Front hub problem?

[P40MRT]

I've been reading up on the forum and I have the intermittent clicking hub that seems to point to a strip and clean of probably both front FWH's being needed.

But...

When in 4H, turning to full right lock at low speeds brings the car to a halt! I obviously haven't tried to 'drive through' this resistance incase I actually break something! There are no other noises and it otherwise drives perfectly. Is this another symptom of the hubs needing lubricating or is there something more serious wrong?

It's a '98 Maverick SWB with a genuine 103K.

Thanks in advance.

Dale

PS. Off to buy some copperslip in preperation!

 

[Deleted Member S]

When it grinds to a halt are you on tarmac by any chance :?: If this is the case then your suffering from transmition wind up as these trucks don't have centre diff. The best time to use 4WD is on grass, gavel, mud snow covered roads etc even then you don't always need it :smile:

 

[P40MRT]

When it grinds to a halt are you on tarmac by any chance :?: If this is the case then your suffering from transmition wind up as these trucks don't have centre diff. The best time to use 4WD is on grass, gavel, mud snow covered roads etc even then you don't always need it :smile:

I stuck it in 4H to stop the FWH's clicking and noticed the resistance pulling into a parking space. Is trans windup an indication of a problem then? It only seems to do it on right lock, not left...

Dale

 

[Deleted Member S]

In short no :smile: all T2 owner can suffer it if the drive on tarmac in 4WD as the wheels can't slip like they can on grass or mud. The clicking noise will be the hub trying to lock as the other side has poss locked on :? I suffered this last year whilst out laning & the only was to free it was to reverse hard which disconected it :smile: the next day I took the hubs off & put a drop of oil into they & so far so good :smile:
One thing is once you've been in 4WD & go back into 2WD you have to reverse a meter to disconect the FWH :wink:

 

[jims-terrano]

A member called Plank answered a post today regarding the cleaning of the hubs and he mentioned another type of grease. I had that clicking noise and it was the Break Rings that were locking partially together which resulted in the n/s hub getting very hot, so hot smoke was pouring out of it. As has been said today the transmission wind up is not a fault but a warning for you!!!! but in this case may well be an indication that your break rings are in good order. I think your on the right track by cleaning the hubs and rings.

Jim T

 

[P40MRT]

Cool - thanks for that - degreaser and fresh copper grease are at the ready for tomorrow morning. Is it a fairly quick and easy task?

 

[jims-terrano]

I've never taken one appart but it's not a bad job to remove the actual hub.

Jim T

 

[Terranosaurus]

Depending what wheels you have you can do it without even removing the wheels. 6 cap head (allen) bolts remove the hub, theres a big internal circlip to get out if you want to dismantle it to clean it - thats it. Theres also a circlip on the ned of the drive shaft but you should be abkle to clean and regrease that part without removing anything.

Wilst you've got it apart check to see if the BRAKE rings will fit inside each other, if they go all the way they are too worn and need replacing.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

I have only skimmed throught the posting so forgive me if i have got the wrong end of the stick!

But it is worth remembering, that in 4wd it will seem more like a tractor, tight cornering will be heavier more drag off the tyres etc. If you are unused to driving a 4wd it is a differnet experience, though the above items mentioned are all good advice, in my experience short journey's in 4wd on tarmac shouldn't do any harm.

But i would cland and regrease hubs as a rountine thing as they are pretty much a T2's weak spot, dont forget the dolop of engine oil trick i suggested as it is a quick fix for hot hubs and avoids further issues until you can do the job properly.

I have also just taken the brake rings out on one journey when a hub was overheating! just take off the hub take out the bits you can with no tools and stick it back on, saves worry and damage but off course no more 4WD

remember ultmae peace of mind comes with manual hubs !

 

[terranokid]

The later models dont have F/W hubs and they snap the front propshafts if abused which makes a nice mess of the transfer box and costs a lot to put right. £35 a side to replace the brake parts in the hubs or £70 a side to put manual hubs on works out a lot cheaper.

 

[P40MRT]

Hmm...

I only stripped and cleaned the offside FWH, as the nearside one looked like it had been done recently, albeit with a light coloured lithium grease rather than the recommended (on the instructions) cupper grease.

I used copper grease on the offside FWH, but couldn't get it in a spray version so just smeared it on from the tub.

