Removal of Warn Hubs with Coast Feature

[LDowney]

All,
Thanks ahead for the help and I will be proving that I must be brain dead today with this problem. Let me start at the beginning ...

I have an '81 FJ40 that I am restoring. It came equipped with the Warn locking hubs that have the ability to lock like the standard Warn hubs, but these also have a setting that allows the hubs to coast (you can switch out of 4WD without unlocking the hubs). These hubs also have all steel construction and look fairly different from the common Warn hubs on Cruisers. The axle needs the knuckles rebuilt so I started to remove the hubs this afternoon to rebuild the knuckles. The outer hub assemblies came apart readily, but there appears to be an additional collar over the wheel bearing nuts. This collar appears to be solidly constructed (not just a sheet metal stamping) and does not want to come off so I have resisted brut force. I have not been able to identify any c-clips or other locking features on these collars that may be holding them in place. So I am at a road block in disassembling the knuckle assembly due to the hub.

Does any one know what these collars are and the proper way to remove them?

Thanks

[Clutchee]

Post some picks Larry.....now you got me curious

[sk8salomon]

Larry, you're not talking about these are you? If so, maybe the little square keyway cut is jammed in something?

[LDowney]

Originally Posted by sk8salomon

Larry, you're not talking about these are you? If so, maybe the little square keyway cut is jammed in something?

Not yet; I have not gotten that far into the axle yet. The collar is immediately outboard of the nuts that hold the thrust washer tight against the bearing.

I went out this morning and took a couple of shots. They are attached below and I need to appologize up front for the poor image quality (out-of-focus & dirty condition of the parts; need to run out for brake cleaner this morning).

Shot 1: Is of the hub assembly fully installed on the axle.
Shot 2: The troublesome collar is visible (smooth metal finish, round perimeter, several 'pin' holes on outer face)
Shot 3: The Warn hub parts removed to get to the collar.

[LDowney]

Originally Posted by LDowney

Not yet; I have not gotten that far into the axle yet. The collar is immediately outboard of the nuts that hold the thrust washer tight against the bearing.

I went out this morning and took a couple of shots. They are attached below and I need to appologize up front for the poor image quality (out-of-focus & dirty condition of the parts; need to run out for brake cleaner this morning).

Shot 1: Is of the hub assembly fully installed on the axle.
Shot 2: The troublesome collar is visible (smooth metal finish, round perimeter, several 'pin' holes on outer face)
Shot 3: The Warn hub parts removed to get to the collar.

Would help if I included the images.

[DSLTOY]

I have never seen a set of these hubs, hard to tell from the picture but wonder is the holes in plate are threaded for jacking bolts or are the for a spanner to unscrew the plate? Thats all I've got.

[LDowney]

Originally Posted by DSLTOY

I have never seen a set of these hubs, hard to tell from the picture but wonder is the holes in plate are threaded for jacking bolts or are the for a spanner to unscrew the plate? Thats all I've got.

Three of the holes had very small set screws in them. Once I hit the surfaces with brake cleaner and could see better, I found them. The collar replaces the outer nut and the set screws lock into a special 'locking washer' between the collar & the factory nut. I will take some pictures later so you can see how this thing is put together.

Thanks

[LDowney]

I finished putting it back together yesterday. This locking hub assembly was different in a few ways.

The reassembly is common to the point that the bearings/wheel hub are packed with grease and in position on the axle with the bearing washer + 1st axle nut installed (per first picture)

The reassmbly varies from here out. The 'locking star' is replaced by a locking washer. This washer has a tab to stop it from rotating relative to the axle just like the star. However, it has a series of slots cut in it (refer to the 2nd picture)

Next the 2nd axle nut (possibly referred to as the jam nut), is replaced by a locking collar. It is approximately the same thickness as the nut but its outer perimeter is circular (no features for a socket to engage). It has three threaded holes with set screws and two additional holes (which are not drilled completely through). The set screws are positioned on the collar such that at most only two screws can pass through the slots in the locking washer to engage the axle nut. The third set screw will then engage the washer. The two partially drilled holes appeared to provide a feature for driving the collar tight before the set screws are to be tightened (or at least that is what I did with them). The allen heads of two the set screws should be visible in the third picture before they were tightened.

(continue with next post)

[LDowney]

I should have taken more (better) pictures for the rest because my explanation will probably not be as good as pictures would be. To help with this oversight, I will reuse one of my previous pictures that I posted the other day.

Referring to the 1st picture, on the right is an assembly that I will refer to as the cage assembly. The inner portion of the cage is a machined gear with inward facing teeth to engage the splines on the birfield and outward facing teeth to engage the drive gear in the locking hub cap. This gear also has 10 or 12 (forgot to count) machined flat surfaces. The outer portion is a roller bearing cage with a roller bearing centered over each flat surface on the inner machined gear. This roller bearing cage also incorporates contact (friction) plates that clamp around the locking collar (previously installed).

The cage assembly 'snaps' onto the locking collar; followed by the hub housing sliding over the cage assembly (the hub housing is left of the cage assembly in the first picture). The final portions of the re-assembly are fairly straight forward (snap ring, locking hub cap, bolts).

I had been told that this type of locking hub from Warn was virtually indestructible. However after having removed and re-assembled it, I have my doubts that this is entirely accurate. First, the locking hub cap is cast aluminum so it is probably also prone to fracture failure like other Warn hubs. Second, the parts of the cage assembly that snap on to the collar/nut will probably wear with use. Depending on use, this may require removal of the locking hub to service these wear parts before the bearings need repacking or the rotor needs turning. Consequently, I don't know if these hubs are better or not than a standard Warn hub, but I appreciate my Aisin hubs more now for their strength and simplicity.

[DSLTOY]

Larry
The locking collar is similar to the one on my FJ-60 full floater rear end, the two holes that are not tapped are most likely intended for a pin spanner. From the out side the hub looks like the old Warn hub for the drum brake front end.
Roger

[radioridge]

how much force did it take to "snap" cage onto collar

[LDowney]

Originally Posted by radioridge

how much force did it take to "snap" cage onto collar

With everything assembly correctly, it all just fit together without any force more that hand assembly. The only item that requires force is the 'loop' spring which I needed two small screw drivers as levers to expand the spring and get it into place.