1997 F350 4x4 front hub problem
 

I left a parking lot today and noticed an obvious weird sound in my front driver hub, sort of a clicking at first but then a whirling hum when I came to a stop. I thought I had a big nail in the tire....but I couldn't be that fortunate. I was only a mile from home so limped her home...definitely making the wrong kind of noises from the hub. I got home and noticed some grease splatter on the wheel. FWIW it is an automatic locking hub. At home, when I engaged 4wd high and rolled her 10 ft, a different kind of click. She would not go into 4wd low at all.

What are the expert's guesses on the issues? I guess the hub is fried? I am no mechanic so will take it somewhere...or perhaps have it trailered somewhere :)

Sounds like the auto hubs are out,Get a set of manuals,either warn or mile marker.

I'll admit I know next to nothing mechanically...that said :)

I pulled the outer snap ring and pulled the hub and to my untrained it looks ok, but what am I looking for?

I then pulled the cam assembly out and so far all I noticed was the inner clip had one side not seated entirely flush. Can anyone comment on what the c clip looks like on both ends? Mine has one end with makes 90 degree turn to notch itself, but the other end (the one not flush) has nothing. Thinking the clip is broke...maybe?

Any other advice for a dummy and what to look for? Perhaps it is wheel bearing - but do those go out all of the sudden?

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...psntgydt6f.jpg


You can see the end of the c clip I am talking about...a bit of the bronze colored one.

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...psddpa095n.jpg

I pulled the clip and here is better pic. Is there an end broke off?

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...psvbmw8icu.jpg

Nevermind on clip question - found a pic on quad4x4 site and it looks like that's the way it is. I guess I need to go deeper and check out the wheel bearing.

Try jacking it up and spinning the tire, see if you hear anything.

thanks Bashby. Yep - I tried that and only sound in spinning is typical tad bit of rotor surface sound. I grabbed the wheel at 12 and 6 and then 9 and 3 and gave some good yanks and it felt solid. Now I am real curious about what it could be. I don't have the special socket to get hub off...so most likely a stopping point. Anyone know the size of socket and if NAPA sells them typically?

I took for a small drive minus the hub and no weird sounds so I guess the hub assembly is bad. Will order manual locking hubs and go from there.