need help doing front wheel bearings

[sloop]

Hi, I need to replace my front wheel bearings on my 82 wagoneer. It has the NP208 with manual hubs. I started trying to do it today but am now really confused.

I removed the wheel and 6 little allen head bolts that hold the hub on. Under that is 1 phillips head screw holding in some sort of gear, I guess related to the hub. After removing that, there is a big spring behind it that pops out. Next thing I remove is the snap ring on the end of the axle shaft.. OK, now I can't find any more stuff to remove. I looked and I can't see the 4-prong nut that is supposed to be in there.

Also, my factory service manual doesn't show there being a spring. The diagram in the book doesn't look like my axle. ('82 FSM). I went ahead and removed the caliper just to get it out of the way also.

What do I do now? I snapped a few pics of what it looks like:

http://www.paradise.raleigh.nc.us/album/album10/aac.sized.jpg

More Pictures Here (http://www.paradise.raleigh.nc.us/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album10)

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

[Stuka]

There is a very thin snap ring along the outer most egde there. That piece that the hub normally bolts into comes out. The snap ring is a pain too get out. After you pull that piece out, then you can get to the nut, and finish taking the hub assembly apart.

[sloop]

stuka, i finally found that ring you mentioned. but I dont see how in the @#$ I'm supposed to remove it! There aren't any "eyes" like on a snap ring to attach to!

[sloop]

any ideas? i found the manual hub section in the service manual, but it just says "remove retaining ring"

HOW!??!

[andy d]

its a split ring right? jam the biggest screwdriver that will fit into the split, get a tiny screwdriver behind it. work it out of its groove. nobody said this will be easy.by the way, you got that axle supported by more than the floor jack i saw in the background? i hope so.

[ December 22, 2002, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: andy d ]

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Well I can tell you the 4 prong nut is in there in fact there is two of them. Here is a Pic out of a Service Manual that may be a bit better detailed than what you are looking at. Drive Gear back is what will apply to your rig. Good Luck and yes be carefull no guarantee that jack is not going to let go!!!!! :eek: :eek:

D44 Front HUB ASSY (http://images.andale.com/f2/116/106/4651773/1040597039600_frontd44hub.JPG)

[sloop]

andy, yea i've got a jack stand under the spring pack..

thanks for the pic crazy, but thats what i've got in the FSM. that pic doesn't show the retaining ring that i'm trying to get out, it is part of the manual hub assembly.

I broke the tip off one of my screwdrivers already.. I am perplexed still about getting it off, I might end up just taking it to a shop (ugh)

[Stuka]

I have a hardened pick set that I use. Just lift up one tip, then pull out, then work my way around.

[dharmabum]

They are a pain! I just did both sides on a Wagoneer in the junkyard on Wednesday and all I had was a screwdriver and a small L-shaped allen wrench. I jammed it as best I could to keep it from spinning and got one side lifted up a bit till I could get the allen under it and then slid it around to pull it loose. It took a while but it finally worked. Good luck!

PS- When you do get it off theres a washer between the two 4 prong nuts that can be difficult to get out too.

[kyjman]

Go buy yourself two picks from NAPA or other parts store and make it easy. The hardest part of the job to me is getting the spacer holes lined up with the tit on the inner nut. Its a real pain since its hard to see....and its guess work as to the location ot the tit.

[sloop]

Whew! finally got it. The 4 piece NAPA pick set worked well.

Now that I've replaced the drivers side wheel bearings, the jeep is a LOT more normal-sounding at 70mph and now I can do the passenger side

thanks for the help

[Wart Hawg]

Guess I'm what you'd call a "shade-tree" mechanic. Napa was closed (everything around here closes as soon as the sun sets) so I grabbed a nail and went to my bench grinder. Made a kind of mini screwdriver/pick and after inventing a few new curse words, got the ring out. :D