I can't get the outer lockring off to remove the front hubs. It's on a '95 Bronco with automatic hubs. My Haynes manual says it's different than the '94 & earlier models, which looks easier. The book just says remove the outer hub lockring but doesn't provide a clue as to how to remove it.

There are two holes in the hub housing itself, and I can push the lockring down through them, but I still can't pull it off. There doesn't appear to be anything to grab onto to pull the lockring out. Does anyone have any secrets on removing it?

I took a picture of the hub and posted it on my gallery if anyone would like to see what I'm talking about. If you look closely, you can see the holes in the hub housing that I mentioned.

 

If the lock ring is like the other years it would rest in a groove.After you push the ends down inside you probably have to pinch the ends together or spread them so that the ring is compressed or expanded to get it out of the groove.May need a small hook(like dentists use to get hold of it to work it out)You may have to pull out on the hub assy by the screws you have put back in at the same time to slid it out. You can do it!

 

Thanks for the encouragemnent. I went out and gave it one more try before dark and got the outer lockring out and the hub pulled out very easily just using my hands.

I think where I went wrong was thinking that the two holes drilled in the hub housing would allow me to push down on the lockring and it would come out. I'm not sure why the holes are there.

Your suggestion of using a pick worked like a charm. I cleaned all of the grease between the hub housing and the lockring so I could see what I was doing. I looked at it with a flashlight and found a place on the lockring that looked like the logical place to pull with the pick. I don't know exactly how it happened but I got one end of the lockring loose and just pulled it on out with some needle-nose pliers.

I'll proceed from there tomorrow, hopefully. All I want to do is just re-pack the bearings. I also read somewhere in my Haynes manual to grease the spindle bearing, so I'll have to read up on where that is and how that's done.

In case I decide to spend some money, which manual hubs are best, Warn Premium or Superwinch?

Once manual hubs are locked, I assume you still have to push the 4WD button on the dash to complete the transfer to 4WD. What about the low-range button? Once the manual hubs are activated is it automatically in low-range?

Thanks for all the help.

 

You will have to pull the grease seal to pack the back bearing on the hub and replace the seal( they are cheap and probably need replaced anyway).I put manuals on my 93' last year.Yes, you just push the button to engage the 4x4 high range after locking hubs.I believe you have to first be in High range and be stopped,put truck in neutral to then push low range button.Do not just push low range button to engage it on the fly.If you have your owners manual it should explain this or sometime it is on a visor I believe.

 

Thanks for all of your help.

I got the driver's side hub off and decided to go ahead and buy some Warn Premium manual hubs and locknut conversion kit. I also bought the bearing seals as you suggested.

My problem now is that the plastic center washer in the set of 3 thrust washers is missing on the passenger side. The two steel washers were there, but not the plastic one. The Warn instructions say to reuse all 3 of these during the conversion from automatic hubs. Do you know how critical the plastic washer is? The Bronco had obviously been running okay without it for some time. I'm the 3rd owner.

I tried looking online for OEM parts since I have the Ford part no. for the set of three thrust washers (3B458) but nobody seems to have such a part no. Do you have any idea who might have these?