Front wheel hub problem
 

The front wheel transaxle on my '91 Trooper II is held in the hub by a snap ring (you'd think something a bit more substantial but yep it's a snap ring).

My left front hub transaxle has popped the snap ring off and retreated back into the inside of the hub. I have tried using a bolt to pull the axle out to put the snap ring back on (you fit a bolt into the end of the axle to pull it out of the hub in order to replace the snap ring) but it is hitting something and will not come out far enough to replace the snap ring (about 1 1/2 inches shy). Even though the right side is fine, I have no four wheel drive.

Anyone have any idea what is going on here and why this axle popped the snap ring loose in the first place? I'm pretty conscientious about how I use my four wheel drive.

Mr. Movida

i wish someone would chime in and answer this question for you because i think i have the same problem with the right side.mine quit pulling the other day and started making a clicking sound and i just found that if i push on the end of the axel it too will retreat into the hub.

you can push it from the back side by pushing on cv shaft it self . if some mud or small rocks got in between the flanges it will keep it from sliding all the way in and will also pop that snap ring off. had this happin on my trooper

is the snap ring located on the spline itself?both sides on mine will push in to the point where there is not enough spline to allow the hub to work as it should.do i have to remove the rotor and anything else to find the location of the snap ring?

i cant figure out how to load pics of it but on the auto hub when you unbolt it ther is a flat washer with a spring behind it well in the center of that flat washer should be a snapring well tecknicly the washwer is a snap ring when switching to manual hubs you have to switch to a diffrent style . if the edges of axle got rounded off the snap ring will never stay on also the auto hubs usauly stop working and make a clicking noise when the grease is old as they will need cleaned and lightly regreased

i changed to warn manual hubs a while back.i do see the flat washer looking thing with the holes all the way around it.i cant figure out if at that point where the splines come out if that is the snap ring or just the end of the housing that the axel splines are housed in.the splines are rounded just a little but it is right out on the very end of the axel so if i figure out how to keep it out there i will have enough good spline to work good.

Thanks guys for your input on this. It is appreciated.

I can not move the transaxle outward enough to engage the snap ring by pushing from the axle side or by pulling it out using a bolt from the outside. The axle is hitting something and preventing it from coming all the way out far enough to engage the snap ring. I guess the question is: is the axle hitting something in the hub itself or is the axle hitting something further up in the drive line (i.e. that would be like in the front differential or transaxle shaft drive line that is preventing it from coming all the way out). I was hoping someone had a similar experience or knowledge on what the transaxle might be hitting and preventing it from coming all the way out.

My next investigation into this will be to disassemble the entire hub but I know this can be tricky as you need a spring loaded guage to measure the load on an internal hub spring to get the tension on the hub correct. If I can get this axle out far enough to engage the snap ring this would save me this headache. After that, it would be taking the front differential apart to see what it might be hitting there. Just trying to keep this repair simple. This is a driveway job.

I will see if I can get some photos of this posted into my photo gallery. - Thanks.

Edit: two photos of hub posted to my photo gallery.

Mr. Movida

absosecur - the groove for the snapring is right on the end of the transaxle itself. The end of the shaft is threaded so you can insert a bolt to pull it out. You should only need to remove the autohub cover plate to reveal the end of the transaxle but be advised that if the snapring is off the shaft the entire outer hub assembley will probably fall off.

Do you have a Haynes repair manual for your Trooper? There is a pretty good description there on hubs.

Mr. Movida

my problem was caused by me when i replaced the auto hubs with the warn hubs.i didnt realize i needed the snap rings on the end and the result is one of my shafts now is rounded to the point that the groove for the snapring is no longer there.how do i remove the whole thing now to replace it.(the shaft or axel,whatever its called.)

is it the driver or passinger side ? if its the passinger side just pull the spindle and pop it out. if its the driver side the hole front end has to come out of corse thats going by the manuel there is a lot to the driver side all i could say is to find a chilton or haynes manuel they give a good step by step and the haynes has acual pics too