Problem with new locking hubs.

[Senck243]

Just put new rotors, wheel bearings, and warn locking hubs on my 84 k10. I don't have the caliper or anything back on I just have the rotor set and the hub together. When the hub is in free it will spin fine, but when I lock it you have to turn the wheel a little to get it to click locked and then it won't turn. It just freezes. I don't have my front drive shaft in so the yoke is free. Any help is appreciated.

[bake74]

     Did you tighten up the 6 bolts on the outside to the proper torque specs ?  Sounds like something is too tight and when you go to engage the locking mechanism it is getting too tight to fully engage.

[Senck243]

Yea they are torqued

[bake74]

     Unfortunately I would have to say you need to take them apart and reassy. them, and check and look at them when you have them apart if anything is bent also.

[Irish_Alley]

is it like this on both sides? or what if one side is unlocked and the other locked?

[bake74]

is it like this on both sides? or what if one side is unlocked and the other locked?

     I took it as 1 side was locking up, though it if was both that might change circumstances just a little.

[farmerchris]

Did you make sure the bearing was adjusted to specs out of a manual,sometime the different years has different procedures.wont let things seat properly.also make sure you pull on the stub shaft to take the slack out of it,so the snap rings seat properly.

[bake74]

     You know I just remembered something on my front end that I put out of my mind cause it drove me crazy.  When I installed my new rotors on my front end, the inner bearing races were not "in the right spot".  What I mean by this is, I put my front end together and could not get the new warn hubs to go together, I had to take the front end apart 2 more times until I found the problem.
     The place that installed the inner races on the rotors had pushed them in too far.  Therefor when putting it together, everything went in too far by a 1/16", which caused the end result to be too tight and not work right and squeal like crazy on the new brakes.
     I hate to say this, but the only way I found this out was to take the old rotor and the new one and mic them out to find the difference, then I had to move the inner race to the "spot" to match to the old rotors.  Needles to say I was pretty flustered when I was all said and done, but chalked it up to another one of life's lessons that we should learn.
     Hope this helps.

[Senck243]

Thanks bake74. To clear things up I only have the drivers side together. The passenger side axle and spindle is in and torqued. On the drivers side when the hub is in free you can spin the rotor fine. When you lock it, it won't turn at all.

[Senck243]

Also... Bought the truck without a front driveshaft. Afraid something may possibly be wrong with the front differential, but may be jumping to conclusions...

[bake74]

     Take the pumkin cover off so when you turn the axle you can see the ring and pinion turn also, at least you will be able to see if it scraping or chip any where.

[Irish_Alley]

is the passenges side locked? if it is you might not be able to turn it due to the locker

[Senck243]

Passenger side isn't together yet

[Irish_Alley]

ouch doesnt sound good. yeah def take the cover off and see what you see

[Jason S]

Definitely doesn't sound right.

Have you tried to spin the yoke at the differential?
I agree with Bake and Irish, pull the differential cover and have a closer look. If the hub is locked, the axle shaft should still spin. 

If you had the other side of the axle all together and the hub locked and the front had a locker, then it shouldn't spin.  However, if the front has no resistance (i.e., both sides in the air) you should be able to freely turn the axle shaft.