It started clicking again today (not sure which side though). One point of note - the instructions say that once all the bits are reassembled, it should turn freely by hand. Mine doesn't. It does turn reasonably easily, but certainly not what I'd call 'freely' - the fresh copper grease liberally applied means it doesn't 'spin' easily. Does that sound 'right'.

I think I'll do the other one on Saturday, as I don't know which one's doing it! Could it be something else?

Dale

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

No disrespect to Shark1e but i am not comvinced by using copper grease as it is basically and anti seize assembly compound not a lubricant, i would go with a lighter thinner lithium grease.

it is worth examining the central casting for chips etc on the edges where the break ring engages and disengages, if it is chipped i dounbt you will have any success with it.

Having said all that! My advice is get a pair of manual hubs and forget all your hub woes as they are pain once they start playing up!

 

[P40MRT]

OK cheers - I'll redo both hubs with lithium grease (lithium does make more sense to me too) on Saturday - assuming I can get the copper grease out! There was no visible damage anywhere, but I'm not sure which bits are the break rings, etc. The large lump on top of that annoying bearing raceseems to be made of at least 2 parts, but I couldn't work out how to seperate them to clean them inside...

Dale

 

[jims-terrano]

I'll try my best to describe the brake ring to you, bare in mind it is actually two but the second is held in place on the splined drive shaft by a circlip and is copper in colour. The main ring that breaks has two lugs on it and it is usually these lugs that crack and break off. When you have removed the FWH you can see the centre splined sleeve that the drive shaft goes into, this has two lugs. Usually held in with grease but sometimes locked in to these two lugs is the brake ring. The brake rings lugs seem to lock together with the central sleeves lugs.

If you send me a PM with your email address I'm happy to send you a photo. I'm a computer techie but I aint got a clue how to post a photo in this reply.

Jim T

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

I'm sure there is an exploded diagram in the CD manual, could anyone email a copy of that? i have no idea where mine is!

 

[rossco]

P40MRT I have just sent a copy of the blow out diagram via my private-mail so if you see a message from ftroop that's me :wink:

 

[P40MRT]

I'll try my best to describe the brake ring to you, bare in mind it is actually two but the second is held in place on the splined drive shaft by a circlip and is copper in colour. The main ring that breaks has two lugs on it and it is usually these lugs that crack and break off. When you have removed the FWH you can see the centre splined sleeve that the drive shaft goes into, this has two lugs. Usually held in with grease but sometimes locked in to these two lugs is the brake ring. The brake rings lugs seem to lock together with the central sleeves lugs.

If you send me a PM with your email address I'm happy to send you a photo. I'm a computer techie but I aint got a clue how to post a photo in this reply.

Jim T

Ah, so the brake ring is the first bit you remove, and sits on top of the large flat sprint? No damage on that, or any other parts that I could see, but I'm not 100% convinced I put that break ring back on the right way round - when I was cleaning all the old grease off it just fell off before I new it was even there! I'll pm you my email address.

Dale

 

[P40MRT]

P40MRT I have just sent a copy of the blow out diagram via my private-mail so if you see a message from ftroop that's me :wink:

Thanks for that, but mine seems to be a little different to that!

It looks like my 'Auto-lock free-running hub assembly' is different. When I removed the FWH, there's the cupped break ring, then a large flat coil spring, then the large flat coiled 'circlip', then the large bit with the splines on the inside that looks like it's made of a couple of different parts, then the horrid flat bearing race.
Should the first break ring sit 'open side' towards the driveshaft, or the other way round? I put it back on open side towards the driveshaft as that seemed like the best fit - the large flat coil spring seemed to sit in a machined recess on the flat side of the break ring.

Dale

 

[Terranosaurus]

I'm sure there is an exploded diagram in the CD manual, could anyone email a copy of that? i have no idea where mine is!

Its online HERE

 

[P40MRT]

I'm sure there is an exploded diagram in the CD manual, could anyone email a copy of that? i have no idea where mine is!

Its online HERE

That's better - it doesn't show the contents of the FWH, so mine is correct after all. And it looks like I put the brake ring in the right way too.

Could anything else cause this clicking, or is it definitely the FWH's? I don't think I can switch to manuals with the alloys on mine - I have to take the wheels off to remove the FWH...

I'll do them both again on Saturday. Can the large splined part be split for thorough cleaning? What's the best way to remove copper grease, and is there a specific grease to use instead?

Thanks for everyones help,

Dale