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- Joined
- Aug 16, 2007
- Messages
- 855
- Reaction score
- 482
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Dale, WI
- Vehicle Year
- 1994
- Make / Model
- Ranger
- Engine Type
- 4.0 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- Solid Axle Swap 4x4
- Total Lift
- 6-7” front maybe 3” rear
- Total Drop
- 0
- Tire Size
- 33x12.50-15
So I’ve been chasing a rattle in the front end of my truck for a couple months or so. It happens when I hit small bumps, cracks in the black top or go down a rough road. Almost sounds like a loose washer on a bolt. The driver side always rattled more than the passenger side but both do it.
Today I decided to pull the front wheels off and poke around again, mostly looking for anything that might rattle. To no avail, I decided to pull the hubs off and clean them since they were pretty filthy inside (grease). Come to find out, I have a Warn 29071 hub on the drivers side and a Mile Marker 428 on the passenger side. I could make both rattle just shaking them with my hands but the Warn was by far worse. So I disassembled both and cleaned them up. When I took the Warn apart, it had much less grease in it and the bearing was completely dry. I cleaned the bearing out and lightly packed it with wheel bearing grease and applied a light film of very thin marine grade grease to any sliding surfaces. Reassembled and I can’t make it rattle anymore.
The Mile Marker hub was packed full of some generic looking brown grease and has a bushing in it instead of a bearing. It got the same treatment as the Warn hub but this one still rattles, just not as bad as before. Is this a common issue with this style of hub? I’m assuming the gear that slides in to engage the hub when you turn the knobs are what rattles. Is there any cure for this? I put a very minimal amount of grease back in. Just enough to keep the cheap plastic cam from chewing the three teeth off of the engagement disc.
Thanks for any and all input.
Rick
Today I decided to pull the front wheels off and poke around again, mostly looking for anything that might rattle. To no avail, I decided to pull the hubs off and clean them since they were pretty filthy inside (grease). Come to find out, I have a Warn 29071 hub on the drivers side and a Mile Marker 428 on the passenger side. I could make both rattle just shaking them with my hands but the Warn was by far worse. So I disassembled both and cleaned them up. When I took the Warn apart, it had much less grease in it and the bearing was completely dry. I cleaned the bearing out and lightly packed it with wheel bearing grease and applied a light film of very thin marine grade grease to any sliding surfaces. Reassembled and I can’t make it rattle anymore.
The Mile Marker hub was packed full of some generic looking brown grease and has a bushing in it instead of a bearing. It got the same treatment as the Warn hub but this one still rattles, just not as bad as before. Is this a common issue with this style of hub? I’m assuming the gear that slides in to engage the hub when you turn the knobs are what rattles. Is there any cure for this? I put a very minimal amount of grease back in. Just enough to keep the cheap plastic cam from chewing the three teeth off of the engagement disc.
Thanks for any and all input.
Rick
