Lockout Hub Not Engaging

On the driver side. Sometimes it foes, other times it clicks when it spins.
Ive completely disassembled them, because i thought it may be wheel bearing grease holding the spring back.
Like i said, sometimes it works, but not all the time. When i hold the inner axle gear and pretend like I'm the lock out hub it'll work all of the time.
It just seems like the spring is not extending fully. I've got a fall color run coming up that I'm prepping for and I want to make sure this works on the trail. Jeeps on jack stands right now.

 

Flipped the inner engaging gear, seems to work
if you look at the first and last pics you can see the difference

 

I would guess some grit or a burr not letting the gear slide freely all the time. unless the spring is bent and pushing it in unevenly but that shouldnt effect it all that much. I dont have that kind of hub so got no experience with them

 

Should there be another roll pin on the other side of the hub body/spring to apply force equally ?

 

Not that ive ever seen

 

So, tech question: when my Jeep is in two-wheel drive, and I have the lock out hubs engaged, my front drive shaft turns. When the hubs are at the free mark, the front drive shaft doesnt turn.
My question is: is it turning because the hubs are engaged?
Since the transfer case is in 2WD, the t case isn't supplying the power so if im at an obstacle i can still slip and falter until the t case is engaged in 4wd along WITH the hubs?

 

yes to both. When the jeeps were stock, they generally didn't have lockout hubs, they had solid hub caps, so the front drive line turned whether or not the transfer case was in 4wd. The main purpose of lockout hubs is to save wear &tear on the front end when 4wd is not needed.

 

Thanks.