Hey, everybody I hope someone can help me. I'm an aspiring back yard mechanic and I've started working on our 85 F-150 4X4...... but I have hit a snag in tring to remove the locking hubs. I got the cover plate off as well as the spring and the drive gear out... but.. I can't seem to find how to remove the large steel ring that wedges in between the main body of the locking hub and the spindle. Without removing the ring the rest of the locking hub can not be removed. I've tried pliers and other pieces of wire and I'm still at a loss. I'm thinking there may be some sort of special tool I need?...... or is there some trick to it? If anyone has any advice here, I could sure use it!!

 

I can only think that you are stuck at the locking ring. There (should be) might be a small piece of metal that slides out like a keyway. This permits the larger ring to come off and the rest of the hub assembly to slide off.

 

I always used a very small flat blade screwdriver(the one's that clip in your shirt pocket) to raise it up a bit to where I could get a larger flat blade under it and walk it out. Just pick around at the ends of the lock ring and it will come up enough to get ahold of it. It can be tuff somtimes ! You just have to stay after it:-)
Good luck!

Superdave

94 Ford Aerostar XL 3.0L
82 Ford F250 4x4 XLT,400 CID,C-6 A/T,8700lb GVWR. Black & Silver

 

My thanks to all who gave me insight on this problem.. I did get those lock rings out, and replaced the hubs without any other problems. I even had the chance to test them this past weekend when I got the truck and the 16ft. horse trailer I was pulling stuck in some loose sand. I got out, locked the hubs, Put it in 4-low and crawled right up and out of the sand pit that I obviously hadn't seen (opps!)... Everything worked great! Thanks again!!!!