Front Bearings again

[juicedcummins]

These front ends are garbage with the Ameican Axles. This is the second time for front bearings and the truck only has 120km on it. I have also done all 4 ball joints the first time the bearings were done and the uppers a second time a year ago.

The only good thing is the bearings have dropped in price and are more readily available.



I had this truck in Camrose Chrysler 2 weeks ago for a transmission service and asked them to check the ball joints and bearings while it was on the hoist. They came back and printed it on paper that the ball joints were fine as well as the wheell bearings but it needed a front steering kit.

I knew that it was a little fishy so I ran it home 900 miles for x-mas and checked it out myself on buddy's hoist. Truck has developed a vibration you can feel though the steering wheell. In the end ball joints ok and the rest of the front end is ok but the wheel bearings are shot to the point I can not use it to head west till I get new front bearings in it.

The point of all this is beware of the dealers even the 5 screw [same old story]. I will be in very remote locations all winter and this would have been a major problem and expense.



If these 6. 7's were proven I would have one but add that to these front ends and there could be [I hate to say it] a power-puke in my driveway. They @ least have a front end.

 

[jelag]

I've several of these trucks that we use on the road... the oldest an 04 with 300K miles...

We've not done ball joints but have had the front end apart for u-joints and have pulled apart the front bearings, cleaned them, lubed them with grease and put them back in...

Our 08 5500 is running fine with over 50K now... I don't do a thing unless I see the wear in the front tires... we moved to 19. 5" on all my trucks and have not had a problem, even with the one's pulling trailers and at full GVW like the 5500 is all the time...

I've personally never much trusted the guys in the tire shops when they told me I needed brakes and there were 60% left... . than I saw the mechanic in the next bay pushing the piston in, and pushing all that old fluid back thru the ABS and into the master cylinder... . when I asked him about it, he said it was a short cut everyone did... . I actually had them put my old tires back on the car and took it away from them... ... . since than, in the past 35 years I just carry in wheels for tires... .

 

[JHardwick]

If these 6. 7's were proven I would have one but add that to these front ends and there could be [I hate to say it] a power-puke in my driveway. They @ least have a front end.

Good luck with that new Ford. How much do you want for that old junky Dodge? My girlfriend is looking to up grade her 1/2ton Chevy so she can pull the big horse trailer while I'm out of town with the dually.

 

[JCrockett]

I just had my front unit bearings replaced at 39000 miles, under my extended warrenty. The front ends are not junk, the axle housing and such are good, it is just the components they put in them. My buddy has an 04 and he got tired of the ball joint and bearing problem. The fix is out there it just costs some money. PUtting a DynaTrac or EMS hub conversion kit on the fron will eliminate the unit bearings and buy a set of Cali upper ball joints and Moog lowers and you will not have any more problems. He has done that to his 04 and not a problem. I will be doing this setup once my extended warrenty runs out.

 

[04 Diesel Power]

100,000 miles and no problems with my 2004.

 

[juicedcummins]

This truck is far from junk but @ the rate it eats up front end parts it costs a lot more than any other truck i have ever owned. Never had this trouble with the Dana in the second generations.

After being bitten by the #53 in my 99 and now this you have to sit back and scratch your head.

I'm pro 5. 9 all the way but not 6. 7. I ran door handle to door handle with a couple of 6. 7's last winter [day after day] all day 7 days a week[oilfield] and all I can say they have probs. Maybe now they have some of them worked out but I doubt all.



I was in to pick up the 05 today after a week for a major oil leak and tried to snag an 09 but the saleman kept talking circles and trying to push an 08. So the front bearings are going in friday AM and I have a decision to make before i get home mid April.