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How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?

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Offline keith

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How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« on: July 06, 2005, 03:37:38 PM »
Some people here have said that cleaning and lubing the hubs is pretty simple.  I've read the write up on them at off-road.com and it doesn't sound simple.  How long should it take to completely disassemble, clean and reassemble a hub for a newbie?

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2005, 03:54:14 PM »
It really depends on how "deep" you
go into the hub assembly, you can do
a quick pull it apart, clean and regrease
the splines, but little dissassembly, or you
could pick every last piece apart and forget
how to put them back together.

The hardest part is the springs, there is a
way they need to go in to work right, I would
leave those alone unless they are all full of
junk, and even then only if they won't move right

Other than that, what you need to do is pull the
outer allen heads off, slide the knob and guts out,
clean the rust and dirt, lightly lube and put together,
little or no parts need to come apart, then you could
do them again when you have the time, and or someone
who has done them before and get them good and clean

Wild
« Last Edit: March 12, 2006, 10:18:05 PM by wildgoody »
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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mudfkr

Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2005, 05:19:30 PM »
Keith,

Only pull one apart at a time that way you'll be able to use the assembled one as a guide for when you putting the other one back together.   ;)

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Offline keith

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2005, 02:51:14 PM »
I did pull apart the stuck hub.  The springs did come apart from the clutch unit.  So I had the fun of redoing it.  Not too bad of a job.  The hub now engages correctly.  I think there is still something wrong with the turn mechanism as it doesn't turn as freely as the other side plus it doesn't have the nice click into position.  I think there are some parts missing.  But it works enough so that I can go to Zuki-melt if I decide to.

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Offline LawDog

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2005, 03:54:12 AM »
I've done it on the LawDog a number of times now.  It's simple, once you figure out what everything does and how it's supposed to be.  I was thinking of doing a step by step thing with pics because this is something that is very important as far as maintenance of a wheeling rig goes and it's very often overlooked.  Would that be helpful to anyone?
"I'm the Law 'round here" said the Duckshirt.

Get a Zuk, Get it dirty, Git-R-Done!!

At Lakeview Motor Sports we specialize in rediculousness, hackdome, and wasting your time.

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Offline LawDog

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2005, 03:57:31 AM »
Quote
I did pull apart the stuck hub.  The springs did come apart from the clutch unit.  So I had the fun of redoing it.  Not too bad of a job.  The hub now engages correctly.  I think there is still something wrong with the turn mechanism as it doesn't turn as freely as the other side plus it doesn't have the nice click into position.  I think there are some parts missing.  But it works enough so that I can go to Zuki-melt if I decide to.

Did you pull the actual dial that you turn out of the cover?  If so you may have lost the little ball bearing that makes it 'click' in place.  If you didn't, it's still dirty and no matter how clean and lubed the inner workings are, the dial will still be a pain to turn by hand.  Consider some Superwinch or Warn replacements.  They have, among other advantages, a more positive lock.
"I'm the Law 'round here" said the Duckshirt.

Get a Zuk, Get it dirty, Git-R-Done!!

At Lakeview Motor Sports we specialize in rediculousness, hackdome, and wasting your time.

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2005, 06:01:40 AM »
Quote

I was thinking of doing a step by step thing with pics because this is something that is very important as far as maintenance of a wheeling rig goes


This has been done before, but alass tis lost
in the archives of cyberspace, well at least in
Eric's Server

Hey Eric, could you add another Forum that was
non post to that could be called the Shop Manual?

It would contain the best posts and how to's of the
FAQs that we see here on a regular basis, like the
Tire Size Qs that come up at least once or twice a month

Hub Maintainance is a good one
Zaggs Rebuild is a good one
SAS Qs and such

Seems like it could be an online wealth of info

Wild
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Blasted

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2005, 07:33:15 AM »
Some days Im glad I own a Kick.. heheh..  Theres only one spring.  Basic cleaning works for a while, and is a decent cure for for the days you need to break out the "plyers" to turn the hubs.  The only really decent tool you will need is a wide opening set of snap ring plyers. For the Kicks, a basic cleaning, just mark where your hubs are sitting, leave in free, and remove. Pull off the outer cap with a 5mm Allen key. If you just want to regrease and put back on, go ahead, wont hurt my feelings, But its good to get as much crap outa there as you can. Clean as much gunk out as possible with a scraper/screwdriver and repack with some grease.  I sometimes use Moovit on the cap and grease on the gears, It usualy lasts me about 4 to 5 months.  The farther you take it apart, and the more detailed the cleaning the better and longer they will last. I will post some pics of the dissasembled hubs i took apart last night at a later date.  I try not to mess with the caps to much because if the spring comes out of the main gear, its a bit of a bear to put back in. Totaly cleaned, and properly greased hubs work like its nobodys business. Not to mention saves time trouble shooting on the trails if you happen to break.  You can get old siezed hubs to come back to life again with some tlc, good quality grease, and quality solevent. I will try to post pics of totaly unassembled and re-assembled hubs ASAP.
93 Sidekick 2Dr.  2"body lift.  30" Tires. 1.5" Coil spacers. 4 door coils. 2"strut spacers. K&N Factory replacement filter. 2.25" Cat back, with glass pack.  Custom ground High torque Cam shaft. And CB for talkin trash.

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2005, 10:25:07 AM »
Quote

You can get old siezed hubs to come back to life again with some tlc


True, I got a seized hub for $4 at
a wrecking yard, cleaned it up and
works like a champ, it was rull of rust
from a water crossing and it never
had been cleaned since it was new
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline ruin9fy

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my hubs arnt working lol
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2006, 09:35:06 PM »
hay wondering what kind of problem u were haven with ur hubs were they not working and no front wheel drive ?  i just picked up a 96 tracker and my 4wheel wont ingage ther is a clicking noise the hubs were super easy to turn dindt feel like they were doing any thing im thinkin ther bad

what should i rip apart first
buddy told me to get new hubs and go from there,  found out the hard way that my 4wheel didnt work got stuck up battle creek for 2 hours tonight lol

any one thats had a similar problem or ideas of what else is going on plz REPLY
96 tracker first mod 2157515 wildcountry EXT on gloss black samy rims

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2006, 10:23:29 PM »
A quick clean will fix you up, most of these
hubs never get used and just need a good
cleaning and some grease, I like mobil1

The front driveline turns, but the hubs don't
enguage, it's just like being in 2WD or 2W Low

It's an EZ fix

Wild
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Uncivilized

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Re: How difficult is cleaning the hubs really?
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2006, 04:36:12 AM »
I completely took mine apart, the body and the dial, cleaned and lubed. I had not done it before and had only seen pictures and break down diagrams. Took me about 2 hours for both.
The dial is really what was bad on mine.