A contact mounted on a spring transmits this electric power through a slip ring inside the brake drum to the hub. I imagine that the hubs could be engaged while the vehicle is moving, but I think this would cause the teeth to slip for a moment and lead to premature wear of the teeth.

    A toggle switch or a maintained push button could be used to turn the hubs on and off. One could even use a limit switch on the 4WD lever of the transfer case to automatically turn them on when the vehicle was shifted into 4WD. The hubs would only remain engaged as long as power is applied to the magnetic coil. If you left the switch on and had run power directly off of the battery to the switch, it would eventually drain your battery after the engine is shut off. If you ran power from the ignition switch to the on/off switch, your hubs would automatically disengage as soon as you shut off your engine.

    If for some reason they didn't want to work, there was a little screw on the outside face of the hub that you could turn to manually engage or disengage the hubs.

    [​IMG]
    On the top of the hub you can see the wire that passes through the brake drum to power the magnetic coil.

    [​IMG]
    As the hubs came apart you could see the electrical connections between the two halves. The electric coil is in the outside half of the hub.

    [​IMG]
    This is the back side of the electric coil. Notice the little teeth machined into the steel. Also note the 12V stamping and the sticker warning not to use grease in the hub.

    [​IMG]
    The axle side of the hub with mating teeth machined all the way around it's inner circumference.

    [​IMG]
    After removing the axle side of the hub you can see it's back side and the snap ring that holds the bearing in place.

    [​IMG]
    There is a rubber seal and brass shim between the hub and axle nut.

    [​IMG]
    Removing the brass shim.

    [​IMG]
    On the back side of the brake you can see the little hole and grommet for the wire to pass through.

    [​IMG]
    After removing the brake drum you can see the slip ring on the back side of the drum. Notice the wire on the upper left side.

    [​IMG]
    Cleaning up the slip ring you can see the screws that hold it on.

    [​IMG]
    Removing the screws and electrical insulator that was between the drum and slip ring.

    [​IMG]
    Here you can see the wire that passed through the drum to the hub.

    [​IMG]
    The removed slip ring.

    [​IMG]
    If you look closely you can see the contact for the slip ring in the upper left side. Also notice how my brake pads had completely de-laminated and came off.

    [​IMG]
    A close up shot of the contact that rides on the slip ring. You can see the wire that passes through the back side of the brake.

    [​IMG]
    The removed contact.
     
  10. Jan 22, 2010
    unclebill

    unclebill Banned

    a sun blasted...
    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,358
    wow
    cool thanks!
     
  11. Jan 22, 2010
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2003
    Messages:
    8,102
    Thanks for that- Very 8)

    H.
     
  12. Jan 23, 2010
    USMC_LB

    USMC_LB Member

    Tipton Co, TN
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2009
    Messages:
    129
    Thanks dvw86 for the technical writeup of those pretty rare hubs !!

    TD
     
  13. Jan 23, 2010
    garage gnome

    garage gnome ECJ5 welder

    Western MA
    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2009
    Messages:
    3,083
    those are keepers!
     
  14. Jan 23, 2010
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2007
    Messages:
    5,916
    Very interesting. Tnx for sharing.
     
  15. Jan 23, 2010
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
    Joined:
    May 25, 2006
    Messages:
    2,871
    Write-ups like that are part of what makes this site the best. THANKS
     
  16. Jan 23, 2010
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2003
    Messages:
    8,513
    very interesting
    I've never seen a set of those
    thanks for the pics
     
  17. Jan 23, 2010
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2003
    Messages:
    8,102
    Q- Does the solenoid in the outer part of the hub

    a) pull in towards the inner splined section riding on the axle shaft

    or

    b) does the inner splined section pull out towards the solenoid section?

    Is there a spring in there somewhere's to keep the teeth apart when not engaged?

    Enquirirng Minds Want to Know :)

    H.
     
  18. Jan 23, 2010
    dvw86

    dvw86 Member

    Eastern Washington
    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2007
    Messages:
    191
    The electric coil has a plunger through the middle of it (just like a solenoid). The metal plate with the teeth are on the end of the plunger. The plunger is spring loaded. When the coil energizes it sucks the plunger (and the plate with the metal teeth) up against the axle side of the hub. When you turn the screw on the outside face of the hub, it manually pushes the plunger into engagement of the axle side of the hub.
     
  19. Jan 23, 2010
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2003
    Messages:
    3,323
    x2
     
  20. Jan 23, 2010
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2003
    Messages:
    8,102
    Ahhhhhh...

    Enlightenment :)


    Personally I find it amazing those teensy-tiny teeth can handle the torque & not slip, those magnets must be !&*$^ strong!


    Thanks,

    H.
     
New Posts