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

If you own a 2000-2008 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500 4x4 with single rear wheels, you already know the front unit bearings are a wear item. They growl, they get loose, they take the ABS sensor with them, and every replacement is another sealed bearing that cannot be adjusted or greased. The Yukon Gear & Axle YA WU-04 Spin Free kit removes those unit bearings for good. It converts the front axle to serviceable tapered wheel bearings with manual locking hubs, so the front shafts, front differential and front driveshaft can stop turning when you drive in 2WD.

What the Spin Free kit does on a Dana 60 or AAM 9.25 front axle

From the factory, these trucks use a bolt-on hub and bearing assembly at each knuckle. The outer axle shaft is splined straight into it, so the whole front driveline rotates any time the wheels roll. Yukon's conversion replaces each unit bearing with a new spindle that bolts to the steering knuckle, a new wheel hub that rides on a pair of tapered bearings, a new 4340 chromoly outer axle stub, and a Yukon Hardcore premium locking hub. Yukon lists the kit as including the wheel hubs, spindles, chromoly outer axles, locking hubs, bearings, seals and installation hardware. With the hubs unlocked, the wheel spins on its own bearings and the axle shaft stays parked. Turn the hub dials to lock and you have a solid front drive connection again.

Yukon's own notes for YA WU-04 say it fits the Dana 60 front and is built for the axle disconnect design, and its install manual labels this kit 00-08 Dodge 2500/3500. That covers the 2000-2002 trucks, which used a Dana 60 front, and the 2003-2008 trucks, which use the AAM 9.25 front that Yukon catalogs as the Chrysler 9.25.

Symptoms that send Ram owners looking for this kit

• A hum or growl from the front that climbs with road speed and changes when you swerve left and right.
• Play at the top and bottom of the front tire when the truck is on a jack, after you have ruled out the ball joints.
• ABS or traction light from a front wheel speed signal, because the sensor reads through the unit bearing.
• Uneven front tire wear and a wander that alignment never fixes.
• A second or third set of unit bearings in the same truck, and you are done paying for sealed parts.

How to confirm the problem before you buy

Lift the front end, grab each tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and rock it. Then have a helper watch the ball joints while you rock again, so you do not blame the bearing for a joint. Spin the wheel by hand and feel for roughness. If the bearing is the noise, our wheel bearing noise guide walks through telling it apart from tires and differential whine. While you are under there, look at the front differential for seepage and read our AAM 9.25 front axle guide or the Dana 60 front axle guide for your year so you are not converting the hubs on an axle that needs a rebuild too.

Fitment

YA WU-04 is the single rear wheel kit for 2000-2008 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 4x4 trucks. If your truck has dual rear wheels, you need the YA WU-05 DRW kit instead, because the dually uses a different front wheel hub and rotor mounting. Trucks from 2012-2015 take a separate kit, the YA WU-13. Front axles get swapped on these trucks, so read the axle tag or the cover shape before you order, and send us your year and VIN if you want us to check it. More parts for these axles are in our rebuild kits section.

Install notes

This is a full front hub teardown, and it helps to read Yukon's instructions start to finish first. Points that catch people out:

• Tools: a 12mm Allen, a 22mm socket, a 14mm 12-point socket, a 4-point one-ton spanner socket, a 1-11/16 in socket for the old bearing nut, a hydraulic press for the wheel studs, and a die grinder to clean rust off the knuckle face.
• Hang the calipers; you do not need to open the brake lines. Pull the ABS sensor straight out of the old bearing so it is not damaged.
• On 2003-2008 trucks, use the U-joint spacers in the kit to center the joint in the yoke. Inspect the factory U-joints and replace them if they have any play.
• Protect the inner axle seals when you slide the shafts back in. On the AAM 9.25, the 8885B inner seal installer set is the right tool if a seal is already leaking.
• On the SRW kit, the brake rotor goes on last and floats over the hub flange on the wheel studs.
• Spindle bolts are 135 ft-lb. Seat the inner locknut at 50 ft-lb while turning the hub, back it off a quarter turn, then set it at 15-20 ft-lb. The outer locknut is 160-205 ft-lb, with end play of 0.000-0.002 in.
• Cut a hole in the factory wheel center caps so you can reach the hub dials, and recheck the bearings after 500 miles.

If the 2003-2008 front differential needs attention while it is apart, pair this kit with the Yukon 9.25 front master overhaul kit.

Will this kit fit my 2005 Ram 2500 with single rear wheels?

Yes, YA WU-04 is the single rear wheel kit for 2000-2008 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 4x4 trucks per Yukon's install manual. Confirm the front axle has not been swapped by checking the axle tag or sending us your VIN.

Do I have to lock the hubs by hand to use 4WD?

Yes. Yukon's instructions state the locking hubs in this kit must be manually engaged for four-wheel drive to work. Shifting the transfer case alone will not drive the front wheels with the hubs unlocked.

Do my factory wheels and brake rotors still work?

The factory wheels work, but the center caps need a hole cut so the hub dials stick through. On the 2000-2008 SRW trucks the rotor slides over the new hub and floats on the wheel studs, so the factory-style rotor is reused.

Can I reuse my front axle U-joints?

You can if they are tight. Yukon tells you to check the factory U-joints for play and replace them if they are worn, and 2003-2008 trucks need the U-joint spacers supplied in the kit.

How do I set the wheel bearings?

Tighten the inner locknut to 50 ft-lb while turning the hub, back it off 90 degrees, then set it to 15-20 ft-lb. Install the lock washer, torque the outer locknut to 160-205 ft-lb and aim for 0.000-0.002 in end play. Recheck after 50 and 500 miles.

Does this kit ship free?

No. Yukon lists the SRW kit at about 93 lb shipping weight, so shipping is calculated at checkout. It ships from the USA.