front rotor/bearings

[Stevel]

I am trying to replace my front rotor on my 96 1ton 4wd. I followed some of the past suggestions I read here and reached a point where I think there is a problem. I had to use a puller to remove the rotor but the bearing assembly pulled apart. What happened is that I did loosed the four bolts behing the backing plate holding the bearing assembly on but it did not matter. The plate that those bolts went into remained on the truck and now I am looking at the large tapered bearing and I am afraid I am going to get it pretty dirty when I try and seperate that portion of the bearing assembly from the rotor. I had to use a puller the entire removal not just to break it loose from the splines. Should I continue on or should I replace the whole bearing unit if I can get it off? Why would that plate on the back side of the bearing assembly that the four bolts are attached to stay and not fall off the backing plate? I hope someone can help. The shop manual is useless here. There seems to be no diagram in it to help.



Thank you

 

[illflem]

Steve, the reason the manual doesn't show it because they want you to replace the entire unit bearing as one unit although the bearing is available separately when you have the number. Read this thread It is quite common for the bearing to be rusted on and pull apart. Feel lucky that at least the large nut came off with ruining the axle, DC doesn't use anti-seize on these parts, you should on reassembly. Use penetrating oil, heat and beat or whatever it takes to get it off. It's your decision whether the bearing makes it though good enough to regrease and use. Remember to be careful if you remove the axle from the differential that you don't cut the seal with the splined end. Most times you still get leakage from the axle seal upon reassembly. Some of it is oil that gets by while the axle is out, this can be prevented by jacking one side up so the level goes to the other side and cleaning well before carefully reinserting the axle. If the seal continues to leak most times it will stop with time. You should consider replacing the U-joint now that you are this far, get one from Napa with a zerk. Good luck.

 

[Stevel]

thanks

thanks for the feedback. I greased the bearing using needle tip on my grease gun to reach in between the roller bearings. It worked pretty well. It was a job protecting the outer bearing from getting dirty while I beat out the studs and replaced the rotor. I never did figure out how to get the inner half of the bearing assembly off the backing plate. That is the half that is supposed to come off when the four bolts are taken off. I took the truck for a test drive and noticed I had more heat on the bearing, on the side I worked on so I backed off on the nut one notch and put the cotter key back in and took it for another drive. It was still warmer than the untouched side and I do not know why. I will take it for a longer drive later and check it again. Any feedback?



Thanks again



96 1ton 4x4 extended cab, auto. trans.

 

[Dave Fritz]

CAUTION!



The bearing preload on 94-99 Rams is created between the axle shaft shoulder and the axle shaft nut. Without pressure from the nut, the bearings will separate enough to move out of the center of the bearing races. If the truck is driven with the nut loose, the hub bearings will quickly fail, often within 25 miles.



I don't think that the hub and bearing assembly on 00-01 Rams is constructed differently.



Dave