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Locking Hub Rebuild Question

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by earlswrench, Oct 1, 2012.

  1. Oct 1, 2012
    earlswrench

    earlswrench Member

    Atlanta, GA
    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    135
    So I am rebuilding the '78 IH locking hubs that came with the D44 axles I put under my CJ5. Both were caked in dirt, grease and all sort of junk. One locked on and off really smoothly. The second had to be turned with a pair of pliers.

    Once taken apart and cleaned up, I thought I found the problem. The PO rebuilt them and put a square o-ring in place of one of the regular o-rings. My guess is that he couldn't find the size o-ring he needed, so he took one out of a flashlight or something. Took me a while, but I found the right o-ring.:p When I put it back together, however, it still was stiff as heck to turn.:mad:

    Finally, after a lot of comparing to the working hub and flipping parts back and forth, I figured out the real problem. The little spring ball that snaps the hub into the "lock" and "free" positions rolls around but does not push in and out (this is the part that looks just like the little spring ball that snaps a socket onto a ratchet). I assume the spring is dead and jammed under the ball or just gone. In any case, something is preventing the ball from pushing into it's housing.

    Does anybody know of any way to remove this ball/spring apparatus? If I could get the ball out, I think I could drill out the hole a bit, add a new ball and spring and fashion some way to get it back together. I can't figure out anyway to remove this ball. It doesn't look like there is any kind of snap ring holding the ball. On the working one, it seems there is a very small weld ring holding it in place. On the broken one, I can see nothing.

    These are original IH Warn hubs. All metal parts inside and I'd love to keep them.
     
  2. Oct 1, 2012
    earlswrench

    earlswrench Member

    Atlanta, GA
    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    135
    Update. On the advise of a friend -- who knows a heck of a lot more about everything than I do -- I worked the metal loose around the edges of the ball. This messed up the metal pretty bad but I figured it waas FUBAR anyway with the stuck ball. I got the ball out and the spring is conpletely corroded and twisted all over the place in the hole. I've got it soaking in PB Blaster now. When I get the remnants out, my plan is to drill the hole a little bigger, then put a new spring and a wider ball inside. Then, I hope I have enough unmangled metal around the edges to peen it back so the ball does not fly out.

    Suggestions are still very much welcome.
     
  3. Oct 2, 2012
    johneyboy03

    johneyboy03 The green beast

    Quebec, Canada
    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2011
    Messages:
    2,115
    Is that automatic hub? I have try them and they are weak to me.
     
  4. Oct 2, 2012
    earlswrench

    earlswrench Member

    Atlanta, GA
    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    135
    No it's manual. It's basically a Warn Premium 9062.
     
  5. Oct 5, 2012
    DREDnot

    DREDnot Not new to JEEPS

    AZ
    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2010
    Messages:
    646
    I had some IH lock-o-matics on my '72 304 and they held up great with 31s.
    The auto feature saved my bacon more than once.
    If you are planing to trounce your rig, lock them in first.
    I wish I had another set for my '74
     
  6. Oct 5, 2012
    earlswrench

    earlswrench Member

    Atlanta, GA
    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    135
    Figured I'd let y'all know how things turned out.

    I drilled out the ball (major PITA, I dug all around it and finally got it). The spring was rusted dirty and basically a tangled mess under the ball. I drilled the hole clean, then bought a 3/16" ID steel tube. I cut it to length, them chamfered the top. Put in a drop of grease, the spring, the ball, then peened down the chamfered edge. Looks pretty good to me. Most importantly, it works!

    Here's a photo of the good one (left) and the one I re-did (right).

    [​IMG]

    Here's a before and after of the hubs and how they used to look on outside (the clean one was before I added red paint to the IH logo and "lock" "free" ring -- looked pretty ugly before the clean up...
    [​IMG]

    Sorry for the bad light in my garage, but here is the final product.

    [​IMG]
     
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