OEM locking hub fitment and O-ring question

[Potshot]

I'm working my way through the WH disk upgrade and have a couple questions;

The hub bezel(?) is tight, like, even beyond press-fit tight in the new hub. Any thoughts on whether I should go big and bang it in to place or turning it or the hub a bit to ease the bind? It's like this on both sides.

I'm missing this o-ring. Who knows what size I need to pick up for this?

Thanks!

 

[.94 OR]

If you bang it into place, I'm not sure how you will safely remove it for service later on.

 

[Potshot]

That's for sure. I didn't plan on actually banging it in and TBH I think someone got a little enthusiastic beating it in last time and that's what caused the problem. I took a file and knocked off a burr and it fits reasonably now.

 

[Potshot]

Still curious about the o-ring though.

 

[Bruners4]

There is an O-ring kit out there for the Spicer hubs, but I've found that the supplied O-ring in the kit is not a large enough diameter to fill the groove. I went through my O-ring assortments and found 2 that fit better and used them. Since you have the hub apart, you could walk it into a parts store or a bearing supplier and see if they can find one that fits.

 

[Potshot]

That makes sense. Rolling into NAPA with the hardware will probably be easier than buying a 5 dollar O-ring, paying shipping and waiting 10 business days just to find it doesn't fit.

 

[DirtDonk]

There are two o-rings in question here.
One for the red knob, and one for the interface between the lockout bezel and the bearing hub itself.
Or is that second one intact, and I just can't see it with the angle of the pic?
Sorry to hear about the fitment issue. I would call into WH in the morning and explain the issue. Then someone is going to have to go out and test every darn one of the hubs in stock!
We went through this several years ago, when it was found out that the splines were not cut deep enough to fit the aftermarket hubs in the Raybestos brand units.
They barely fit the stock hubs, and none of the aftermarket ones. Then we found some that were just deep enough to fit the MileMarker brand lockouts. Then we switched brands to one that had continued to machine the splines to the factory specification.
I guess now we're running afoul of another cost saving measure. Or a misinterpretation of one measurement to another when trying to work between languages and machinery settings!
Great, just what we needed....

Anyway, give a call and see if we can replace the with known/tested good ones.
Or there might be other suggestions that the group can come up with.

For one though, I would look closely, and feel the inner rim with your finger for any slight burrs or any out-of-roundness of the hub itself.
Maybe it's just a slight alignment issue? From your description, it does not sound like it. But at least triple-checking it will give you more info to pass on when you call it in.
Maybe a file taken to the inside bevel?
I know, I'm grasping at straws right now. But it's all I can do on a Sunday!

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Potshot]

The fitment issues didn't end with the bezel (solved with a file) but continued with the snap ring on the axle that was >.050 shy of catching. I ended up taking a little off the locker to make it fit but if my buddy didn't have a lathe I'd have been stuck. It's great that the vendors have a make-it-right demeanor but I'm getting that with nearly every order anymore and it's kind of a bummer with the time that eats up working out the issue then waiting on a parts swap. With any luck I'll be through with everything in time for Throwback in Tennessee.

Thanks for replying on a Sunday @DirtDonk , it's appreciated!

 

[DirtDonk]

Glad you're getting good use out of the file!
Did you file the hub, or the lockout?

I was going to mention, but totally forgot last night (this morning?), the good old axle snap-ring.
For basically 50 years plus now, we've run into this problem with stock setups and aftermarket lockouts like Warn (and all the rest). But only more recent years with the advent of the disc brake kits, even with stock lockouts.
It's common (almost universal actually) that you cannot put the original snap-ring back on a stock axle shaft with either the Warn/etc hubs OR the GM spindle setup. It's still a hub and rotor for a Ford, but the other base parts set the depth just a bit shy of the groove.
Hence the advent of some double-groove axle shafts!

So you're not going crazy. It's a normal issue. Some have no issue, but most do.
In your case however, you got both issues dealt with quickly. Most simply leave the snap-ring off.

Have fun in TN!

Paul

 

[Potshot]

Glad you're getting good use out of the file!
Did you file the hub, or the lockout?

I filed the lockout. It fell under the heading "Fixing Damaged Stuff".

 

[Chiclassics]

I had similar issue when I was taking one of the hubs out that I was troubleshooting. I just sprayed little WD40 and wiggled it out with a screw driver. What helped me when i put it back in is first tighten all the allen bolts first then give a little tap with a wooden block around it and goes in that final 1-2mm that sticks out. I actually like it , it eliminates water, dirt seeping in. The issue was my hub mechanism inside was jumping over one of the threads causing it to bind half way so i had to bang it into place.

 

[joshua]

I went through this rebuilding a ram for a log splitter last year. I just used my calipers and order a bunch off Amazon and eBay till I got it right. It was ridiculous. I went to all the shops in town (auto, home improvement, hydraulic, big rigs) and couldn’t get help figuring it out. But my town is only about 130k so there’s not a ton of shops.