Front axle tuns while driving. hubs are not locked and are bran new warn grade A. removed all the factory vacuum crap that never works when you need it too. happy with hubs just cant figure out why it wants too turn front axle when not locked.

 

Inertia or the axle to hub junction is too tight. Take the hubs out and remove the snap ring inside, take all the spacers out, clean the inside there, lightly grease the spacers and put them all back EXCEPT leave the metal spacer out, put the snap ring back, put the hub back on, do both sides. See if that frees it up some.

Also try and turn the internal splines of the hub, should be some light tension from the spring but they should turn fairly easily, if they're tough then they could be binding it up too. I always take them apart when we take them out of the box and moly coat the internals, makes them slide alot better and easier to engage/disengage them especially in the freakin cold and snow.

 

ok i will try that. i dices-ted them last winter right before the snow flew but only worked for a little while and everything seemed so tight. i will try removing the spacers. its defiantly something in the hub. everything else checks out fine. thanks for your help.

 

I'm not sure if you de-iced them (tried to grease or coat them to eliminate freezing) or you dissected them (took them totally apart). Either way you want to strip them down, parts wash everything clean, no more grease, then look at the parts, scotch brite and brass wire brush any rust or corrosion away. Then dry assemble the parts, look for any parts that bind, use a fine file to smooth over edges and teeth so everything goes together nice and smooth, the action of the internal sprag is nice and doesn't hang, you can use some PB, WD, Liquid wrench or the like at this point to make things lubed slightly, but nothing thick, keep it thin so things stay snug because they are. After your sure everything is nice and smooth, Clean the parts AGAIN, you want a clean dry steel surface, then apply a moly or silicone based DRY lubricant (sprays on wet, then the thinner drys and a slick film is left) a few layers of motorcycle chain lube with moly if you can't find dry film spray, spray let dry, spray again, do at least 4 times. Reassemble your slippery hub and ensure the internal splines turn nice and smooth, turn to engage and ensure it pops in nice, disengage and ensure it pops out nice. Put a little grease around the inside edge of the hub, between the inner splines and the outer splines. This attempts to keep dirt out of the hub by capturing it in the grease, it has nothing to do with lubing the hub.

****? Yes. Reliable? More so than when they come from the manufacturer. Never had a hub fail after I reworked them.

 

wow did not know that it could be just as simple as the wrong lube. thanks for the info will try and clean them. run them through the parts washer a few times and then some. cool thank you.

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i have also never changed the fluid in the deferential s. probably a good idea. any toughs?

 

Always a good idea to change the fluids if you have no idea when they were changed or what condition they're in. Same rules for motor oil apply to gear oil, if its milky you got issues, inner seal is bad and water is leaking in, or the vent hose is missing. put a magnet in the oil after its drained and make sure its not insane with filings. Refill with the right weight, believe its 70-140 or something, we use synthetic 90-140 cause that's what we have in a 55, maybe a little more thick, more protection, but less fuel mileage due to drag, whatever, it works so that's what we stick in. In the rear make sure to add a friction modifier or later you'll hear chatter from the clutches as they wear prematurely. Always nice to have a power pump to put the thick oil in, otherwise its a slow squeeze of a jug or forever pumping, fill it until it comes out the hole, then try and get a smidgen more in quick and cap it. Check it after 50 miles and add a little more, some is going to go out to the bearing sumps in the floating rear ends, we like to cap and jack each side up to tilt the axle and put oil to the outside extremes, then add some more to make sure its full.

 

ok so i removed one of the three spacers in the hubs and cleaned them really good. all seems to be working. i was a little reluctant to remove all spacers. too much play otherwise.

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there was alot of grease in the hubs. i think that is why they were sticking.

 

Common mistake, if a little grease is good, alot of grease has to be better for it. Unfortunately more grease = more resistance and the hubs will work together to spin the axle shafts and pumpkin with the viscosity of the grease.

Keep it light, and take the hubs out once a year if you have to to lightly oil or grease them. I use dry silicone since it forms a protective layer that repels dirt, but I still stick a slime of grease on the inside of the hub to capture dirt and suspend it in the grease rather than have it get into the sprag of the hub.

 

thanks for you help