Dumb question about lockout hub lubrication....

Howdy, y'all. I know this is a really dumb question, but.... Well, I am dumb, so it's ok, right? I can't find anything about this in the FSM or search (though maybe I am using the wrong terms), so... Yeah, anyway.

So, I see that the knuckles on the front axles ride in a bath of gear oil separate from the diff. That's a new one to me. So I am wondering, does that oil also flow out through the spindle and lube the lockout hub? Or do I still need to pack it with grease? I figure it ought to be greased, but figured I ought to make sure.......... I'm a little confused, as the gasket in the Selectro diagram is labeled as an "oil seal" rather than a "grease seal".

And if it's grease it needs, my gut says to fill it with plain ol' black lithium grease. Is this correct? Seems like wheel bearing grease would be too stiff...

 

To function correctly lock-out hubs need a very light smear of lube. Use grease but do NOT pack them.

 

The oil in the knuckle is separated from the hub by air. The oil does not come past the spindle. The hub is filled with wheel bearing grease which is sealed at the back side by a grease seal. So there is outside air between the wheel hub and the knuckle.

There is nothing to separate the wheel bearing grease from the locking hub though. But the grease really does not move from around the wheel bearings. You can lube the hubs when you put them together. A light weight grease would be good - I would just paint it on to the parts with a flux brush. As mentioned, don't pack the hub with grease.

 

To add to what they said, use a grease that is stable at all common temperatures. I prefer a lithium based grease like Lubriplate. Pretty stable in all but the most extreme conditions.
I figure if it's good enough for Warn it's good enough for me. I have had wheel bearing grease get stiff enough in really cold weather to not allow some locking hubs to function properly.