Warn hub questions/opinions

I have set of the old warn hubs. The seller/previous owner was kind enough to bead blast them for me (sarcastic tone) so I am having a friend with a bench polisher fixing the brass dials.

Question 1, anyone have a pic of what these looked like new? Seems like I saw a pic where the piece closest to the hub was black, the hub body appeared polished, and of course the polished brass dial.

Question 2, Were the words/finger recesses in the dial painted? What color? New ones are black, and old Lockomatics were red from what I have seen. Where the regular ones red also? Mine are actually IH hubs but I am not concerned with that.

Need Opinions: I could paint the words/recesses on the dial the same blue as my jeep.....tacky? Look like Superwinch hubs (which I will be replacing)? Cool?

Thanks

 

I got a pair of new old stock warn hubs this past summer. Take a look at the picture on the listing. Colors were chrome, black and brass for the dial.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7913494414&category=42609

 

Mime are a different style than those, older I think? I will post a pic later this weekend.

 

I checked mine today; the colors are black paint on the brass and red paint in the letters for free and lock on the outer ring.

 

In my opinion, which isnt worth much, the new warn hubs are the only choice we have, but are very weak. And way overpriced and under-engineered.
There is an obvious slant, in their construction, which makes them easy to produce by the thousands.
For less than half the price of a new set, you can buy a pair on ebay and rebuild them. I have a source for the needle bearings which I would be happy to forward if you email me.
The O rings are not hard to find, and you can make the gaskets yourself, with little difficulty.

 

Where can one get replacement O-rings? The one on the brass dial seems to be a square cut o-ring.

 

not square cut gunny. I found a source for them and will send you a pair when I get them. I had to buy 100 of them so i have lots of spares. When the roller bearings of the old warn hubs wore, they hammer the o rings to a flat shape.
they were simple O rings. the inner one kept the grease out, the outer one kept the water out.
the newer warn hubs with the little allen wrench screws are very substandard.
mostly made from plated plastic.

 

Mine have 2 rings, both on the brass dial. The inner one is a1 1/8" id and failry thick. the one that actually seals the dial is about 1 3/8" (same as the dial) and does appear to be square cut. I haven't pulled the snap ring to take apart the inner piece of the lockout, are there more o-rings in there?

 

Orings inside the inner section? No I dont believe so. Inside is just a race with alot of little needle bearings. Thats odd about the square Oring. PO must have redone mine. Both sides had regular round Orings, but smaller cross section than the smaller inner one. 3/32 IIRC.

 

My larger outer one is smaller in cross section also. These are off an International, but are made by Warn. They have had a rough life, very beat up appearance wise, but appear functional. I would like to replace the o-rings though, at least the outer one that seals the dial, the inner ones look fine.

 

Now that I think about it, you are right Gunny. the recessed portion of the brass thumb part have square lands. They do make square O-rings. Not available at flaps. I will check on it.

 

Is this the hub you are referring to?:

 

Those are the ones.
Sorry I nver posted a pic.
Mine have the IH emblem where those say "WARN" but other than that they are the same.

 

I'm currently using a set of old Cutlass Power Lock Hubs. Actually was luckily able to find another set for backup parts..especially the plastic bushing which tends to fail.



Rick Stivers has a good page on the Cutlass Hub...that's where I snagged the pictures of the hub you are using as that is what he ended up upgrading to.

 

Those are the type that were on my Jeep when I got it. I sold them online for 20.00. This would have been around 1999.
I sold them mostly because I was new to Early Jeeps and they didn't "look" normal. Plus I had heard they were weak and prone to failure. Is that true?

 

schardein, how many splines do your ih hubs have? i'm curious since you say you have a d27 front. i think my d27 uses 10 spline warns. i have a pair of decent used ih hubs but with a larger number of splines that i will be cleaning and maybe rebuilding when i get to that point.

 

The IH/Warn hubs are 10 spline, as are the axleshafts in my dana 27.

 

Good to know..thanks!

 

Not sure about the housing and pins which are made of copper but the bushing's do crack and wear out from what I've read. I've had them engaged for several weeks at a time without any issues but haven't been doing anything that would put a real load on them.