Hi guys, Just wanted to vent my frustration and give a word of caution. Here is my tale, all I wanted to do is do a brake job on my truck, famous last words. Sounds simple doesn't it NOT! Couldnt get parts on time, when I did finally get parts I couldn't get the parking brake adjusted, **** salt and rust. Then I couldn't get a banjo bolt on the new caliper to seal. Man I'm having fun now! Ok finally got everything together it's time for a test drive. Went 3 miles from home right rear locked up. Skidded to a stop flat spotting my two new tires, got out and checked under the truck nothing seems wrong. Backed up a few feet now it seems ok drive back to the barn and pull it back apart OH CRAP. My wheel bearing cage looks like it turned into tin foil lots of schrapnel. I am a comercial truck mechanic by trade and I have the factory service manual. I have never seen a floating axle that doesn't lube the hubs but they are dry. When I initially pulled it apart there was gear oil in there. I even took the precaution of jacking the axle up to let the oil run to the hubs. About a half hour per side but there is no sign of oil. The service manual says to pack the bearings but after reading their section on the parking brake adjustment I figured they messed up on this too. They are very specific to use synthetic lube in the diff. So I didn't want to have wheel bearing grease mix with the gear lube. There I go again trying to do the best thing for my truck. So the moral of the story is pack the stupid wheel bearings or you'll be going back to the parts man. So as it sets now I have gotten the wheel bearing off and can save my axle. And it's probably going to set me back another $300 and another weekend. Man this has been a fun project!

 

I'm confused, the manual said to pack an oil bath bearing?

 

Yep, sure enough it says to pack with grease. I was confused as well I've never seen any thing like that in a floater axle.

 

Well that's different. I did the rear brakes on my 04.5, no problems. There's a write up in the wiki. I seem to remember something about the fill plugs on some 3rd gens being drilled at the wrong height but I thought they were too high.

 

Oil level was higher than the axle tubes, I don't know what kept it from running to the hubs.

 

I just noticed I have this in the 07 and up section, it should have been in the 03 to 07 section. I guess it's still applicable, I can't figure out how to move it anyway.

 

Other than an incorrect bearing or race, what could keep it from running all the way out?

 

I always fill the cavity in hub with 75w 90 synthetic gear oil if you have American Axle in your truck. Then soak the bearing in gear oil before installing into hub. Then I little extra gear oil in axle tube before putting axle shaft in. Check the gear oil level in diff and your done. Never ever had a bearing burn up on me and I have changed many axle seals in 25 years of wrenching.
Your right it does say use grease, but I'll keep doing it my way.

INSTALLATION
Install outer hub bearing cup with Installer 8961 and Handle C-4171.
Install inner hub bearing cup with Installer 8962 and Handle C-4171.
Pack bearings with the appropriate grease.
Install rear bearing and install new grease seal with Installer 8963 and Handle C-4171.
Slide hub on the axle tube and install front bearing into the hub.
Install hub bearing nut with Socket 8954 and tighten to 30 N·m (22 ft. lbs.) while rotating the hub (HUB NUT SOCKET).
Back off nut about 30° and align next hub nut key slot with axle tube key slot and install locking key.
NOTE: End play should be 0.025-0.25 mm (0.001-0.010 in.).

Install retainer ring with ring end in the key slot.
Install new axle shaft gasket and install axle shaft.

 

i always do when i pull the bearings...sometimes the gear lube takes a while to get there............

 

it's better to have the grease mix with the gear lube than run dry as you now know..........

 

I have a '00 and this is what exactly happened to me. About 4 miles from home and the wheel locked up. I didn't pack the bearings because I didn't want to contaminate the gear oil. I did a rear brake job and wheel seal install initially. The Haynes manual says to pack the bearings, so after another $160 for parts-new bearings, races and another wheel seal it is all back together. Got everything from NAPA. My fingers are crossed, hopefully the grease is all that was needed. X2 definately pack your wheel bearings!