2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 4x4 front hubs/bearings?

[Heavy Metal]

Any indications as to when these are going bad other than the obvious symtom of growling? How easy should they turn with the wheel off? They're not growling but are very hard to turn with the wheel and caliper off. I realize that I am also having to turn the axle shafts as well. I'm probably a little too concerned about it, but it's been on my mind ever since I had my ball joints replaced recently. The mechanic beat the hub assemblies so badly getting them off that he had to clean them up with a grinder to get the backing plates back on. I had just read here about using the socket/extension trick for getting them off and almost went and bought a press to replace them myself but decided to save myself the trouble and pay a shop to do it. Live and learn, I guess.



Bryan

 

[Mundgyver]

Yikes Does not sound like any mechanic I would want to know, for fear of killing him for abusing my stuff.



Best reference is the book and proper tools to do the job. Nothing should have to be beaten on. Pressed yes, beaten no.



The bearing on mine are a sealed unit. The first set was replaced under warranty at around 40,000 for growling. In hind site they might have been ok as about 20,000 later they were doing it again, particulary in a turn. Took the dealer for a drive and he scratched his head a whole lot. Went to another dealer and their mechanic looked at it and pointed out the tires and suggested that I rotated them in an X pattern.



Come to find out, it was the tires I had. They would start to cup slightly. The turns would amplify the sound.



I am at 108,000 turns now with no more problems or growling.



One mans experience

 

[daveshoe]

I take mine off once a year . break them down and service them. Yes,I know these are sealed units, but on the later trucks, they are possible to service. PM if interested.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Originally posted by daveshoe

I take mine off once a year . break them down and service them. Yes,I know these are sealed units, but on the later trucks, they are possible to service. PM if interested.

Tried to PM you your box is full. Sent you an email with the title "Servicing Sealed Wheel Bearings".

 

[Mundgyver]

Ditto for me too. -Wally-

 

[DKayser]

Hubs?

Maybe this ought to be posted, not PM`d. I`d like to see this myself. DK

 

[ProspectorTim]

Me too!

 

[Glen Pratt]

Same here. Last time was $400. 00 a side. That was the whole bearing assembly with rotor and ABS sensor. Thanks, -Glen

 

[grtescpa]

Front bearings

When I replaced the rotors on mine, both sides were rusted in. I used a wheel puller on one side and the bearing assembly halves pulled apart. They are not made to do that but it can be done. I was able to clean and regrease it. I pressed it back together with a shop press. It sound like your mechanic pressed the bearing halves back together to tight. You can do that very easily. I did the other side more carefully and used plenty of PB blaster penetrating oil. I used the wheel nut and with the book torque on it. Both bearings are fine with no excessive play. There is no number on bearings and Dodge only sells the whole unit when a bearing goes bad. Hopefully you can find a better mechanic and set your front bearings the way they should be.

 

[daveshoe]

Mailbox full

Sorry about that, I looked at your sigs and will tell you that my way of doing it is based on the later model hubs that have seperate brake rotors. I would like the chance to try my stuff [shop made pulling tools] on an earlier truck. I am 1. 5 hours from Cinn. OH and close to I-70.

I do not know if these methods will work with earlier trucks,so I hate to post and cause someone trouble. I have given out this info to a few others,but have never found out if they actually used it. This is also a little long to post on the forums

Now i'll see if I can clear out the mailbox

grtescpa has the right idea on torque of the nut. I painted an index mark on mine before dis-assembly to get the proper torque.

Mine is 02 4x4

 

[y-knot]

I just cannot imagine someone so stupid as to beat a hub on or off. They come right off if a puller is used, no dramatics, no blows of a hammer needed. If thats the only way your machanic can get them off, I would look for someone else.

 

[Andy Redmond]

Some one at DC must have circulated this method. I know several DC dealers in Texas that use this approach. Not saying its right, just that they use it.



I have a slick Lisle tool that goes in a air hammer. It basically a air chisel with a socket made onto the end, it fits loosely over the 12 point hub bolts. Loosen the bolts and let it vibrate, it usually wiggles them loose, right away. In other cases many have posted about the super duty puller, necessary sometimes too.



I know DC replaced my hub bearings and rotor under warranty, when a tech beat them off to install the shims/spacers for the nefarious brake pull. . tsb.



I think they replaced everything that had the sledge hammer treatment, no wonder DC isn't profitable!



If its your wallet, do as savvy others have suggested.



Andy

 

[krs]

"They come right off if a puller is used, no dramatics, no blows of a hammer needed"



That depends. Rust makes the job a nightmare, and even the book suggests using beating on the 12 point bolts - having never talked to their own tech who thought of the socket, extension, and power steering push method.



The hubs should be removed intact and to do that you need to leave the stub axle nut on while the major pushing on the four bolts goes on. Otherwise the hub will probably come apart. If it does come apart there are Timken marked and numbered bearings inside that could be replaced individually with a good Timken supplier's help, but they're better left together and replaced as a preloaded unit available for $213. a side (best price I found at the time).

 

[daveshoe]

Originally posted by KRS

"They come right off if a puller is used, no dramatics, no blows of a hammer needed"



That depends. Rust makes the job a nightmare, and even the book suggests using beating on the 12 point bolts - having never talked to their own tech who thought of the socket, extension, and power steering push method.



The hubs should be removed intact and to do that you need to leave the stub axle nut on while the major pushing on the four bolts goes on. Otherwise the hub will probably come apart. If it does come apart there are Timken marked and numbered bearings inside that could be replaced individually with a good Timken supplier's help, but they're better left together and replaced as a preloaded unit available for $213. a side (best price I found at the time).

KRS, Why do you say this[Preloaded Unit]? My 02 was pulled in two stages because with the seperate brake rotor, the first half simply was a pull to separate the outer hub from the spline on the axle stub. I then made up a plate that had a centering hole in the middle that fit over the axle stub. After removing the 12 point bolts from the rear, I ran in bolts through the front and it pushed against the axle stub. Nice control, no heat and beat.

The guy who told me how to do this has run a set of bearings 300K with no problems. Please don't take this personally-- the reason I am asking you this is I sure don't want to hand out bad advice to anyone. As far as my truck goes , I will probably continue to service the bearings unless I understand WHY dis-assembly would harm them.

 

[krs]

Hi,

First off, I haven't seen an '02, the truck I did is my '98. I don't think that there's been a design change but there may have been. If there has not been a change the hub assembly is sold as and meant to be changed as one unit. There are two complete bearings, an inner and an outer, with seals at each end and it is quite possible to disassemble it and reassemble it. One side of my truck was treated that way because in the (incredible) difficulty of removal and out of my own ignorance I removed one half of the unit over the stub and then had another equally difficult job of removing the inner half from the axle spindle. This Idaho truck was SERIOUSLY rusted in there. I did it wrong on that one and was able to put it all together again with new grease and a fair preload using my shop press. The bearings, oddly enough, were fine.



After doing that I consulted my '97 manual and found factory warnings against doing what I'd just done. I don't recall the exact wording right now but it was there, so on the other side I did it correctly and bought a new hub for the price above.



Dave, all this said I have no problem with what you've done and it's certainly a lot cheaper. The book doesn't give a preload value or technique because they expect the unit to be changed but anyone who's serviced front wheel bearings a while has or should have enough of a feel for what the right load is. I guess I'd have a hesitancy to advise someone else to use such a method if I had no knowledge of their particular skill level and experience.