auto to manual hubs

[Hearse Man]

Another question from a newbie. I am getting an 82 K/20 4x4 from a friend. It has the auto locking hubs. I don't think there is anything wrong with them, but I have never been a fan of auto hubs in general. Plus I have a brand new set of manual hubs in the garage. I will be pulling the hubs to do the wheel bearings soon after I get it. I have never taken auto hubs apart before. Has anyone done this before? What can I expect? Is there a website with pics of this swap? From what I understand this is a fairly common swap. Thx for the info and help.

[Sigmet1]

I swapped out the automatic hubs for a set of Warn premium manual hubs on my 1990 Suburban 2500 with a Dana 44 front axle. It was a very straightforward & simple process. Since I had it all apart I repacked the wheel bearings and replaced the grease seals.

[G. Gearloose]

If you anticipate getting stuck, or needing to rock the vehicle, go manual. If you just drive straight, then auto can work.

Autos disengage and reengage when you change direction. A slipping rear will let the driveline gain too much momentum, then bam the front reengauges, then you shear the loops off the axleshafts.