4x4 hub question!

Hello, On my 85 Silverado 4x4 the hubs are loose, not like fall off loose but loose. I had someone tell me to tighten the allen bolts, but that is not it. I took off the plastic hub (free and lock cover) and the axle part seems to have play in it. Is this normal, and if not, what do I need to do to fix the problem? What could it be?

All comments welcome and needed. Thank you in advance.

The Rev. AC

When you say the hubs are loose, what part are you looking at? The allen head bolts only hold the axle locking mechanism onto the hub snout. What makes you think the hubs are loose? The end of the stub axle will have a small amount of in/out play in it. Is there enough grease inside the hub? Are the tires wearing / bad alignment?
George
REBEL Motorsports

When you say the hubs are loose, what part are you looking at? The allen head bolts only hold the axle locking mechanism onto the hub snout. What makes you think the hubs are loose? The end of the stub axle will have a small amount of in/out play in it. Is there enough grease inside the hub? Are the tires wearing / bad alignment?
George
REBEL Motorsports Hi George, I am refering to the splined axle. They seem to have play in them. By grabbing the center and moving it around a little. Tires seem to be ok. Should I grease the heck out of the inside hub area? Thanks.

The end of the stub axle should have some play in it, and as long as you dont see any signs of wear or metal shards of any kind, I would say its probably OK. You could always disassemble it and examine all the parts. You dont need to bathe the parts in grease, but everything inside the hub should be coated.
What first led you to believe that there was a problem with the hubs?
George
REBEL Motorsports