Locking hub/wheel bearing issue?

[the_dingman]

I've been having issues for about the last month where my driver's side manual locking hub won't always lock. It seems as though it would always make it's way in eventually, but not right away.

I took it apart today, and everything seemed in order, until I looked at the way the axle is centered inside the hub. It seems as though the axle is about 2-3mm off center, sitting low in the hub.

Could this be due to a bad wheel bearing, putting the whole wheel of center?

What are possible other issues? It's cold out, and I don't have anywhere warm to work on it, so I'll be taking this issue in for repair, but I'd like to know what I'm up against.

 

[tranny Frank]

spindle hub bushing

theres is a bushing that supports the axle, this could be worn allowing the axle to sit lower, theres a update that changes this bushing to a bearing support TSB
# DL-94-001.