Help!! Auto Hub Crunch!!

[YW84U]

I just minutes ago ripped apart the hubs on my '91 XLT, since they are suspect in a rather loud and forceful crunching from my front end. I have found that one side had the assembly with the thrust spacer (one was demolished and tangled in the gears), and the other side is different, being made of plastic and having two spring retainers - no thrust spacers.

I searched the posts and tried the ATF trick and cleaned out enough grease to fry for a small fast-food chain. Pleased with my 'do-it-yourselfishness', I took a test drive down the street, made it to the corner, only to find nothing had changed. The noise is like a buzzing on a spline, from the side with the plastic assembly, and it sometimes engages and makes the front end jerk. It sounds bad, and the truck is hardly driveable......

I am assembling the cash to put Warn hubs on, but I need some advice on how I can drive this thing temporarily without destrying what's left? Can I drive it without the assembly in and just throw the hubs back on?

Thanks in Advance,,

Tom

 

[jimbo74]

yes just put the cover back on and it will be drivable. hope you dont need 4x4 till then though

 

[YW84U]

No, I won't be using 4wd for the next while. I just want to make sure I can drive it around town until I pick up the Warn hubs.

Thanks very much for the info!!

What I did, was popped out the little circlip inside the hub to remove both of the assemblies inside. I left the parts adjacent the wheel bearings alone, and put the covers back on. I took a short drive, and the noise apears to have resolved itself.

I imagine this wil not cause any damages for the short term........