77 Lockout hub spring question

Do I need to use the big spring on Warn #9790 replacement hubs? I took my 77 apart to do maintenance and the right side was missing the spring. The directions on the new warn hubs are kind of sketchy. Not sure if I need to find one spring or not use them at all on the new warn install. Thanks, John

The warn hubs do not require the big spring.

chuck said:

The warn hubs do not require the big spring.

Click to expand...

X2.....but they can be put in there, the front end on the 75 I bought a few years ago had warn hubs with the spring behind them. Do not use the spring.

Yes, never use the spring except with the rest of the locking mechanism they were intended for.
If you're lucky nothing happens. If you're like the majority, the spring eventually machines a nice groove into the aluminum slug of the aftermarket hub and finally eats through it to destruction.

And yes, the instructions have been stupid for 40 years. It's not that they don't clearly tell you to remove the spring. It's just that they don't make that clear statement very clear. Even with the pictures!

Paul