Hub stuck in locked position......help!

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

I'll admit it, I don't know jack shoot about 4x4's. The K20 'Burb I bought has the driver side hub stuck in the locked position. I plan on pulling it behind my truck with a tow rope to get it home, so unlocking it would be a good idea right? The passenger side will work fine just turning it by hand, but the other one won't budge. I've been told you're not supposed to use pliers, etc to force it. Any help? Maybe rolling it back and forth will help get it loose?

[Blazer1970]

I won't hurt anything to tow the truck with one (or both) hubs locked as long as the t-case is in neutral. You will probably have to pull the locking hub off the truck to see what is bound up/stuck.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Try spraying some PB blaster in it it may have mud etc in it fouling it.
Shane

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Thanks for the help. It won't matter since I'm getting it towed with an actual towtruck tomorrow. Couldn't get the steering hooked up so the "redneck wrecker" won't be needed.

[special-K]

Pull the hud cover off.That`s real easy.Clean the heck out of it and work it back and forth.Squirt oil(not grease) on it and reinstall.Don`t spray PB-Blaster on it unless you want to dilute all the grease in your hub.

[1969 GMC]

sometimes my hubs wouldnt turn, even after i had cleaned them out and re-greased them. a light tug with a pair of channellocks always fixed it, but i wouldnt yank the crap out of it. since i believe you said the burb was a '70, it *should* have the cast aluminum hub-loks which are fairly weak.

[special-K]

I feel lucky when I can turn mine by hand.

[JAKES 68GMC]

I almost always need a little adjustable wrench to turn mine. But I have the old-style Spicer hubs that are all metal.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

The axle has been rebuilt and it has red plastic recessed hublocks on it with the chrome trim ring. It is the original axle though, has drum brakes. Everything should be in good shape since the brakes were done about 1000 miles ago. How hard is it to pull the hubs off? There's a broken stud on the pass. side and I figure since I'm gonna check the brakes I could fix it while I have the drum off.

[special-K]

To take the lockout knob off is just the six allen bolts.It may only have 1,000 miles on it,but wasn`t that work done 10 years ago?Could be cruddy.Even with mucho miles,it`s a sealed unit,shouldn`t get dirt.The grease gets in them from the bearings.They really just need oil.
If you`re taking it on down to do brakes,it goes like this:
Remove cap(l/o knob)
There`s an outer snap ring on the axle stub,remove it.
Slip the l/o mechanism off the axle stub.
Remove the spindle nut(ring with notches),lock ring(has tab for keyway,remove second spindle nut.
Slide drum off.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Thanks for the info Tim. Yeah the work was done in '97 so it's been almost 10 years.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

OK, started working on the hubs yesterday and found some bad things. The passenger side hub works great, but the driver side is a basket case. For starters, somehow water got into the hub and the compression spring had rust all over it, but luckily the axle and other parts were still coated with grease. I guess the O ring is shot on the hub seal. And I figured out why the hub wouldn't work, the plastic part on the back of the knob that holds the pin broke on one end so the roll pin was loose and wouldn't work. How expensive are these knobs? Both of 'em are red, and I know the originals were blue but those aren't cheap.

[1969 GMC]

they pop up on ebay from time to time, but i believe the red ones were stock on Ford axles and the yellow ones came on 73+ gm axles. i've seen alot of them out there, so it shouldn't be *too* hard to find them

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Originally Posted by Robert1970C20rstbukt

OK, started working on the hubs yesterday and found some bad things. The passenger side hub works great, but the driver side is a basket case. For starters, somehow water got into the hub and the compression spring had rust all over it, but luckily the axle and other parts were still coated with grease. I guess the O ring is shot on the hub seal. And I figured out why the hub wouldn't work, the plastic part on the back of the knob that holds the pin broke on one end so the roll pin was loose and wouldn't work. How expensive are these knobs? Both of 'em are red, and I know the originals were blue but those aren't cheap.

Thats what they make spraypaint for instant blue knobs
Shane

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Thanks Adam. Yeah I looked on ebay and saw a set that was about 40 bucks just for the knobs, those were red too.


You might be on to something there Shane!

[special-K]

Weren`t the 69/70 hubs red?Either way,if there`s any plastic left on the rest of the surface the split-pin goes through,you can drill two opposing holes and still use the hubs.The pointer just won`t line up with the "open" and "locked" markings.I`m sure you want it right,but you can do this.Heck,I did it and used the drill bit for the split pin since that was toast,too.It got me out to the road and I never did change it the whole time I owned the truck.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Yop $1.00 for spray paint or $80-100 a piece froe correct blue hub knobs.
Shane

[special-K]

Just find blue ones if that`s what you want.I don`t think the color determines the cost.I`d think paint wouldn`t stay on those things too good.Especially when you`llprolly be turnin`them with channel-locks 1/2 the time.I`d think the paint might help make the hubs hard to turn unless you did it w/o getting any in the movement area.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

I think the hubs on it are original(except the red knobs) 'cause it shows 'em in the owners manual for K20 trucks, and they look blue in the pic. I don't care what color they are, as long as I can find some that work. Thanks for that tip with drilling new holes in the knob, I'll probably try that. I'm buying a steering column for the 'Burb from another member so I'll be test driving the 'Burb next weekend I hope.