clicking/ popping hub

[ishbo03]

ive got a 77 blazer with warn premium locking hubs and just yesterday when i locked the hubs and put it into 4x4, they started making a clicking/popping noise. anyone ever had this happen to them before? what should i do?

[bburris]

roll it off a cliff, it's broken

[Violentv8toy]

Check the joints....grease em.

Disassemble the axle hub - knuckle out. Clean...reassemble with new grease and check each part.

Alot of things can start to pop and diagnosis is a pain cause it could be anything. Sometimes it will pop and and crackle and nothing is wrong. Reassembling the hub will assure you that everything is fine if it keeps popping.

I think some hubs make weird sounds when they're in 4wd for shiats and giggles. (someone verify?) My superwinches on my toy used to pop and click in 4wd from day 1. It doesnt sound good but all is well.

[Shaggy]

take them off and warrenty them... they have a lifetime warrenty and it is an easy fix

[ishbo03]

can i still waranty them if i didnt buy them, they were on the truck when i bought it. my friend told me it could be either a bad hub or the axle shaft is stripped. is this tru?

[bburris]

I would guess that the hub is popping/disengaging or the axle u-joints are going bad. You may want to follow V8Toy's advice...

[BigRedFord04]

drive it 'til it breaks, then fix it. always has been my motto.

i am kinda partial to "roll it off a cliff, its broken" though....hmmm....decisions decisions.....

[Doug Krebs]

I stripped axle??????? We need a little guy smoking the reefer!! I really doubt anything is wrong with the hub, it probably needs to be cleaned out along with the bearings. I have actually never broken a hub. On the other hand, one has gone to **** from lack of maintence.

[ishbo03]

aight, thanx doug. since ive never done this before, can u bring me through it step by step on what i should do cause i dont wanna mess anything up. thanx.

[BigRedFord04]

take off the outer hub w/ allen wrenches

remove the TWO snap rings, one on the shaft, and one on the outside of the hub

screw a couple hub allen head bolts back in and pull the hub out.

remove the brake caliper and pads

using either the special 4WD hub socket you can get at any parts store, or a screwdriver and hammer, unscrew the spindle nut.

remove the spacer/washer off the spindle and remove the inner spindle nut.

pull on the hub/rotor assembly until it comes off. hold your hand over the open outside end so the outer bearing doesnt fall in the dirt like doug does every time.

check the bearings, make sure they spin.

repack the bearings w/ proper grease. i use the red stuff b.c. thats what comes in most from the factory and has a high temperature tolerance. i know doug uses marine grease b.c. its waterproof. either way, use a lot of it.

during the whole procedure make sure you pay attn to where everything goes.

if you're really ambitious you can take off the spindle (6 bolts then beat it loose w/ a hammer) and regrease the bearing that is inside the spindle.

replace any worn bearings or seals. installation is reverse.

i would personally recommend getting the spindle nut socket from the store b.c. then you can torque the nuts to the right specs. the past couple of times i've done mine to 50ft/lb for the inner and 150ft/lb for the outer. most distructions say you should back the inner nut off 1/4 turn after torquing it then leave it as is...i dont like that. if you're replacing bearings make sure you replace the races. i torque the inner one to 50, back it off, spin the rotor, torque it again 3-4 times to seat new bearings, but still leave it torqued to 50. I'm sure david oliver will have something to say about this method but its worked thus far. i just dont see any reason to make the bearings looser than neccessary by backing the nut off.