Geared hub washers can deadline.

This isn't a new problem, but it's one that bears repeating. If your HMMWV's geared hub lockwashers are not bent properly into the locknut slots, then the tabs are more likely to crack or break off. That increases the chances that the locknut will loosen and come off, which could cause a wheel to fall off.

And if the washer was installed incorrectly, the lock tabs may not seat fully in the lockwasher slots. Then the spindle lock nut may back off in the hub assembly and your HMMWV could lose a wheel while moving. So pay attention to detail when installing geared hub lockwashers.

Several TACOM SOUMs have been published addressing issues with the geared hub lockwashers. SOUM 00-014 and SOUM 00-017 go back as far as the year 2000, and your vehicles should be in compliance with them by now. And the most recently published TACOM SOUMs from 2006, SOUM 06-015 and SOUM 06-025, address RECAP model HMMWVs. Details of each SOUM can be viewed online:

https://aeps2.ria.army.mil/commodity/serviced.cfm

Remember the bottom line the next time you need to replace your lockwasher. After everything is tightened, make sure that the tabs are bent correctly into the slots in the nut. That can prevent a deadlined HMMWV.