1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Warn M2 Hubs

Discussion in 'Early Jeep Restoration and Research' started by mickeykelley, May 20, 2018.

  1. Oct 13, 2018
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

    Florida Keys
    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2014
    Messages:
    4,165
    The automatics also have the same dial that turns to engage/disengage. The automatics and lock-o-matics have an internal "clutch" by way of ramps and rollers that are engaged by the 10 (or 27) spline axle shaft turning under power, causing the hub to transfer power to the wheel hub. They only transfer power when the front axle is engaged and driven. All this happens in the "free" position. In the "lock" position, they are engaged full time like any manual hub.
    -Donny
     
    Hellion and tripilio like this.
  2. Oct 29, 2018
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Western North...
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2009
    Messages:
    869
    tripilio likes this.
  3. Nov 23, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    Anyone have a source for the 12 pins that the hub rides up and down on. One of sets had pretty rough treatment in its past and apparently had some water inside so a number of pins are rusted pretty bad. I used the wire wheel on my grinder to attempt to 'polish' them but they are pitted pretty bad.
     
  4. Nov 23, 2018
    tripilio

    tripilio Proud American!

    Miami
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2018
    Messages:
    930
    Pm me.
     
  5. Dec 17, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    Looking for input. I've just about got all these sets cleaned, painted, nicks and gouges cleaned up, etc. but I'm trying to decide whether or not to clear coat the bronze dial. Once I got them blasted, all cleaned and painted, they look kind of nice shinny, but they will darken as you can see in the first set I did 6 months ago. It may be hard to tell in the pic but the left is 6 months of aging sitting on my workbench, the middle is who knows how many years aging and the right is nice newly polished, etc. I'm kind of leaning towards 6 months aging, then clear coat them.
    image.jpg
     
    tripilio likes this.
  6. Dec 18, 2018
    tripilio

    tripilio Proud American!

    Miami
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2018
    Messages:
    930
    Good job! The gouges on one of mine were too big to remove. It looks horrible. I can see the clear coat as a viable option but I kind of like the natural ageing of bronze. An occasional cleaning with a polishing compound would keep it nice and shiny.
    IMG_20181022_091305040_HDR.jpg
     
  7. Dec 18, 2018
    tripilio

    tripilio Proud American!

    Miami
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2018
    Messages:
    930
    Hey Mickey, did the pins work out for you?
     
  8. Dec 18, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    Getting ready to start putting them back together to find out. I was finally able to get that one screw out that I had stripped attempting so the replacement from you will get used there. It took days of soaking PBBlaster scrapping rust, and hammer /chisel but got it out. That hub had to have sat with water in it a lot. It's flat plate is very rusted so I'm trying to see if I can sand it down to get it to spin easily. Hoping grease will get it to work. I'll post a final pic of them when finished.
     
    tripilio likes this.
  9. Dec 18, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    That's ashame as that's one of the older style that I personally prefer. But it must not have been maintained with grease over the years and someone just grabbed pliers to get it to turn instead of fixing the issue.
     
    tripilio likes this.
  10. Dec 20, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    Finally finished. Below are some before and after pics. Pics don't really do the final justice. How I started out getting rid of scratches and gouges was painstaking slow with sandpaper and file. I experimented with different approaches and found what worked best was media blasting then using a wood dowel as a sort of axel and using my bench belt sander to slowly spin the hub with some tension. That process pretty much removed the bad spots from all the years of use and made them look good. I did have one set that had been through some really rough treatment and lots of rust inside. That set became spare parts and with any luck, I might get 1 more hub. When I started, some of the dials turned, barely moved or were frozen. All were full of very old, nasty grease. All the dial O rings were either already ruined or fell apart when I tried to remove them. All of them had lots of water contaminated grease with grit around and under the brass dials, which I'm sure was the cause of most of the difficult dial turning. Now they all turn nice and easy and lock/unlock. If I were to guess, total time in doing the 4 sets I did (including the parts set), is probably 10-12 hours. I have no idea what a 'restored and rebuilt' pair would run, but I could easily see a couple hundred for labor alone, plus parts cost, plus the hubs themselves. Now that I've been through it, I could probably get the time down but it's a time consuming process to do it right.

    First set goes on Willie this weekend for road test.
    image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg
     
    tripilio likes this.
  11. Dec 20, 2018
    Richard in AZ

    Richard in AZ I just don't understand the like of patina

    PHX AZ
    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2016
    Messages:
    142
    THEY LOOK FANTASTIC!
     
  12. Dec 21, 2018
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Western North...
    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2009
    Messages:
    869
    They sure do!

    What did you use to clean the aluminum housings, and did you polish them after cleaning? Also, did you clear coat the housings as well as the brass dials (and if so, what clear coat spray did you use)?

    WELL DONE!!
     
  13. Dec 21, 2018
    tripilio

    tripilio Proud American!

    Miami
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2018
    Messages:
    930
    Three sets? Oh, the envy! All I need to finalize my set are the torrington bearings, but one expenditure at a time!
     
  14. Dec 21, 2018
    mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    Republic of Texas
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Messages:
    1,897
    Below is a pic. Found the best result, quickest, etc., was the belt sander and removing actual material. But I can tell you, there is a learning curve to not get hurt with all the awkward surfaces and to not get any flat spots. It can get spinning fast if you are not careful and if you get 'caught' it will hurt. Ask me how I know this. No I did not polish it after the sanding, but if I was doing it over, after getting the mars out, I'd switch to a finer belt to get a really live polish but not mirror finish. I chose not to clear coat anything and will see how it goes. I know they will oxidize over time so will see. One thing I have learned with these, and the jeep in general, is that to maintain it in good working order, I will be back into them at some point.
    image.jpg

    The reason for the number is because I have the CJ and a wagon and eventually, most likely, will go full floater on the CJ. So I need 3 sets plus I want a backup set just in case.
     
    tripilio likes this.
New Posts