96 Ranger 2.3 locking hub question...

LandonRobinson · Aug 30, 2018

96 Ranger XL 2.3; manual transmission; 108" wheel base.

I just bought this truck back in June and this is my first time owning a 4x4 vehicle, so I'm not exactly sure what to expect...

Today I was taking off the wheels to see how the brake pads were doing and as soon as I pulled the wheel off I was staring at the end of the splined drive shaft which I was not expecting.

So my first question is... is something supposed to be holding the locking hub assembly to the axle housing or are the lug nuts for the wheel all that hold it on?

While I had it off I took a look a look inside and there is grease all over the place which at first I thought was normal until I read this: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/HubDiagnosis.shtml and apparently I need to clean all the grease out.

The second problem is that when I moved the outside knob from FREE to LOCKED nothing inside either hub assembly appeared to move at all, so my second question is should I have seen anything move at all or is that just the way that it works?

ericbphoto · Aug 31, 2018

I believe that originally, there were one or two c-clips on the wheel studs that would keep the hub on. It is common for those to be missing. It's not a problem.

A thin film of grease on the hub parts is fine. They need some lubrication. Just don't pack it with a lot of grease. I've been running f150 and ranger hubs that way since 1988. No problem. Make sure the big o-ring is in place on the back of the hub flange.

There is a tech article about drilling and countersinking a hole in the hub flange and a corresponding threaded hole in the brake rotor so you can retain the hub to the rotor with a flat headed screw. Totally unnecessary. But it works.

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LandonRobinson · Aug 31, 2018

ericbphoto said:
I believe that originally, there were one or two c-clips on the wheel studs that would keep the hub on. It is common for those to be missing. It's not a problem.

A thin film of grease on the hub parts is fine. They need some lubrication. Just don't pack it with a lot of grease. I've been running f150 and ranger hubs that way since 1988. No problem. Make sure the big o-ring is in place on the back of the hub flange.

There is a tech article about drilling and countersinking a hole in the hub flange and a corresponding threaded hole in the brake rotor so you can retain the hub to the rotor with a flat headed screw. Totally unnecessary. But it works.

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Thanks for replying.

Yeah I agree it would be common for those to be missing when you typically have to break them off, I think they would have been just for keeping it in place while you were putting the wheel back on.

I wouldn't want to start drilling holes in anything when the 5 lug nuts are already holding everything together.

And then my other question about the knob...

"The second problem is that when I moved the outside knob from FREE to LOCKED nothing inside either hub assembly appeared to move at all, so my second question is should I have seen anything move at all or is that just the way that it works?"

ericbphoto · Aug 31, 2018

Sorry. I forgot that part. Did you check it's operation when assembled? With the front of the truck on jackstands and transfer case in 2wd, if the hub is in the unlocked position, you should be able to rotate the wheel and the axle shaft should not turn. Then turn the knob to the locked position. Now, when you rotate the wheel, the axle shaft should spin with it.

It has been a while since I've had my hubs off. But if I recall correctly, turning the knob makes some of the internal parts move in and out. You won't see anything rotate inside the hub.

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LandonRobinson · Sep 3, 2018

ericbphoto said:
Sorry. I forgot that part. Did you check it's operation when assembled? With the front of the truck on jackstands and transfer case in 2wd, if the hub is in the unlocked position, you should be able to rotate the wheel and the axle shaft should not turn. Then turn the knob to the locked position. Now, when you rotate the wheel, the axle shaft should spin with it.

It has been a while since I've had my hubs off. But if I recall correctly, turning the knob makes some of the internal parts move in and out. You won't see anything rotate inside the hub.

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Thank you for the idea, and yes that worked locked and unlocked they are both working like I expect them to.

I am considering this post "resolved".

ericbphoto · Sep 3, 2018

Excellent!

