WARN locking hub snap ring doohicky

[buffblazer]

my bearing fried the other day and destroyed my entire front end, so i bought all new pieces and installed everything, and everything went to plan, but then when i got to the end of the half axle shaft, the snap ring groove was worn off the shaft, so when i went to put on my new warn hubs i installed the hub assembly and the outer snap ring, but was not able to install the inner smaller one. well i had to get the truck back on the road, so i bolted everything up and the truck runs great, no grinding or any noise at all. and the hub still locks into place. so my question is, what is that little snap ring for, is it just to help hold the hub inplace, or what.

 

[Muddytazz]

Yes, that small snap ring is there to hold the inner drive gear in place. Even though the axle shaft floats in and out, keeps thing together. I'd see about finding another stub shaft with the groove for the snap ring before to long.

 

[Rob 85K5]

The snap ring on the end of the axle shaft is not needed. I kept prying on the u-joint to get it to poke out enough and it wouldn't work. Finally read the Warn small print and it said not to use it on an 85. That was 7 years ago with no hub problems. Did my brothers 90 the same way.