Author Topic: '88 F150 4x4 manual hubs...  (Read 819 times)

grislyatoms

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'88 F150 4x4 manual hubs...
« on: October 09, 2009, 04:52:11 PM »
Left side wheel bearings starting to make some racket. I have done wheel bearings on 2wd vehicles before but never messed with 4x hubs...

Easy fix or haul it down to the "pros"?
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Tallpine

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Re: '88 F150 4x4 manual hubs...
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2009, 05:18:05 PM »
Pretty easy  =)

You have to take the screws out of the locking hub and take the pieces out - a big spring and some splines - which has to go back in the same order.  (clean the parts and grease lightly)

There are two big nuts holding the wheel hub, either hex or slotted - I can't remember which with that year/model/make.  Sometimes you can turn them with a punch or chisel, but having the tool is better.  In between the two nuts is a keeper plate that is slotted into the hollow spindle, and the edge bent down to keep the nuts from backing off (instead of a cotter pin).

If it's disk brakes, you have to pull the caliper and tie it up out of the way in order to pull off the hub.  Beyond that, it's just like normal front end bearings.

It's very similar to full-floating axles on 3/4 and 1-ton pickups and real trucks.
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