Over the past few months I've been chasing a problem with my ESOF Hubs. The passenger side was very difficult (nearly impossible) to manually lock into 4 X 4 and the vacuum line was cracked and off the nipple on the knuckle. The driver's side wasn't much better. It would turn just fine but after a closer inspection the vacuum line was also cracked and about ready to fall off.

I removed the vaccum lines trimmed the ends. I removed the nipples, cleaned them out with the appropriate size drill bit and buffed the rust off the ouside with a wire wheel. I also shot air through the hole to ensure it was clean.

I removed the hubs and used Guzzle's procedure to take them apart and lube everything.

The driver's side appears to be working just great. They engage when I shift into 4 wheel drive. And it disengages at the appropriate time. It also appears to manually lock and unlock just fine.

The passenger's side is another story. I was able to spray Break Free into the seam between the ESOF body and the lock mechanism (the ouside, non-serviceable part). This helped the hub manually lock much better. When I shift into 4 wheel drive it locks the hubs and I can manually lock the hubs as well. When I disengage the 4 wheel drive system the hub stays locked. Even if I don't manually lock the hub.

The outside housing (where you turn the hubs in) is cracked and a small piece of the silver metal bar is missing. I suspect that this crack/hole is not allowing the vacuum action to unlock the hub. If I take the hubs off I can manually push the plastic plunger (white plastic piece) down and disengage the hub.

I am wondering if anyone has an old hub that they are not using any more that I can have for free or cheap to swap out my guts into a non cracked housing?

Any other input or thoughts on this subject are greatly appreciated.

I have already considered switching to Warn manual locking hubs but I really like the fact that I don't have to get out an turn in the hubs if I don't want to. I may end up going that route if I can't get a replacement housing.

Thanks,

 

I had a similar problem. I upgraded to the Warn and forgot about it lol. The passanger side I had to beat with a hammer to get the hub off, the good news is i do still have the driverside that works fine. If your any where near Monroe MI its all yours

 

If you do not find a hub on here, check the wrecking yards. Last time I needed a hub they were pretty cheap. You will most likely have to buy a set, but still affordable.

 

Send me a PM with an address, I have a hub on the shelf, I had one fail and saved the other when I put the warns on.

 

Tiny,

Hub is all boxed up, heading to the post office now, you should see it soon.

 

Reps to all here for their generousity helping out Tiny, FTE lives......

 

Onelionhunter... I got the hub in the mail yesterday. Thanks so much.

Other than a bit of Montana dust it's in perfect working order. I'm sure that our Oregon rain will take care of that dust in no time.

I plan to lubricate everything and put it on my truck this weekend. I'm also going to save my old innards for safe keeping "just in case". I think I'm going to try to get the old hub apart to see just how it works and why it quit working.

 

Glab it made it safely. That hub is in the exact state it was in when pulled last September or whenever it was, pulled, put on top shelf out of the way awaiting a new home, I don't beleive it was touched the entire time, lol