Ok, I decided it was time to grease the ft wheel bearings on my recently acquired '96 bronco. It has the unique three screw hub cover, as opposed to the old 8 screw models.
I Removed the three screws, took off the chrome auto hub cover, just like on my old 86 and 90 bronco's and..what the hell am I looking at?? Some sort of aluminum inner cover that hides all the usual stuff...won't come out--don't see why or how they installed it...dor you pry it off or turn it off? It has spanner cutouts around the circumference. do you need a special tool? Not covered inthe bronco book I do have. any help will be appreciated.
thanks

 

After starring at it for an hour and playing with pliers and screwdrivers, I figured out that there must be a snap ring holding this rotten new design inner cover on. Sure enough there is a circular snap ring WITHOUT the right angle bends like the old style, that made it so easy on the old models to remove!!!. Try as I might with sharp screwdrivers and an awl, it finally took a dental pick to grab one of the ends after I found it hidden under some grease! Once out, the hub body came right out. That design is totally screwed up from a maintenance standpoint as you have barely 1/8" to work in to grab that snap ring which lies in there at lease 3/4". Guess some guy thought we were doing far far too much of our own maintenance on our trucks eh guys?

I am going to change it over to manual hubs before next winte,r but find I have to purchase a "3 screw adapter plate" to use the warn hubs I already have from a '90 Bronco that I have just retired. I can't believe it! I also see this '96 Bronco also has the new style brake calipers like a taurus on it, precluding a swap of calipers, etc.

This green/tan EB Bronco had 113k on it when I bought it in Feb for $4,500. It is in very good condition and I am just going throught it now that good weather has arrived in Syracuse (above freezing)

 

Theres use a conversion kit to swap to manual Hubs.
It just has the old style nuts and keyed washer that has all the holes in it that you line up with the nut with the pin you put on first.
You take all the auto stuff and trash it.
Heck i bet your 90 stuff will work just swap em and see.
But that snap ring is hard to get off no room to work on it.
alum. hub sticks out so far.

 

If you guys will get an old common head screwdriver and taper it to a point with a 1/16" flat left, grind it to about 1/16" thick and using a torch bend it about 45° angle. It makes a super snap ring getter! It also fits in the spline lands and pries the snap ring out easily. You can re-temper and quench with oil. I know, you won't need it with the manual hubs. Enjoy your Bronco!!