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LandonRobinson · Sep 4, 2018

The only thing that I forgot to mention was that on the back of the locking hubs there is a place there that looks like it should have an O-ring in it but doesn't, but this truck rarely leaves the highway so I'm not going to worry about it for now but I'll get it taken care of before the rainy season starts so that the grease doesn't get washed out.

ericbphoto · Sep 4, 2018

yes. There should be a big (close to 4" diameter?) o-ring on the back of the hub flange. You can get a whole bag of them (lifetime supply) from McMaster-Carr for just a few dollars. I have the part number written down somewhere. I'll try to remember to go out to the shop and look at mine tomorrow and get the part number. Or I could send you a pair. PM me if interested.

(edit) just found the size in this thread.

cstarbard · Sep 4, 2018

You have a 2.3 4x4!! Lucky you. As do I :yahoo:

Absolutely love them

There is a WARN service kit that has the o rings as well- it includes the larger o ring mentioned as well as an inner one, the spot for which is apparent if you clean a little grease out of the flange part of the locking hub base. The kit also comes with new outer stickers that say WARN or 4x4 or something like that, which is cool. It is like a $40 kit though, covering both locking hubs.

I have also had grease in my locking hubs for a while, like eric said as long as they aren't packed full they work fine, never had an issue with mine (yet!)

I believe there is a service kit by WARN that has all the lock nuts for the wheel bearings, thrust washer, and whatever clips the trucks came from the factory to keep locking hub onto rotor

You can test the locking hubs off the truck using same principles; if you have them in free, you should be able to turn the splined tube at the very bottom of the locking hub (so, near the dial, but inside) with your finger (my fingers are almost too fat to do this lol), in lock that piece should not turn

I'll find the part numbers for those service kits today, I think I have both in the garage somewhere

LandonRobinson · Sep 7, 2018

cstarbard said:
You have a 2.3 4x4!! Lucky you. As do I Absolutely love them

There is a WARN service kit that has the o rings as well- it includes the larger o ring mentioned as well as an inner one, the spot for which is apparent if you clean a little grease out of the flange part of the locking hub base. The kit also comes with new outer stickers that say WARN or 4x4 or something like that, which is cool. It is like a $40 kit though, covering both locking hubs.

I have also had grease in my locking hubs for a while, like eric said as long as they aren't packed full they work fine, never had an issue with mine (yet!)

I believe there is a service kit by WARN that has all the lock nuts for the wheel bearings, thrust washer, and whatever clips the trucks came from the factory to keep locking hub onto rotor

You can test the locking hubs off the truck using same principles; if you have them in free, you should be able to turn the splined tube at the very bottom of the locking hub (so, near the dial, but inside) with your finger (my fingers are almost too fat to do this lol), in lock that piece should not turn

I'll find the part numbers for those service kits today, I think I have both in the garage somewhere

Thanks anyway but we have an O-ring room at work that I can get any size of O-ring that I need for free, its literally a wall of parts cabinets 10 feet wide and six feet tall with nothing but metric and standard O-rings.

ericbphoto · Sep 8, 2018

LandonRobinson said:
Thanks anyway but we have an O-ring room at work that I can get any size of O-ring that I need for free, its literally a wall of parts cabinets 10 feet wide and six feet tall with nothing but metric and standard O-rings.

Wow! Sounds like you rebuild pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders for a living.

4x4junkie · Sep 14, 2018

Here's a link to the article mentioned before about securing your hubs to the rotor:
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Dec 05/offroad.htm

Reason for this mod was that each time the hub separates from the rotor, the large O-ring (which keeps the bearing grease from flying out all over the inside of your wheels) can slip out of position and then be sliced in half when you tighten down the lugs (maybe this is why it's missing from the OP's truck, people sometimes just toss them out not knowing what they are after it's all cut up from the hub shifting around). Another reason for it is any dirt or mud around the hub & rotor can now fall down into your wheel bearings when the hub separates.

I've no access to a big O-ring warehouse to take new ones from, so after one instance of this happening, I didn't want it turning into a PITA each time I rotate tires or whatever, so is why I came up with the (rather simple) idea.

96 Ranger 2.3 locking hub question...

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