Fighting stock hub re-install!

[PDQ]

I have one side done with what sounds like a normal amount of finessing to get all splines lined up, but the passenger side won't line up.
I am putting the stock drum and hub back on but the two locking hub sections will not cleanly line up once inside the drum hub. The inner locking hub section with outer splines will go in, and separately the outer section with inner splines will go, but if they try to line up once together, it won't push . It seems like the axle needs to come up some and I've tried to move it from the u-joint and from the threaded hole but it hardly moves. I have tried to wiggle the drum hub when installing but to no avail. If I spin the drum while pushing the locking assembly in I can get the whole thing in with effort, but the fit is then so tight the hub won't unlock and you have to work like hell to pry the locking hub guts back out.
Damn thing worked when it came off...any ideas or tricks?

Thanks.

 

[DirtDonk]

Hmm, sounds a bit strange. However, "strange" is not an uncommon condition for Broncos!
How are the bearings adjusted? To spec presumably, but even if they were too tight you would not have the hub issue. Only if too loose to my thinking.
The axle or hub does need to spin sometimes to line things up of course, but it should not be hard to do that.

Not sure then. Got any pics of what's going on?
At first I was going to say some kind of burr on the splines, but when you said the axle shaft was not able to turn, that kind of threw that out.
The backing plate goes on first, under the spindle? Or does it go on last after the spindle? I can't remember, but if you put the spindle on first with a Ford disc brake setup it will jam the axle and u-joint. Can't remember the drums.

Good luck. Hopefully someone can pull that one out of their hat.

Paul

 

[Teal68]

Take both pieces out and see if they will fit together.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, all I got is make sure the large snap ring is fully seated. Clean out the groove and try it again. You didn't mix up the left and right side parts, right? Good luck

 

[RustBeltRefugee]

It might be a bent spindle. One of the hubs on my first Bronco would not even engage when I bought it and like you described the axle and hub appeared to have a noticeable offset on their centerline. My spindle was bent severely and had to be replaced. Yours does not sound as bad as mine was so maybe their is another solution. Does your camber appear to be out?

Your old hubs might have looser tolerances and more wear which allowed them to still work where the new hubs will not.

 

[sprdv1]

Those things take some patience for sure

 

[PDQ]

Thanks for the help. Answering in order:
-Both pieces of the locking hub fit together
-Couldn't get the hub far enough in for the snap ring-
-Rust belt, I think you may be on to something. I ended up getting it to work by putting a long bolt in the axle stub and using a bottle jack to lift up on the bolt. As it came up, everything came into alignment, however when with the jack gone and everything installed, the hub is still binds on lock and unlock so there is something out of square. You may be right as the spindle may be out of wack.
Thanks to all for the help. This was driving me nuts and there was no other mentions of something like this with a search.

 

[73azbronco]

Clean the interior cleaner. As in scrape it with something that will get crusted on dirt/oil/grease but wont leave a groove. I had a long overdue for rebuild 66 axle do this to me, I just didn't have the interior wall cleaned enough.

 

[DirtDonk]

Because you're working on the drums, I'm "assuming" that the rig is still up on jackstands and the wheels are off. But are they? Or is the vehicle weight back on the ground and you're just buttoning up the last bits?
If so that could explain the binding if something is loose. But yeah, if up in the air and that trick worked, it does sound as if something is bent or deformed.

However, the fact that you got it off without any trouble (?) would indicate against the bent spindle..

The good news is that if this was your daily driver you could still put it back together with just the wheel bearings buttoned up and leave the drive hubs/lockouts out until you figured what was going on.
Just cover the open hub ends with something and you can drive as long as you want. As long as you don't need 4wd that is.

Good luck.

Paul