Help please - Dana 44 Warn Premium hubs ???s

[Fireball05]

Greetings all,

Need some quick help from the educated masses! I've got a '76 with the Dana 44 and front discs. The front hubs look to be the warn premium locking hubs. Not sure if this was OEM, or if added by one of the POs. Here's what I've got:



Went today to clean them up a bit, I have pretty new wheels, so need the exposed hubs to look good as well The passenger side hub seems to be leaking grease around the o-ring. The 6 bolts are all tight and fully engaged, and when you pull on the end of the hub you can see it wiggle.

The driver side seems tight. I disassembled both side hubs. Sorry I do not know the correct terms, but once you remove the cover of the hub, should you be able to move the internal part? Mine seems to move back and forth maybe 1/2" or so.

Second question - both sides seem to move the same amount, but the driver side seems to seat tightly. The passenger side does not. I don't know enough about the internals to know why that is.

I was planning to buy this: http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-12242SK-d44-warn-premium-service-kit.html but don't see how that would help the problem of the pass side not seating tightly enough.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry my terminology probably isn't correct, and unfortunately I didn't take any pictures since my hands were covered in grease.

Thanks!

 

[Fireball05]

It might be worth noting that this is what I think I have on my Bronco:
http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Warn_Premium_Locking_Hubs

However, the bolts that I have are no more then 3/4" long. The bolts shown in the kit on WH website are probably 1 1/2" long, and have an unthreaded shoulder close to the allen head.

 

[broncosbybart]

Not sure what you are referring to with the hub description, but those hubs are not factory. They were replaced at some point and indeed look like the Warn premium hubs. Why not just get a new set if looks are the main concern? The milemarker stainless hubs are only $70 and a new set of warn premos are $100.

An easy way to check the hub function is to pick that tire up off the ground and engage the hub to ensure the axle shaft is turning when the hub is engaged and then see if it stops with the hub disengaged.

 

[Fireball05]

I have two concerns. #1 is the seepage, grease is coming out at the o-ring b/w the hub and the lockouts.

#2 is that when I grab the lockout and wiggle on it, it moves. The pass side does. The driver side does not. So for some reason the pass side is not seating properly.

Thanks!

 

[xcntrk]

Do you have both sets of snap rings installed on the unit that is loose? The smaller ring goes on the end of the axle and the large ring goes on the outer housing.

 

[casadejohnson]

I have had the same issue with Warn hubs not fitting that well. In my experience, that little wobble has not had any adverse effect on the functionality of the locking hub but the seeping grease can get annoying. I have done a couple of things to make the Warn hubs not leak. The easiest was to take the O ring to the hardware store and find another one that is the same diameter but a little thicker. That helped keep the grease in and made it fit a more snug. The other solution I found by accident, when I converted to disc brakes. When I swapped to the Chebby discs, the Warns just fit better in the hubs I used when I made the conversion. As for the length of the screws, I would guess that you will have to reuse what you have. Warn Hubs have looked the same on the outside for years but have changed internally a few times. The first set I had were put on the Bronco years before I got it and used the shorter screws like you described but the newer sets I have used all have had the longer screws like they have in the rebuild kit you found at Wild Horses. I think the older ones have a larger head on the screws as well.

 

[Fireball05]

The screws on mine were 7/64th allen key, and 3/4" long.

X - are you talking about the 2 snap rings seen on post #7 in this thread? http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210088&highlight=dana+44

If so, the smaller diameter one is installed. It is closer to me when I remove the lockout and look inside the hub. The larger, thinner snap ring in that photo I'm not sure if I have or not. Where does it go? There was a lot of grease in there so maybe I just didn't see it!

Thanks.

 

[xcntrk]

Yes, same set of rings as in the service kit from JBG.

The large one goes into a groove in the hub and holds the internals in place. Here's a pic of mine, you can see the large ring sitting in the hub groove.

(disregard that I have no small ring in this pic - I run different stub shafts)

 

[Fireball05]

Thanks for the info. Sorry I'm a bit slow, but please check out picture below. I think I'm missing the large snapring on the passenger side. This may be causing the excessive movement and the leaking. Do I have it figured it finally?

 

[broncosam]

There could be too much grease on the inside and it is pushing past the o-ring between the two parts. Everything thing inside there just needs a light coat of grease except the wheel bearings that need to be properly packed. What I've always done in the past and it has worked was to take the locking hub off and clean the area where it meets the bearing hub well. Clean the o-ring or get another, but before I put the new or clean used o-ring back on I run a small bead of RTV around the locking hub body, install the o-ring and then assemble it back onto the bearing hub. I have never had one leak or let contaminates in or out when doing this.

 

[Fireball05]

There was a ton of grease inside! Packed almost full. In the picture above, is that about the desired amount of grease?

 

[ransil]

There was a ton of grease inside! Packed almost full. In the picture above, is that about the desired amount of grease?

yes , about that much everything just needs a light coating

your picture is labeled correctly, your missing the small snap ring on the axle

 

[Fireball05]

Thanks for the help everyone. Bought some new bolts from Lowe's today, and ordered up the rebuild kit from JBG. Will take a wire wheel and clean up the outside and shine them back up, remove a bunch of the excess grease and hopefully get everything put back together.

Or, as more often seems to be the case, get started in this process and find 4 other things to tear into!

 

[ransil]

Thanks for the help everyone. Bought some new bolts from Lowe's today, and ordered up the rebuild kit from JBG. Will take a wire wheel and clean up the outside and shine them back up, remove a bunch of the excess grease and hopefully get everything put back together.

Or, as more often seems to be the case, get started in this process and find 4 other things to tear into!

rule #1 don't disable the Bronco, do each job to completion else you will not see a running bronco for 8 years ;D

 

[xcntrk]

Thanks for the info. Sorry I'm a bit slow, but please check out picture below. I think I'm missing the large snapring on the passenger side. This may be causing the excessive movement and the leaking. Do I have it figured it finally?

That's correct. Where you have "is this the larger snap-ring" is in-fact the larger snap ring

your missing the small snap ring on the axle

That's my pic not his (OP). and yes, no snap ring on those stub shafts.

 

[savage]

You will be able to push it in a little but when you tighten the hub bolts it will snug up against the snap ring and should be snug.My assemble also doesn't use the axle snap ring,it depends on what hub or axle you have. I also put a small amount of silicone on the outer edge of the locking hub and had no leaking or water getting in the hub.

 

[bmc69]

rule #1 don't disable the Bronco, do each job to completion else you will not see a running bronco for 8 years ;D

Very wise words. %)