What else when replacing ball joints...?

[Wayne M.]

And say goodby 2,500.00+

I hope that includes installation labor.

 

[TGVET]

I hope that includes installation labor.

HA! Dream on.
http://www.thoroughbreddiesel.com/dynatrac/free-spin-hub-kit.htm
http://spyntec.com/category/dodge-shorty-00-15-spyntec-hub-conversion-kit/

 

[jhenderson]

How are you going to get grease in a sealed bearing ? When I changed mine to SKF, I looked at the assembly and could not see any way grease is going to enter the bearing with seals on both bearing faces. Maybe possible to get some in other areas around the bearing but since it is pressed into the hub, I can't see it. This is something I am seriously going to look into again, call the manufacture stating the contradiction you mention along with your reply.

Re-read Cerbs post. The two outer faces of the bearings are sealed. Where they meet, back to back in the hub there is no seal. The hole for the ABS sensor is approximately center of the two bearings. This hole provides a pathway for grease to be introduced to the unsealed side of the bearings.

 

[cerberusiam]

How are you going to get grease in a sealed bearing ? When I changed mine to SKF, I looked at the assembly and could not see any way grease is going to enter the bearing with seals on both bearing faces. Maybe possible to get some in other areas around the bearing but since it is pressed into the hub, I can't see it. This is something I am seriously going to look into again, call the manufacture stating the contradiction you mention along with your reply.

As far as I can tell, no seals on the inner faces of the bearing, only the outer faces. Others have noted the same thing when taking them apart. These were OE bearings, I have not taken apart a new SKF or Timken to see if the actually put inner seals on them. My guess is not because that is a bit harder to deal with the outer faces. Given the inner faces are not sealed then greasing thru the ABS sensor hole should put some grease past the tone ring and into the inner faces. All I can tell is what I have seen on the ones I have had apart.

Free spin kit is an option then one knows. Is it worth the cost over the lifetime of the truck, that is up to an individual and situational aspects. In the rust belt it may be well worth the investment to be able to clean and grease the front bearings on a yearly basis.

 

[Wayne M.]

HA! Dream on.
http://www.thoroughbreddiesel.com/dynatrac/free-spin-hub-kit.htm
http://spyntec.com/category/dodge-shorty-00-15-spyntec-hub-conversion-kit/

No dream. The spyntecs are still $1550 same as when I did mine in '13. Now Genos has em.

 

[TGVET]

No dream. The spyntecs are still $1550 same as when I did mine in '13. Now Genos has em.

Here's where it started with $2500.00
https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/235693-Dynatrac-group-buy-Who-s-interested-WITH-MONEY%21

More here for those with expected MPG gains. Post #111 https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/83626-Group-Buy-Manual-Rebuildable-Lock-Out-Hubs

The good O'l days of cheap #2. @$1.70 Today here in Leftern WA state I paid $2.77

Oh yea ! Happy new year all.
And go Donald. Good riddance to rotten rubbish and clean out that cesspool..

 

[Boaring1961]

Follow up on this thread that I started a while back.

So I was having a strange noise while driving the truck and my local diesel mechanic said the front end had a loose ball joint and bearing and he would start there. So I replaced the ball joints with Carli's, new Timken bearing hubs, and new Spicer front u-joints which is why I originally started this thread. After replacing all those parts the noise was still there and with a little more investigation appeared to be coming from the front diff. The sound was identical to the sound mud terrains make when driving on the road. So, my local axle and gear shop said it's likely one of the pinion bearings. So I dropped it off today to have new pinion bearings, carrier bearings, seals, etc replaced in the front diff. While there, and and since he was going to have it full torn apart, I asked how much more labor costs would there be to install an Eaton TruTrac posi traction unit..,he said nothing but the cost of the unit.

It ended up being a bad front pinion bearing and a bad carrier bearing. I picked it up this afternoon...noise is gone and was shocked at how quite it was and how accustomed I must have gotten to the sound the bad bearings were making. It's returned to a nearly silent drive that I remember. I'm also happy to have the posi traction unit in the front too.

Thanks for all the previous suggestions and comments.

 

[Wayne M.]

Thanks for following up, and what a surprise. I can't recall the last front axle noise issue/ bearing fail around here!*
Now a few Questions ;
1- Have you ever gone water fording or beach running or been in a situation where the front axle oil was possibly water contaminated?*
2- How many miles on the truck?*
3- What was your front axle maintenance schedule?
4- Were there any remarks about the oil that came out of the axle on the rebuild, or when the diagnosis started?*

 

[Boaring1961]

Wayne M,

My axle guy said once that I described to him the sound he knew it was the front pinion bearing instantly. He said they fail fairly often on these trucks. I'm not sure what others think on that, but I wouldn't know either way.

To answer your questions:

1- Have you ever gone water fording or beach running or been in a situation where the front axle oil was possibly water contaminated? - Not since I've owned it. I purchased it used in 2012 with 66k miles. The damage to the bearings appeared to be pitting or something.
2- How many miles on the truck?* As of today about 125k miles
3- What was your front axle maintenance schedule? Looking at my maintenance records I changed oil in the front diff at 68k miles, 102k miles and now again at 125k miles.
4- Were there any remarks about the oil that came out of the axle on the rebuild, or when the diagnosis started?* No comment was made about the front diff oil. I did ask about the rear since they changed it too and they said it looked great.

I noticed the sound back in October while on an elk hunting trip in Arizona. I was running mud terrain tires at that time (not any longer) and never noticed the sound before since the noise was identical to the sound of mud terrains growling on the road. What gave it away was that when I was on the hunting trip the sound continued as I drove off road, which I thought was odd since mud terrains typically get quite off road. While on the trip I stopped by a repair shop and they checked everything and couldn't find anything. My local shop found that a loose ball joint may be causing the tire to ride on the side a bit more than normal and was causing the sound or it was a bearing hub going out. None of that fixed it hence ending up at the axle shop.

 

[Wayne M.]

Wayne M,

My axle guy said once that I described to him the sound he knew it was the front pinion bearing instantly. He said they fail fairly often on these trucks. I'm not sure what others think on that, but I wouldn't know either way. *

I believe our AAM brand front axle is often mistaken for the Chrysler corporate axle used for decades in cars and trucks, presently under 1500 Ram rears, this axle is notorious for eating pinion bearings. Ever hear an old Dodge Ram Van go by howling? I believe the different driveshafts effect the sound.*
I'm glad the issue is solved. There was probably water intrusion before you got it. I'm sure it'll never happen again.

 

[cerberusiam]

AAM's choice of bearings during assembly is the root cause. They had bad batches or races and bearings in both the front and rear. QC really was a problem at times.