2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Just lost a front wheel bearing (maybe)

[RyanStewart]

Hey all, stranded here in Illinois. Just wanted someone to tell me if this sounds like a wheel bearing:

I was driving down the freeway at about 70 mph and the truck started jerking and pulling to the left. At first I thought it was wind pushing the truck until it started vibrating, enough to make me think I had a flat tire. When I stopped and looked I didn't see anything, just some smoke coming off the left front wheel. When I crawled under the truck I didn't see any obvious damage, just a small amount of dark material in the bottom of the wheel. Tried driving slow on the shoulder just to see what it would do, and it would struggle a little, like I was trying to start with the brake on, although sometimes it would come out of that and roll forward just fine. Called AAA and had the truck towed to the nearest garage, but it got there after they closed so I won't know until tomorrow whats wrong. Does this sound like a wheel bearing? If not what else could it be?

Assuming it is, I'm concerned that since it was a catastrophic failure there could be some damage to the spindle. I'm not really familiar with how this unitized assembly works though, it is possible the whole spindle will need to be replaced if this is in fact a bearing failure? Or could I be so lucky that this could be fixed just by replacing the hub assembly? Thanks

 

[budnate]

could be the bearing but also could be the front axel u-joint... when my bearing went it was a very suttle deal, my 98 was pretty easy to swap out the bearing into my rotor about 2 hrs start to finish... the $350 for the bearing handed to me at the counter sucked though.



my axel U joint also crapped out one day and it shook the front pretty good especially at freeway speeds... . anyway check both out.



may the mechanic like your smile in the morning and go easy on your wallet... show up with a box of donuts for everyone and if he is cool you may be able to do some help on it and offset the labor.



peace,B.

 

[PC12Driver]

My vote is for a stuck brake caliper. I had it happen on a previous truck, but I'd describe it the same way you did. In fact, almost exactly - maybe wind, maybe a flat - until I pulled over and could see the smoke and smell the brakes (and burnt my finger on the wheel - duh). Hopefully it's something that simple.



I'd be surprised if it was a bearing, since those usually don't die quietly!



Where ya stuck at?

 

[CumminsPower98]

I vote bearing. There is no spindle as such. The hub, bearings and housing all come pressed together as a unit so any damage will be contained in the bearing since you stopped before the wheel fell off. Same thing happened to my friend in ID a few months ago. The truck started pulling left bad and ended up in a cloud of smoke and got a tow. I have prevented this from ever happening to me by installing grease fittings in these otherwise unserviceable bearings. Good luck at the shop.

 

[RyanStewart]

.



may the mechanic like your smile in the morning and go easy on your wallet... show up with a box of donuts for everyone and if he is cool you may be able to do some help on it and offset the labor.



peace,B.

Hah I like that! Thanks!



Unfortunately the repair shop is 15 min from the nearest hotel, so I can't wander in there and see how things are going. The tow truck driver said he was going to drop it inside the garage so they could get to it first thing in the morning, hopefully I'll know something soon.



I'm stuck in Ottawa, IL

 

[TboneMan]

Sounds similar to when my bearings went. I literally had a trail of bearings down the road and into my driveway!!!:{

 

[The patriot]

Hard to tell but sounds like a bearing.

I'm just starting to get a noise from mine now.

It's not gonna be cheap. :{

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...scussions/210435-front-wheel-bearing-omg.html

 

[RyanStewart]

Well it was the wheel bearing, and yeah it wasn't cheap, $833 out the door



The one thing that bothers me more than the 50% mark up on the part ($482 for the hub assembly, which I could have picked up at NAPA for $315) is the $85 diagnostic fee, on top of $212 for the labor #@$%! You don't need an hours worth of labor to figure that one out, the crunching noise when you spin the wheel ought to tell you everything you need to know.



But anyway, its fixed and I made it the rest of the way to NY without any problems. Thanks for all the help.

 

[budnate]

did you forget the donuts???

 

[The patriot]

Price I got was $750. According to the guy the hub was $365 and that was his "cheapest quote".

I found them on amazon for $215 + shipping.

 

[RyanStewart]

did you forget the donuts???

No I brought them. Can you imagine what they would have charged me if I hadn't???



Seriously though I never even saw the guy in charge, he seemed to working in the shadows somewhere, although according to the receptionist he is the one in charge of the pricing. The mechanics themselves knew nothing of what it would cost me, they just did the work.





What really burns me about this is that for $100 more I could have installed the EMS hub conversion kit and never had to worry about this kind of thing again. As it is, now I've got to worry about when the other side is going to go. I'm thinking I might go ahead and replace the hub assembly on the other side too, at least do it before I go on another long trip.

 

[budnate]

well that is how it goes on the road when you break down... it sucks been there, actually could have been worse dollar wise.



yes its a good idea to do the other side now, drill it for a zerk like cp98 did before you install it and on the next brake job do the other side,



great idea cp98 had! wish I would have seen his link last week I just did the front brakes and it would have been smart to do it then, next brake job for sure its getting done on my rig.



only advice when doing it, you do need access to a really good press though my cheapo pos tool town special barely had enough suds to press the wheel studs back in tight, otherwise its a easy deal.





B.

 

[CumminsPower98]

I don't figure on the wheel studs being so tight that a press is needed. I have seen others talking about this too. Mine and other trucks I have worked on didn't give any trouble at all. I knock them out with a big copper hammer 2. 5 3 lbs. maybe?), which takes one to two big blows. I hammer them back in with a big drift and 4 lb. sledge and it takes only a few minutes.



I sure feel good knowing my bearings have grease. I was real nervous while driving OTR before I did this mod, always wondering if one was going to fail far from home. Now I drive with confidence.

 

[DPrew]

When mine went out at 142K it did the same thing. It also ruined my disc, caliper, and Weld Racing $300 wheel. I was out over $1500 with towing. I just hit 178K and paid Four Wheel Parts to install the Dynatrac kit before the other side failed. You can't get most Weld Racing wheels now so if I ruined another one I would have to shell out close to two grand for another set of forged wheels.

 

[RyanStewart]

Have you got instructions, preferably with pictures, on how and where to install a zerk fitting on the hub? I think its a great idea!

 

[The patriot]

Kenny put up a link in my post about wheel bearings with the info you want.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Here is the page with information on the grease fittings. Scroll clear to the bottom, its all there.

 

[WilsonF]

Click on "Truck mods" in ComminsPower98 post. Pictures there.



Floyd

 

[kscheffler]

What do you guys recommend for after market w. bearings?

I will also need to address the wheel bearing issue in a couple of years. I like the idea of replacing with after market kits what comments suggestion, experience is everyone having with after market wheel bearing kits?

 

[BGuilty]

Price I got was $750. According to the guy the hub was $365 and that was his "cheapest quote".

I found them on amazon for $215 + shipping.







i just got a set of timkin wheele bearings for my 96 beater/daily driver for $180 for the set... i got them through a friend that gets his stuff out of pensylvania... ill find out the info and post it