Axleshaft spacer

[ranger96]

I had some play in my front wheel so I was going to repack the bearings. I have a manual locking hub and when I got the hub off I could see pieces of the spacer. Does anyone know where to purchase just the spacers and not the whole hub assembly?

My ranger is a 96.

 

[MAKG]

I'm scratching my head as to how that spacer could break without having everything else totally thrashed. The only spacer (well, it's actually a bushing) within the hub itself that I'm aware of is between the case end and the slider spring. That doesn't see any moving parts except when the selector knob is actually being turned.

Though D35 manual hubs are not terribly common, they CAN be found at the junkyard. They are almost all good; most people never use them. This is quite a lot cheaper than buying a pair of Warn hubs.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm thinking it's the splined washer he's after, in which case it's the same for both manual and automatic hubs.

If it can't be found at the dealer, then try a junkyard (IIRC, '95-'97 has a 3-piece setup... two steels (one of which is splined) and a delrin center one. a '90-'94 solid one can be substituted however)

 

[ranger96]

I hope I've described this correctly. When I removed the hub, snap ring, and splined spacer, there were fragments of another spacer (in the Haynes manual it actually lists there could be three). Illustration 1-3 number 2 shows the spacer I'm after: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/HubConversion.html

I wasn't optimistic that a junkyard would have it but I'll try. If I got a hub conversion kit would the correct spacer be included or would I have to make the full conversion?

 

[MAKG]

I'd be quite optimisitic about a junkyard for that. Auto hubs fail mostly by eating the cam. Manual hubs (much less often) by cracking the case. The one failure mode that might concern you is water fouling.

But most hubs (manual or auto) are never used....

That part of the setup is identical for manual vs. auto, but it is different on Dana 28 vs. Dana 35.

An alternative you might try is (perhaps) Dorman. They sell the locknuts, at least. Pick your favorite auto parts store.

 

[4x4junkie]

No, those spacers are not included in hub conversion kits.

 

[ranger96]

You may have guessed I'm slow pedaling this one. 4X4junkie is spot on: it is the delrin center washer/spacer (it is clearly not a medal part which I initially thought to be the case). The pieces of mine are visibly worn and very brittle. So when I go to the junkyard, can I also look for 96 with autolocking hubs? And is it also the case that 90-94 models have the same part? I think the answer is yes, but I want to confirm. This will make my search easier.

 

[4x4junkie]

The '90-'94 ones are solid steel, they can be used on yours though, yes (some early '90s had the D28 axle, make sure you're pulling from a D35 truck if it's a '90).

 

[Will]

I don't have those on my truck at all. Just the snap ring.

 

[ranger96]

That's interesting. Will doesn't even have them on his truck. Maybe I should just slap it back together and see what happens.

 

[4x4junkie]

Will, I'd like to know how you keep the mud & grit out of the back of your spindles (and the needle bearing) .

Running without the axles secured won't allow the rear seal to seal itself against the backside of the spindle (and if the shaft drifts in far enough, may become disengaged from the locking hub too).

 

[michowski]

You can get these off of lmc truck for 10 bucks. Thats the splined spacer that goes on after before the snap ring. Its the 2nd to last thing to put on before the hub correct? Its part #4 you want if thats the spacer you need.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Will, I'd like to know how you keep the mud & grit out of the back of your spindles (and the needle bearing) .

Running without the axles secured won't allow the rear seal to seal itself against the backside of the spindle (and if the shaft drifts in far enough, may become disengaged from the locking hub too).

I ran without one on the passenger side before and exactly that happened. The splines came out of the hub and chewed the hub up a bit.

 

[ranger96]

Thanks for the image michowski. My 96 has a 3-piece setup... two steels (one of which is splined) and a delrin center one. It's the delrin center one I'm looking for. I can't find the same image michowski posted for the 96 ranger (this image is for 90-92 Rangers).

 

[bronc]

Don't mean to dig up an old thread but what causes this spacer to wear? Is this normal? My passenger side spacer is worn almost all the way through. I am replacing it now. Now I see why they had needle bearings there on the old setups. I also understand why that spacer is there now.