Warn hub servicing?

[Railvan]

Hi,

I have Warn locking hubs on the front on the Sportsmobile. The right one has gotten harder to lock as time goes on. Last time I used it I had to tap it into the lock position with a socket held in my gloved hand. I know, a real hi-tech solution...

So, obviously, they need maintenance. But what needs to be serviced? Just taken apart and lubed? I have searched on the net for a photo guide to servicing hubs and found nothing. Any tips?

I'd like to work on them Sunday.

Thanks,

Brian

 

[motomech]

There is a actual warn service kit....but when my hubs get sticky i squirt a little bit of wd-40 and it loosens them up alot

that's for the dial part of it...inside i just use regular wheel bearing grease but only lightly grease them i hear people say if you use too much grease on the inside it can cause the hubs to slip and eventually strip out

 

[ujoint]

Yep, unless something is broken or bent inside, a light coating of grease is all that's needed. Are they the standard or premium hubs?

 

[rambrush]

I always used a light coat of lubriplate grease on mine.
http://www.lubriplate.com/webstore/detail.aspx?ID=49

The service kit was not needed as long as things were taken care of.

 

[madizell]

Grease on the inside of the hub won't cause slipping or stripping, or any harm for that matter, but can cause the hubs to become inoperable in cold weather as the grease gels. Basically two components inside: 1) a slider gear that engages the hub body with the axle shaft; 2) a dial and spring that when turned, presses on the slider to engage it with the axle shaft. If the hub does not want to turn, the dial is dirty and needs cleaning and, perhaps, a light lubrication.

The slider gear and hub splines should be greased. When engaged, the hub and gear are a metal-to-metal part of your driveline. Without grease it won't live as long as it should, and will be the more difficult to engage, since all that does the engagement is a light duty spring.

The dial does not need lubrication, but a very light coating of grease or graphite won't hurt either.

No matter how you do it, hubs require regular maintenance. They should be disassembled after any trip that takes you across deep water because they almost always leak a bit no matter how good your seals are. Water in the hubs is not good. They also live in a dusty environment, and again, no matter how good your seals, dust will eventually infiltrate. Some combination of dust and water probably accounts for the hub not wanting to turn.

 

[Railvan]

Thanks for the info.

Since I can't seem to post photos here now, I posted photos on my Pbase site so you can see what I am asking in the following comments:
http://www.pbase.com/railbat/hubs

Upon taking them apart, I found the passenger side outer gear "A" had just enough room to jiggle, while on the driver's side it could slide in and out about 1/8". Ring "B" appears to be the stop for the travel. How is this adjusted, and what is the correct amount of "slack"?

I lubed the slider gear inside and out and the inside of the outer gear "A". Should I go further into the hub and lube the outside of the outer gear "A"? The snap ring "C" does not have holes in it for snap ring pliers and appears to be tough to get out.

Thanks for any and all help.

Brian