Changing auto hubs to manual

[KYRangerDude]

Just wanted to comment on how I spent 4 hrs on a 1 hr (at most) job. The PITA was the little key holding the auto nut on....I spent 30 mins on the drivers side, using a small piece of wire and attempting to get in the threads and pull the key out....I finally gave up and with my wire still in the thread...just jerked it out...well...guess what came out with the wire? It took 15 minutes to finish the job. Then went to passenger side....again...spent 45 minutes fishing for the key...finally got mad enough that I went to the parts house and got the strongest little magnet they had...got it home and didn't even have to touch the hub, and the magnet pulled the key out....

Just wanted to let anyone that's thinking about doing this project....Get a magnet...saves a lot of cussing and aggrivation!

 

[legoms013]

Yeah magnet is the preferred method around here.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Wish I'd thought of it. Also wish I'd looked at the book, I didn't and didn't know about the key. I broke the nut on the first side before I realized there was a key. Oops,

Richard

 

[legoms013]

Yeah sometimes you have to back the nut off or tighten it ever so slightly to release the tension on the key, then it will come out no problem.

One good reason to swap to manual hubs is that you get rid of the key by doing so.

 

[scotts90ranger]

the key is a nice positive way of keeping the lock nut in place, unlike the manuals where they can back off on their own if not properly torqued down

 

[Hahnsb2]

When I did my Explorer, I actually had to grind and chisel a notch in one of the nuts to get the damn key out. Other than thet they've never given me too much trouble.