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Loose Hub Nuts - 10 bolt

JCampbell1180

JCampbell1180

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Location
Hesperia, CA
'88 K20 Suburban

Back in September, I noticed that my driver's side wheel had a shimmy in it. Traced it back to a loose hub nut. Tightened the nut (torqued till wheel wouldn't spin, backed off a touch, then sucked up the "lock nut"), and buttoned it all up. The passenger side was the slightest bit loose, so I did the same thing on that side.

Jacked the truck up to R&R the brakes, and I noticed the driver's side is loose again. Passenger side is still tight. Something doesn't seem right.

Any thoughts?
 
Did you do the tang/pin on the lockwasher in between the nuts correctly? If that thing is in tact, it's pretty hard for anything to loosen up without damage to the spindle threads or something.
 
the inner nut is supposed to be torqued to 50 ft lbs and then backed off and set to 35 ft lbs.then make sure the lock ring is on correct and on the pin.lock nut goes to 125 ft lbs if i remember right.
 
What pin? LOL!

Like a cotter key, or something? There wasn't anything like that in there when I took 'em apart the first time.
 
The inner nut should have a pin sticking out of the face that goes into one of the holes on the locking ring to keep them from loosening up. The pin is a bout 1/16" diameter and sticks out about a 1/16".
I just went through this myself and on mine the pin was sheared off. Someone suggested using a roll pin to replace it, and this is what I will do. It can be pushed out with a drift punch and replaced if necessary.
 
Okay...I see what you're talking about regarding the washer in between the two hub nuts. I see that there are a series of holes drilled along the diameter of the washer that I'm assuming would take some sort of pin to keep the hub nut from backing off...but mine has no pin(s) in it. The same was true when I took it all apart back in September.

Is the retainer pin(s) something I can source at Napa?
 
Thanks, J.

After getting it all apart and looking at it, I can definitely see what you're talking about.
 
If you look at the back side of the inner nut you will see a hole where the pin goes in. At least on mine it is this way. Then the lock ring fits onto that.
You should be able to find roll pins at any hardware store. Napa may have them also.
 
Yeah, I went and got the spindle nut and looked...looks like that pin sheared off at some point. I drove out the remainder of the pin and will source a roll pin at work tomorrow.

Thanks!
 
JCampbell1180 said:
Yeah, I went and got the spindle nut and looked...looks like that pin sheared off at some point. I drove out the remainder of the pin and will source a roll pin at work tomorrow.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Length is a little critical. It should be flush on the back side of the nut, and not stick out through the lock ring on the front.
When you tighten the outside lock nut down, you don't want it to hit the pin and push it back into the nut. If it does, and the pin hits something on the other side, then it might be crunched and break.

And that puts you right back where you started.

Just drive in the pin until its flush or slightly sticking out on the backside. Lay the lock ring on the nut, and grind off the pin until its flush.

Then, take the ring off, and touch it to the grinder again just for a second. Just enough to let it be slightly recessed into the ring, but still long enough to stop the nut from turning.

Then, if it needs it, you can also grind it down smooth on the back side.

Grind it a little at a time, you don't want to get the pin too hot and draw the temper.
 
Or you could save yourself the trouble and source a couple of used ones at the junkyards. The yards in Hesperia/Victorville/Adelanto are great sources for these older trucks, mostly rust free! I go to the Ecology in adelanto to find parts for my 73 F-250.
 
For anyone else that's interested or wants to see exactly what's going on, CorvairWild (uglytruk on CK5) just did a very in-depth explanation of the pin shearing issue and how it all goes together once in his hub swapping video series and again in his recent ball joint replacement series.

The hub nut part starts at 5:55 in.
 
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Really, are these lock rings/nuts so hard to get that its worth fabricating?

Be sure the ring fits snug in the grove in teh spindle, if not, bend the lock ring into an oval shape a little to fit snug in the groove. Mine didnt' fit so tight, and skipped the grove and let me over tighten last time. Guess how much fun that was to pick out...
 
Not really a big issue.

Just use these instead of the hard to deal with 20+ year old technology.
Stage 8 X lock

IMO these are the only way to go.
 
It's too bad you can't use a "high-shear rotating nut" like you find on big Danas. It goes on in one piece, can't back off and doesn't take big torque to "lock". I don't see why somebody doesn't alter the design to fit 10-bolt/D44 and sell it aftermarket.
 
The last time i had my 10 bolt apart, the lock washer skipped out of the indexing slot when setting the final torque. This was a ROYAL pain in the ass.

Looked into getting some of those Stage 8 X Locks, but couldnt' justify the upgrade at $120. Would have done it at $60. Just ordered some New stock lock rings / nuts.

Hope it all functions properly this time around.
 
Dorman now has those hub nuts + washers available,if you dont feel like going to a GM dealership...
 
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