Dinner

Hello,

On my drive home tonight, I noticed like a growl coming from my left front tire every so often..It would do it probably every 10 seconds. When I applied the brakes it wouldn't happen. I pulled onto a side road and shook my steering back and forth while watching that tire, and well its storming out and so I didn't jack it up and check for play. After driving like this for 5 more minutes, it stopped. I continued driving another 10 minutes to get home and the growling stopped (could also feel a vibration in the steering wheel when it would happen).

Now things running throw my mind are that my bearing is worn out, or my 4X4 u-joint was acting up (though it wasn't in 4 wheel drive when all this happened).

I am going to jack the truck up tomorrow and check the bearing for play, check the u-joints, everything.....I just really don't want this truck down or else I can't go to work

So I guess i need some help on what it might be so I could possibly get it going by monday.

Thanks

Dinner

AlpineRAM

Sounds like wheel bearing to me- do replace it immediately, it can get very costly (have a friend's truck down at the moment, he wouldn't listen... now instead of just a bearing it looks like bearing, caliper, caliper holder, disk, and maybe the complete knuckle- depending on the findings of red&white spraying the region)
If the wheel bearing fails you ain't got any control on where the wheel (with attached parts like driveshaft) goes and where the truck goes.

This part from rockauto.com should be correct (I guesstimate)

BCA/NATIONAL 515012 Axle Bearing and Hub Assembly $ 168.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 168.79

AlpineRAM

alaskaflyer

did you notice any heat coming off that wheel? once they start making noise they go quick! I would make sure it's the bearing first before you start throwing parts at the truck, that can get expensive if you are wrong.

vzdude

I had one that did similar. I used a torch and a large crescent wrench to straighten out the caliper mounting bracket ( the spindle in this case!) He has driven the truck over 70K miles more and it wears the brakes just a tad bit more on that side due to not being 100% exact. Still relatively close to the other side pads upon removal. Also........what the heck is spraying red and white mean?!

Clayten

When I replaced my bearings I was not aware of this. I sure would have gone this way if I had known.
http://www.emsoffroad.com/EMS_New/home.htm

logskidder

That looks like a darn good kit....anyone run this???

Dinner

Well I went out this morning, jacked the front left side up and shook the wheel. The wheel, hub and rotor will move around. I can get the top of the tire to have a good 1/2 inch of play.

Can I buy just the bearings (going to do both sides probably) or do I HAVE to buy the bearing/hub assembly?

Thanks!!

skidoofan

It is a whole assembly on it. You can't just replace the bearing the unit is sealed. You will have to take out the whole assembly hub and rotor. They are connected together. I had to do this on my 99 2500 a couple of months ago. It is a pain but if you do a search you will find out the information you need. First you will have to loosen the large nut that holds the axle to the hub assembly 1 11/16 I believe, just loosen it and leave it on. You will then have to loosen the four twelve point bolts that hold the whole assembly in 9/16. Use a socket extension and the socket to push on the bolts when you loosen them by turning the wheel and wedging the extension to use like a press. The assembly will come out you will hear a pop. I had to do this to both of my top bolts to get it out. Once out make sure to support you axle stub so that the inner seal isn't distorted or it will leak bad. The assembly will come out with the hub assembly along with the rotor. They are held together by the wheel studs. You will need a brass hammer to knock out the wheel studs and then you can seperate the hub and rotor. Turn your rotor or replace it if needed at this time if need be. Take your new hub and the rotor and press the studs back into the two. The wheel nut is torqued to 175 ft/lbs I believe and the 9/16 12 point bolts is 120 ft/lbs. I researched this on this site and I did it in about 3 hours and that was my first hub I replaced. I know the hub had never been off before. Do it now or pay more later.

skidoofan

Forgot to mention to use anti-seize on the parts when you put them back in. If you have to do the job again it will make your life a whole lot easier the second time around.

Dinner

Thanks for the write up skidoofan!!

I thought the bearings would come out like on a heavy truck that ride in a race. So I'm pretty much looking at spending mm $400 for 2 hubs, and the bearings?

Dinner

Oh and what is a good place to purchase what I need?

skidoofan

I called around and got MOOG hub assemblies for 189.00 with a three year warranty. All the lifetime ones I found where too much for my budget. Earlier in the post someone gave you a online store that has them for 189 I think. Shop around to get a best price and look at your rotors to see if they are getting thin or need turned, I would mic them to see what they are compared to new specs because the last thing you want to have to do is tear it apart later to put on a rotor you could do know. A 40 dollar rotor isn't much at this point. On the large nut you just want to break it loose and then hand tighten it. You do this so when you loosen the 12 point bolts and use the extension to break it loose the bearing assembly won't seperate. I personally broke two 12 point sockets (one craftsmen, one S&K) on my hub. The big nut might come off hard you will need a 3/4 inch breaker bar and the 1 11/16 socket. Be careful not to twist the hub end and ruin the threads. If you can't get the axle nut off you can always cut it. Cheaper to replace a 11 dollar nut then a 100 dollar axle stub. Also when you take out the bearing make sure the side you are working on is higher then the other side otherwise your diff oil will come running out. If you have any other questions let me know.

Dinner

Well I at least got my FL side hub assembly ordered. I'm thinking I will do the FR side in a week or two. I got them ordered for around $230 CDN, coming to a store that is about 20 mins from my place. I was going to order online, but figured for the amount it would cost me for shipping and handling..it would probably work out to be the same or more to order online.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to work on it this week, might have to wait until the weekend where I can borrow my friends heated shop for a day.

Thanks for all the help so far guys, and Skidoofan, thanks for the write up. I'll be printing it off so I can follow along a little better.

Dinner

Also want my truck up and running for when I get my XZT+ and that fun stuff