Please HELP! '93 Ranger front wheel bearing/Auto Hub question.

[RangerX]

There's two styles of hub socket for manual hubs, and it sounds like you may have the inferior type.
Here's what you want. That outer ring helps to hold the thing on.
Even with the right socket, it is not easy to get to 150 lbs.

 

[Carguy3J]

There's two styles of hub socket for manual hubs, and it sounds like you may have the inferior type.
Here's what you want. That outer ring helps to hold the thing on.
Even with the right socket, it is not easy to get to 150 lbs.

Ahh, I see. Unfortunately, the "inferior" one is the only one the parts stores had. In the end, I solved it with the "bigger is better"method.......
I used an impact gun. I was able to "lean into it" enough to keep the socket on, and I was able to get it too turn about another 1/8 turn or so, by "pulsing" the impact gun. Since I've heard/read that the nut should be torqued to a MINIMUM of 150 ft-lbs, I wasn't too worried about over-doing it. I just wish I had thought of that sooner. Maybe my finger wouldn't be throbbing now. It's probably not broke, although I suppose I could have fractured the tuft. It's pretty delicate, and right where the pain is. Oh well.

The wheel bearings, spindle bearings, and lower ball-joints were definitely bad. No more grinding/whooshing noise. It's definitely going to need an alignment. It's drivable, but it is very "darty" and unstable on-center. I would guess that the caster is off. Oh yeah, the 4 wheel drive works fine now.