14 Bolt hubs...grease them or what?

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usar17

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Replacing all the races, bearings, and seals on my axle. Do I grease pack the hub bearings like a normal front axle? Or do the hubs get lubricant from the pumpkin?
 

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There is no harm in applying a light coat of grease to aid in assembly and to provide initial lubrication until such time as the gear oil is able to migrate out to the bearings.

This is one of those issues that people take sides on and will argue to the death about who is right.

The grease will eventually mix togther with the gear oil so keep it to a minimum to maintain the GO's properties.

I put just a bit on the bearings (don't pack the bearings) and the seal faces because of reasoning like this:

definately leave the grease in there. Whenever we pull the wheel bearings of a ff spindle at work we always pack the axle bearings with grease. it keeps the bearings lubricated until the gear oil has enough time to reach the wheel bearings. Our machinist told me that many a ff axle with chewed spindles has been sent his way because the guy servicing the brakes didn't pack those wheel bearings with grease.
 

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Now ive also heard a rumor of using vaseline BC it will burn off in the gear oil
 

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The proper method of pre-lubing the bearings is to soak them in whatever will be used to lubricate them when placed into service.

Just submerge them in some clean 90W gear oil, spin them while still under the surface (to wet all the bearing surfaces) and then install.
 

usar17

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That sounds perfect to me
 

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Not the carrier I expected.....there is no window to see the spider or locker spring inside it. Anyone have a clue what this is without me breaking it open?
 

HotRodPC

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Yep, That's a Gov-Lok G80 Locking Diff.
 

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It don't work lol i always thought I had an open rear. I had troubles last winter spinning my tires. Anything I can do to it
 

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Yea sent it to me :)
 

usar17

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Hahaha I mean to make it work for me
 

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Gov Lok sucks, they always break. That is the good thing though, USUALLY when the locking mechanism breaks, it won't leave you stranded. In most cases you won't even know it broke until you need it and realize it's not working. Of course this is only if all you broke was the locking cam, otherwise yeah, it'll leave you stranded, but that's not common in the 14b FF since the carrier is strong by default.

But, are you sure it's broke? Gov Lok only works at low speeds, so if you're spinning your tires at 30mph or more then it's likely to unlock. Even when working right, usually only going to work up to 20-25mph or so. That's why they're good for like pulling a boat up a slick boat ramp or into a sloped driveway covered in snow. But drag race or slinging mud, they're not worth a damn.

You'd actually have been better off with an open carrier, then you can use the same carrier and install a Detroit Locker, Yukon Locker, or even the cheap lunchbox lockers. Being that you have to split the open carrier to install one of the weaker lunchbox lockers, you may as well just go with one of the stronger units like the Detroit Locker.

Now if you wanted a LSD (Limited Slip Diff) you'd have to buy a whole new carrier anyway.
 

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Ya I did some Google searching earlier and found all that. The speed thing wasn't an issue. I was trying to climb a slight in climb that was muddy from a recent rain and it never locked.

So I guess I'll be shopping around the yards for an open carrier to snatch
 

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Ya I did some Google searching earlier and found all that. The speed thing wasn't an issue. I was trying to climb a slight in climb that was muddy from a recent rain and it never locked.

So I guess I'll be shopping around the yards for an open carrier to snatch

Do you know what gear ratio you want yet or trying to match the front ratio???

Be sure to get the right carrier. You will get one that is 4.10 and down, which means, 3.73, 3.21 and such. The other one is for 4.56 and up, like for 4.56's, 4.88, 5.13 etc.
 

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Ya I have 4.10 and am staying 4.10
 

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Ya I have 4.10 and am staying 4.10

That's good, so you need the most common and easiest to find. Might even luck out and find with 4.10's already in it. All you'd need to do then is split the carrier install your locker of choice, and set it back up EXACTLY as it came part, OR get you a cheap dial indicator and re set up the ring and pinion, which isn't a bad idea either. That way you can set it up and take up any extra lash caused by wear.
 

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