My truck is in my signature. I just swapped the 3 bolt auto hubs for manual hubs. I've read on several thread on this website about how easy the spanner nut is supposed to come off. Mine weren't so easy. I had to go buy the proper socket and use a three foot pipe as leverage to get them broke loose. After they broke free they came out pretty easily. I changed from autos to manuals because the auto didn't work, but looked fine. Could the spanner nut being too tight cause the auto not to engage properly? I have someone wanting to buy my autos if I can figure out why they don't work. Thanks

 

Do you mean the wheel bearing lock nut? The one that requires a 4 tab socket?
This is just there to keep the wheel bearing preload nut from backing off (along with that lock ring). If I remember right the lock nut is supposed to be at like 140 ft lbs.

Those auto hubs aren't very tough, and may be junk. My truck (same as yours) had manuals when I bought it at 80k, my moms quit engaging at about 85k, and my buddy had his come out in several broken pieces at 40k. All have manuals now, not one issue.

 

The three bolt auto hubs have a 2.5 in nut that screws on against the bearings. The 4 prong nut is the new nut that goes with the new manual hubs. I've got the old nut out and the new one in and torqued to specs now. People that have done this conversion have said that this 2.5 in nut shouldn't be very tight and should have come very easy and that they didn't need the spec socket. Like I said I had to use a pipe as leverage to break it free. This nut doesn't go back on unless i put the autos back in....which will never happen. I'm just thinking that since it was so tight that maybe this was the reason the hubs didn't work. It probably has nothing to do with it......I'm just curious. Thanks for your reply

 

The nut should not of been that tight. BUT it would have NOTHING to do with the hubs not working, they are just JUNK

 

ok thanks for the reply. I'm officially done fooling with auto hubs and trying to figure out why they don't work. I now have four wheel drive for the first time since Ive owned this truck and I look forward to the next rain storm and looking for some muddy alabama roads!