07 4x4 hub bearings R&R $1300!!

[Whiteranch04]

Well got 85k miles on the lemon and the right front hub let go and stranded us. Got it towed in on the hook as usual and both sides bearings need replacement. Well, I figure I will just go ahead and update to the Dynatrac hub conversion for $2000 and install it myself, guess what, no Dynatrac products are stocked anywhere but Ca where they are located, so I was looking at 8days to get the kit, passed and told the shop to put the factory builit in junk back in it for another 80k miles. 4x4 parts warehouse does not stock the conversion kit, to get it in 3 day was $300 so if you have a 4x4 truck get ready to replace your front hub bearings with the Dynatract kit now and not get caught like I did. Just for grins who has that Dynatract conversion to locking hubs and how do you like it so far??

 

[sag2]

That's too bad. Just wondering how the hub just let go with no warning and left you stranded. Did it lock up, shear off, or what? Was it making noise before it failed? That bearing set is pretty large and I would think it would be making lots of noise before it would give up completely.

 

[InfernoB]

I've never had a better built truck. What kind of driving do you do, and conditions.

I just did my front pads at 78K.

On edit: My bearings and hubs appeared fine.

Thanks.

 

[SierraRam]

I have the Dynatrac free spin and really like it. The servicable Timken bearings and the distance between the inner and outer bearings are a great improvement. I have seen about a 1mpg increase as well.

 

[MoparBob]

I have the Dynatrac free spin hub kit (w/ the DynaLoc hubs) and am very pleased with it. FYI: There is a new kit out from Solid Axle called SpynTec (they are now advertising here on TDR). I have no personal experience with it, but have been told it is an easier install and is similiar in quality to the Dynatrac (w/Warn hubs). If you are interested in learning more, I can send you a PM or email with the link to the dealer/distributor I use and they are usually happy to take the time fill you in.

 

[Whiteranch04]

I have the Dynatrac free spin hub kit (w/ the DynaLoc hubs) and am very pleased with it. FYI: There is a new kit out from Solid Axle called SpynTec (they are now advertising here on TDR). I have no personal experience with it, but have been told it is an easier install and is similiar in quality to the Dynatrac (w/Warn hubs). If you are interested in learning more, I can send you a PM or email with the link to the dealer/distributor I use and they are usually happy to take the time fill you in.

How much does the spyn tech kit cost?? Looks like a better deal to me especially coming assembled.

 

[MoparBob]

How much does the spyn tech kit cost?? Looks like a better deal to me especially coming assembled.

PM sent your way.

 

[BHanna]

Does anyone know if the spyntec hubs stick out past the outside of the wheels? From the pics it looks like a high quality kit but I don't want hubs that stick out too far, waiting to get smashed.

 

[JFought]

My bearing just let go at 60 mph the truck jumped sideways about 3 feet, pulled to that side and THEN it started to make racket!

 

[SierraRam]

Mine do not stick out past my rims but ther are 9. 5" in width and 4. 5" backspacing.

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[KEpperly]

Has anyone just swaped a differnt axle under the front like an older ford kingpin 60 instead of dealing with all these front end problems

 

[therabbittree]

the issue with back dating to a kingpin axle is not the kinpin or ball joints its the brakes. . as the older trucks have a brakes that basically suck compared to the new vehicles. . ie the calipers are not free floating etc and the brackets to mount new style calipers aren't avail to fit the old style kingpin setup. I am sure a custom caliper mount could be machined to fit. . along with a abs tone rin and sensor etc. . I have been looking at this idea for my ford excursion etc. . and have been ****** ha...

 

[jelag]

These units are easy to take care of... . we have several trucks and when they are down for an inspection we pull the rotor and grease the hub... . through the ABS sensor port. .

We use a full synthetic grease that is the same grease we use in HD Clutch release bearings. . we have one truck with 300K, and all the other trucks have over 100K on them...

These hubs can also be removed, pressed apart, cleaned and re-installed...

Remember that years ago this was a common maintenance item in the service chart... remove, clean, re-grease and re-install the bearings... always was done when the brakes were serviced. .

I've personally opened a couple of new hubs, one on a dodge and one on a ford and personally think they just don't have enough grease from the factory... . but that's my personal impression and I'm not a bearing or grease engineer... but I know what we do to our trucks works... .

BTW -whiteranch I can tell you after owning a group of Fords, these trucks are easily 70% less expensive to run over the long haul than the Fords... . I can't tell you how many injectors and wiring harness's we installed on the power strokes...

 

[sag2]

These units are easy to take care of... . we have several trucks and when they are down for an inspection we pull the rotor and grease the hub... . through the ABS sensor port. .

How do you clean the grease off the tone wheel so the ABS still works? I was thinking about making a fitting with a zerk that fits into the port and bolts to the hold down bolt. But it seems like the grease would keep the sensor from reading the tone wheel correctly.

 

[jelag]

The tone wheel works on a hall effect, piece of metal moving across a sensor... (chain sprocket) it works fine in oil and grease...

If you we're to press apart one of these hubs, you'd see the sprocket (tone wheel) with a thin layer of grease on it... its right next to an open bearing. .

On the rear axle of all the fords we used to have, there was a tone wheel on the ring gear... the sensor was mounted on the top of the rear end housing... . it was the abs sensor as well as the speedometer sensor as well. it was always coated in oil. .

 

[KB0OU]

EMS Off Road sell SpynTec EMS Offroad, Custom 4x4 Fabrications

I have the kit for the 96 Dodge, looks good.

 

[Whiteranch04]

Its just a shame one could not order the truck with hubs from the factory so all he had to do was pull it apart and service it in the feild, I have never heard of the reason why this junk is on the truck in the first place, are unit bearings cheaper to place on a new truck to make money vs installing locking hubs?? Both Ford and Dodge diesels have my wife thu with ever buying or driving one, we have been looking for a 4x4 Freightliner FL60 with crewcab and even looking at some Izizu crewcabs with 4x4, dodge and fords both cost to much to own in downtime service, shame Mack does not make a 1 ton truck or Mercedes.

 

[therabbittree]

even though mack doesn't make a smaller truck any more... you wouldn't want a new mack any how. . since about 2003 mack has gone down hill FAST. . the new macks are JUNK!. . do some reading up on them...

 

[wcjp]

Its just a shame one could not order the truck with hubs from the factory so all he had to do was pull it apart and service it in the feild, I have never heard of the reason why this junk is on the truck in the first place, are unit bearings cheaper to place on a new truck to make money vs installing locking hubs?? .

Ask Ralph Nader. He advocated new cars should go 100k miles with zero maintenance.