Yukon Gear Spin Free Locking Hub Conversion Kit For Dana 60 & Aam / 00-08 Drw Dodge

Dually owners pay more for front unit bearings than anyone. On a 2000-2008 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 with dual rear wheels, the front corner carries a wheel adapter on top of a sealed hub bearing, and when that bearing starts to howl or the ABS light comes on, the fix is another sealed assembly. The Yukon Gear & Axle YA WU-05 Spin Free kit is the dual rear wheel version of Yukon's unit bearing eliminator. It replaces both front unit bearings with adjustable tapered bearings, adds Yukon Hardcore premium locking hubs, and lets the front driveline sit still when the truck is in 2WD.

How the dually conversion works

Yukon builds this kit around a new wheel hub made for the DRW front, instead of reusing the factory adapter. Its install manual is blunt about it: the Dodge 3500 DRW kits do not reuse the wheel adapter, and you must not try to bore out the factory adapter to make it fit. Inside the kit Yukon lists new wheel hubs, spindles that bolt to the steering knuckle, 4340 chromoly outer axle stubs, the locking hubs, bearings, seals and all installation hardware. The new hub turns on a pair of tapered bearings on the spindle. Unlock the hubs and the wheels freewheel while the axle shafts, carrier and front driveshaft stop turning. Lock them and the front axle drives again.

Yukon's fitment data for YA WU-05 shows 2003-2008 Ram 3500 4WD with dual rear wheels and the Chrysler 9.25 front (the AAM 9.25), and the kit title and manual cover 2000-2008, which reaches back to the Dana 60 front used on 2000-2002 trucks.

Signs your dually needs it

• Front wheel bearing roar that rises with speed, usually loudest with a heavy hitch load on the bed.
• Looseness at the front tire with the axle raised, once the ball joints check out.
• ABS warning tied to a front wheel speed signal; the sensor bolts into the top of the unit bearing on these trucks.
• Rusted, seized unit bearings that fight you every time a brake job comes due.
• You tow in 2WD most of the year and want the front end to stop spinning for nothing.

Check these first

Put the front on stands and rock each tire top to bottom while someone watches the ball joints. Spin the hub and feel for grit. Our wheel bearing noise guide explains how to separate a bearing growl from tire and gear noise. Look over the front axle too, because a leaking pinion seal or worn carrier bearings are better fixed with the shafts already out. The AAM 9.25 axle guide covers the 2003-2008 front, and the Dana 60 front guide covers the earlier trucks. A 2003-2008 front that needs bearings and seals anyway can be done in the same weekend with the Yukon 9.25 front master overhaul kit. If you already run manual hubs on another rig and they misbehave, our locking hub troubleshooting guide is worth a read.

Fitment

Order YA WU-05 only for a 2000-2008 Dodge Ram 4x4 with dual rear wheels. Single rear wheel trucks of the same years take the YA WU-04 SRW kit, and the brake rotor mounts differently between the two. Front axles and wheels get changed on work trucks, so check the axle tag and confirm you still have factory DRW wheels before ordering; send us your year and VIN if you want a second look. Other front axle parts are in our rebuild kits section.

Install notes specific to the DRW kit

• Remove the factory DRW wheel adapters along with the calipers and rotors. The calipers can hang on wire; the brake hoses stay connected.
• The DRW rotor bolts to the threaded holes on the lower flange of the new hub with the supplied hardware, unlike the SRW kit where the rotor floats on the studs.
• Press the wheel studs in with a hydraulic press so they seat fully in the hub flange.
• 2003-2008 trucks need the supplied U-joint spacers. Replace any factory U-joint with play while the shafts are out.
• Clean the knuckle face with a flap wheel, coat it with anti-seize and torque the spindle bolts to 135 ft-lb.
• Bearing adjustment: inner nut 50 ft-lb while rotating, back off 90 degrees, reset to 15-20 ft-lb, outer nut 160-205 ft-lb, end play 0.000-0.002 in, and no more than 20 in-lb to turn the hub.
• Cut the wheel center caps for hub access and recheck everything at 50 and 500 miles.

Slide the inner shafts in slowly so you do not cut the inner axle seals. If the 2003-up front pinion seal is weeping, add the Yukon AAM 9.25 front pinion seal to the order.

Can I use this kit on a single rear wheel Ram?

No. YA WU-05 is the dual rear wheel kit and uses a DRW-specific wheel hub and rotor mounting. Single rear wheel 2000-2008 trucks need the YA WU-04 kit.

Do I keep the factory dually front wheel adapter?

No. Yukon's manual says the Dodge 3500 DRW kits do not reuse the wheel adapter and warns not to bore out the factory adapter. The new wheel hub in the kit takes its place.

What happens to the brake rotor?

On the DRW kit the rotor bolts to threaded holes on the lower flange of the new hub using hardware supplied by Yukon, so it is fixed to the hub rather than floating on the studs.

Will 4WD still engage automatically?

No. With this conversion the Hardcore locking hubs must be turned to lock by hand before the front axle will drive. Leave them unlocked in 2WD to stop the front driveline from turning.

What grease goes in the new wheel bearings?

Yukon calls for a high temperature disc brake wheel bearing grease packed into both bearings, with multipurpose lithium grease on the hub seal lip and anti-seize on the knuckle face.

How heavy is the kit to ship?

Yukon lists a shipping weight of about 127 lb, so freight is calculated at checkout rather than free. The kit ships from the USA.