A few days ago the ABS light came on. I run a fishing charter and need my truck to keep it going. So I kept on keeping on. Yesterday I get a rr-rrr-rrr sound that is proportionate to how fast I am driving. I jack the truck up and check for play in the wheel and OH BOY is there a lot of it! There was also what appeared to be grease or oil on the bottom of the knuckle. Also, my autolock hub wouldn't budge out of "auto" to "lock".

I know I have to replace the hub and I know instructions on how to do so from Guzzle's website. I know I have to get a Timken hub, too.

However, things are never as easy as they appear to be. The autolock hub doesn't want to come out after I removed that retaining clip. Can anybody offer any pointers on this?

I'm soaking and re-soaking everything in PB Blaster tonight. I really want to get this done as I need my truck ASAP. No truck = no money.

 

That autolock hub does not want to come off. Anybody have pointers on this? It also doesn't move from "auto" to "lock". Is this thing *****ed?

 

Try to take a large pry bar and pry the axle shaft toward the other side of the truck. That movement might loosen a seized up axle shaft.

 

I can definitely do that once I get the autolock hub off and the thrust washers out. Any idea on why the autolock hub won't come out after removing the retaining clip?

 

If you have the snap ring off, then you should be able to pry it back, the snap ring only holds the shaft toward the wheel side. The thrust washers are just spacers they shouldn't be holding on to anything. I am guessing some water got down in the hub and seized up the shaft to the aluminum hub gears. Just like a aluminum wheel and the steel hub.

Edit.... I am sorry I think I got what you are saying now, you have the large outside snap ring off then. Sorry. I an guessing it still have to do with seizing up due to water, but I would think the hammer trick you tried should work.

 

Try hitting the hub on the sides with a soft faced hammer. Working them back and forth usually gets mine started coming out.

 

Thanks, Seth. I am going to search around FTE for more info. Somebody else had to have dealt with this and maybe they have a tip or trick to get it out. It might boil down to BFH and PB Blaster, but I don't like forcing stuff if I don't have to.

 

I thought about what you said about the hub being seized. I believe this to be the case, as I lost my vacuum in that hub and my ESOF awhile ago. Living in Louisiana, I KNOW that hub has been submerged a few times. I know I can shoot PB Blaster into the autolock hub. What else can I do?

 

Something else you might try - install the wheel back on with almost tight fitting lugs and let the wheel down and slightly roll the truck back and forth.
This might break that loose. I have done with with wheels that have rusted themselves to the face of the bolting surface.

Good luck,

 

i had the sam eproblem getting my hub off, tried soaking it, using rubber mallet to tap side to side and still wouldnt budge. i was finally able to get it by using a large pair of channel lock to hold the hub and use pry against it to get the hub started out.

 

kccatpower, are you talking about the hub or the autolock hub?

 

I would lean towards the soft hammer and tapping around on the autolock hub also, trying to keep the blows to the outside lip closest to the finger turn. I would think that is the beefiest part of the hub and won't smash the casing into the hub gears. There is nothing that could hold it in there except rust and or corrosion. Even if it was ruined, there is nothing that would "lock" it on the axle except the forementioned rust.

Just keep tapping on it and maybe get somebody on here to hook you up with one of their takeoffs when they converted over to the Warns, in case it does get damaged.

 

I used two flat screwdrivers. One on each side. Scratches it up some,but you'll never see it. I have a set of hubs. I have warn hubs on my truck now. Good luck. Probably just a good seal on the o ring.

 

Just took mine off yesterday, grabbed a hammer and hit it on the sides till it moved (didnt take much) But figured if I broke it I'd replace it with Warn hub lockers so wasnt worried about it.

Also replaced my hub assembly and it was not near as bad as I thought it would be!
If you have everything right there and dont have to make any parts store runs like I did it will prob. take 1.5Hrs. just fyi.

i may be to late with my response if so sorry. Hope it went smoother for ya.

 

the autolock hub, on the very outside that is held in place by the big round clip. it took me longer to get that off than the rest of the job.