Older Warn Hubs (help finding a cap)

Are all the Warn hubs' caps or cap assemblies interchangeable? I'd imagine little has changed with the internal mechanisms.

I have the opportunity to get a set of older warn hubs at a great price. Unfortunately, one of the hubs is missing its cap (the brass colored part you twist to lock and unlock). I wrote Warn to see about ordering a replacement and they replied with a generic "we no longer make parts for this model." They didn't address if the current parts they make would fit.

Here's a picture of the hubs (aching for some restoration):

 

How many would you like?

 

yes, all the 6 bolt ones are the same AFAIK. However, some of the brass dials have different words cast into them. Example, Warn hubs of this style have the IH logo cast into them but, it is the same part.

 

Out of curiosity, does anyone know a good way to give the caps back that gold/brass look (plating or paint)?

Thanks, it's comforting to have that verified. I didn't want to buy an incomplete part only to find out that I'd be hard pressed to finish it.

PM sent.

 

Some good elbow grease. It's just brass.

 

hahaha I learn something new every day on this site I have those same hubs and thought they were supposed to be gray/green! Mine are in dire need of some refinishing. Brasso might good job of brightening them up

 

IIRC the face is brass, with black paint in the finger holes and letters.

 

I'd like to say I cleaned these up and painted them to look this good but alas I cannot claim credit for that. That would go to Warn Industries back in the 60's/70's.

 

I don't see the IH logo, or are you just saying that hubs similar to this style have the logo?

Here's what they should look like when restored (found pic on ebay). This is the only matching pic I've found (the arrows are only to the right of the LOCK and FREE).

 

There were tons of versions of those style hubs over the years. Some had red lettering, some had black lettering, some had IH stamped in them as they were manufactured for International Harvester, etc., etc. MOST of the dials are the same, there are differenced in some of the later ones. Some of the real early ones were brass/bronze. The later ones were plated.

 

while we're on the subject, can you reuse those locking washers as seen in the photo above? I'm about to dig into my knuckles to replace kingpin bearings and I'll be repacking the hubs while I'm at it. Do I need to find new washers or can I reuse them? I'll definitely be buffing out the brass though, that looks great!

 

You're supposed to use new tab washers. Warn doesn't supply them any more, but I recall Herm or R&P has them.

I installed my hubs with studs held by Locktite, capped with nylon insert nuts.

 

they have a pair of those (brand new it looks) sitting on the counter at Mile Hi Jeep in Denver.

 

i have a good dial but its bare with no rubber ring or screw. if i were you id get them all pulled apart and cleaned up first. you may have a few parts that are bad and may be better off finding a single used hub off ebay or something to make a good set with all the parts.

 

As for polishing them, I use my dremel with the little steel wire brush bits and some polishing compound. Well, okay, I actually use Crest toothe paste. Usually go through one of the wire wheel looking bits and one of the tighter wire brush bits, for getting the corners. Thanks for the pics. Looks like I'll repainting the dials on the Tuxedo. I did them in red where the black should be. Kinda glad to be wrong cause the red is cheesy.

 

Toothpaste is an excellent polishing compound.

 

does it matter what brand? I prefer arm and hammer but my girlfriend is a crest girl

 

Out of curiosity, do you know about when they started plating them?

It's shocking to me how gray this old brass looks. I feel like even highly corroded old ship brass has some twinge of yellow. We'll see what happens when I clean them up. If I can't get any brass out from under the corrosion, then they must have been plated. Any suggestions for brass-ish looking paint?

 

id put money on that being solid brass