Manual Locking Hub Advice

[tres]

I have an 88 FSB I bought earlier this year. While driving this weekend the drivers side lock fell off somewhere. I want to replace both sides with Mile Marker locking hubs. Can I just replace them or do I need to modify something? Any advice?

Been researching all afternoon and know that I can't just bolt new lockouts onto the tophats. Can I change the spindles and use the same brake discs? Will I be able to use the same axles?

[f150inline]

this is what you need. you could just get a whole axle assembly from a later truck though.

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco.ph...build_kit.html

[tres]

I replaced all of the bearings and new brake discs 2 months ago. Will any of that swap over? Are the outer axle shafts different?

Sorry about the confusion. I wrote this after a couple of beers. I did not lose the tophat, just the locking tab and screw. I spent the morning looking at front axles in local junkyards in south Miss. I can get one that has the 6 screw locing hubs for $450. Is that a good price?
Thank you all for the great information.

[Kingfish999]

outter shafts are different. spindles are different. rotor and hubs are different. depending on year, the knuckles are different. bearings are different. spindle nuts may be different. you can go to a junkyard and get the parts alot cheaper or better yet get the whole TTB assembly from a donor truck and swap it.

how did it jsut "fall off"? are you sure its a tophat style? tophats can only fall off if the wheel is off. you might jsut want to find someone with a set of tophats and keep one as a spare. i htink i have a tophat or 2 left but the knobs are melted and they may not lock/unlock properly anymore

[tres]

Thanks for the info. I hate that i just replaced all of the bearings etc and now have to do it again plus more. Wife's gonna be pissed. I'm not sure how it fell off. I unlocked it before leaving the house. when I got to the deer camp and went to lock them back it was gone. It looks like all of the inner pieces are intact just missing the handle to lock it in.

[f150inline]

Just dont tell her haha. if you have all the parts and tools you could probably do it in less than an hour.

[Kingfish999]

pics? ya i knoq how ya feel. i just did the bearings rotors and brakes and ended up throwing them in the trash the next week

[Glayd]

Am I missing something here? His tophat loc fell out and he has to get a whole new axle assembly? Is the '88 a dana 44 or is it different? I just changed my tophat locs to Warn this last weekend - took about 15 mins a wheel and I sure as hell didn't change out the axles. I must be missing the point again LOL!

Also tres if ya need my tophat locs let me know.

Glayd

[miesk5]

yo TRES,
To save $ get a new dial and screw from a yard queen
For a YARD SEARCH on-line, I use;
http://www.mypartshop.com/
Select All Parts
year, etc, then FORD TRUCK
Locking Hubs

many hits (I selected 87 to ensure that it the top hat year)
87
BRONCO Locking Hubs
MANUAL HUB
Boutwell Auto Salvage & Garage
800-726-1629
2164 Luverne Highway
Greenville AL 36037
etc.
If not close-by, call and ask for condition & free shipping

or
http://www.copartfinder.com
Has Vehicle Pics!

http://www.picknpull.com
Panama City has an 87 and 88 Bronco

Tallahassee
Dallas South
Dallas South Central
Dallas West
Fort Worth
San Antonio (Roosevelt U-Pull-It)
Waco (Main Store)
Waco (Premier
etc.

http://www.car-parts.com/

Also for obsolete parts;
Jeff's Bronco Graveyard
and: by Ford pn:
http://www.partsvoice.com/
http://www.rearcounter.com
http://www.greensalescompany.com

[Black92]

I was told I'd you have six screws holding the lock on you can just bolt manual locks on. That's what I plan on doing. Some have fewer screws and need a conversion kit. Either way you don't need another axle.


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[Redwagon]

Originally Posted by Glayd

Am I missing something here? His tophat loc fell out and he has to get a whole new axle assembly? Is the '88 a dana 44 or is it different? I just changed my tophat locs to Warn this last weekend - took about 15 mins a wheel and I sure as hell didn't change out the axles. I must be missing the point again LOL!

Also tres if ya need my tophat locs let me know.

Glayd

pics of the lock out please, sounds like you do NOT have tophats...as far as I know Warn never made a replacement for them.

[Glayd]

this is what I had and changed to these Warns:

[Kingfish999]

alot of people on here apparently dont know what "tophat lockouts" are. you all say that its a simple swap never delt with them before. imagine if your lockout had 0 screwes holding the cap on because there is not a cap, its all one whole assembly. this makes me wonder how his lockout "fell off" because the only thing to fall off is the plastic dial. this is a tophat lockout

notice theres no screwes. the whole thing is one assembly. to replace them all oyou can do is find a working set of used or convert the front axle to use regualr style lockouts. to convert, you need a donor axle that you have to swap everything from the spindle out (inclueding the outter axleshaft, sometimes even the whole knuckle). its easier to swap the whole fornt axle then to convert. on my 88 i bought a whole front axle i was going to swap in simply. however the axle beams were soo rusted i decided to convert the old using it as a donor. took about all day but that was due to extreme rust

[KC200787]

If you do have the flange style (aka top hat style) hubs, then you're kinda between a rock and a hard place, cuz parts are hard to come by. You might check out steve83s for sale thread or even pm him, I know he has parts, or did. I have the top hats, but got an extra set. As long as i keep wheeling the 88, I'm keeping them.

Good luck.

KC

[tres]

Here are photos of the truck. I finally got them to upload

[Kingfish999]

yep thats them. ill look in my shed and see if i got a working one left. use to have 4 but that was before i did the conversion

[tres]

Thanks lots Kingfish999. I bought her in March and she's my first Bronco. I'm learning as I go.

[Glayd]

Ohhh OK now I know what the tophats are. Thanks! Dang it just sucks that you'd have to swap out axles tho.

[Black92]

I see. Yep, I didn't know what a top hat was. Now I know. My input would obviously not apply to those.


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