I drove away from a friend's place today and the truck started making this horrible noise. Not only is there a noise but the truck shutters and shakes as well. To make a long story short, I have figured it out to be the wheel bearings for the front right tire. They are so bad that with the snow on the ground right now I moved about 20 feet and the wheel did not even make a full revolution. So I made it back to my friend's house (about one block) to fix it. How do you replace them? I pick up new bearings tomorow first thing and will be installing them in the driveway. I am looking for any info, hints or tricks to get this done ASAP as it will be about -5 celsius plus the wind.
P.S. This truck only has 138,000kms about 80,000 miles is this normal?

 

How did you determin "wheel bngs" are the problem??

 

It is the wheel bearings for sure. I checked the coupling in the axel for the four wheel drive and it is fine works well. I jacked up the offending wheel and removed tire and spun hub to get a better look. It is not the brakes, and buy trying to turn the hub you can hear and feel the bearings are FUBAR. I have had this problem before but not on this kind of axle hub setup. I can get new bearings inner and outer for the hub but how do you change them?

 

The most time consuming part is going to be getting the hub separated from the knuckle. Do a search, there are 2 ways to go about it, one is to put an extension between the ujoint and the knuckle and turn the wheel to use the power steering to press it off. Or you can take a socket on the back of the bolts and get a big hammer and pound them off. The tools you'll need are:
12 point socket (think it was 9/16")
Big hammer or extension
3/4" socket set for hub nut (1 5/16" I think)
hex wrenches for caliper.

Basically its just pull the rotor, calliper off and press the hub and bearing off the knuckle and bolt the new one in. All the parts are big so you'll be able to use a pair of gloves at least

 

The hubs are fun to slpit.

 

OK here is an update. I have read about all I can find on doing the job. If you are doing this you need a 1 11/16" socket for the axel nut, 5/8" 12piont deep socket to get the brake calipers off, 9/16" 12point socket to unbolt the hub, 5mm hex key to unbolt the ABS sensor. This is after you have jacked up the truck and removed the tire. Loosen the axel nut and lug nuts before lifting truck. Now the fun part removing the hub, I ran out of daylight and time to finish doing this today so I will try latter. I did try with what I had wich was a slide hammer and large ballpeen hammer with a drift. Nothing work and also tryed the steering idea were I could and with what I could but no luck. Mine may be diffrent than the others or I read the instructions wronge. If I did it the way I read it it looked like I was going to damage the axel or bend the bolts that hold in the hub. So any more help would be great as it stand right now it looks like I need a helper to give me a hand. And time for the sledge hammer and a big drift. I don't have a big red wrench were the truck is but I may need to get one.
P.S. This info is what I am finding out for my truck other trucks may be diffrent.

 

you can always use a little map gas torch as a red wrench... not as good as oxy/acc, but if you hold it on there long enough, it'll get warm

Forrest

 

in a pinch the mapp would even work if you forgot to bring along the "metric red wrench"

 

Shawn,

I'm hoping the '02 is the same setup as mine, although I think there are some subtle differences for sure like the front ABS.

That said, you will not relpace the bearings as single components (like the 2wd). The front hub is a "non-servicable" assembly. The bearings are sealed for life and pressed into the hub.

If you are certian the assy is snafued then the next step is a little easier.

The shaft nut off, 4-12 point bolts out of back side out, caliper, sensors etc off and/out of the way (tie em up).

Use a puller, the steering trick (my fav) or just beat on her from behind with a long heavy chisel between the housing and dust plate.

The hubs need to come off in order for us 98.5-2000??? guys to change/clean up rotors. We need to get them off un-damaged bit of a pain.

Yankin with a puller usually pulls them apart and it's $350-400 cnd beaver pelts.

Good luck

 

This is the same diff that is some Fords right? Could you make it manual hubs from a ford? If I have to change them this to me would be a good upgrade and now is the time to do it.

 

Can't truthfully comment on that shawn, it's a Dana. You are correct with Ford using the D60 but it may be a different setup. Try a pm to CTDNut.

I recall some threads on lock outs, this may help http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ont/index.html

 

I finished the wheel bearing today. It took two of us but we did it, and this is what worked. We did the steering trick with the socket but it didn't work on its own. With the steering working with the socket in place the helpfull nudge of a 8lb sledge did the trick. Man was that hub a PITA to get out. I got a new unit from Dodge after they took $465.00cad and installed it. It just fit right in by hand and it has lots of anti seeze to make this job easyer the next time I hope. Hope this info comes in handy for someone else.