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05 Dodge front wheel bearing..&^$#@

B

big pappa b

3/4 ton status
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Toney, AL
Anyone ever change one? Holy crap...the hub is rust/welded to the axle. Soaked it with PB blaster several times yesterday and on the way out this morning.
I beat on it for about 2 hours last night.
Tried backing a bolt out slightly with a socket and extension on it, pressing against the frame trying to push it off while turning the wheel.


Stopping at the hardware store to get a bigger hammer and a new torch. Hoping the heat breaks it loose.
 
I've watched my friend replace a few--the newer Fords suck even more..they weld together with rust to the knuckle here so bad,you'd swear they were one single casting...he has to use heat and sledge hammers quite often to get them to break loose..
One Ford was particularly tough--if not for the fact it would get yanked off the jack,he was seriously considering chaining the hub to his pickup and driving away,hoping that would pop it free..he used an air hammer on it for a good 15 minutes before it finally came off,after heating it up several times..

I am not much of a fan of "unitized" wheel bearings--they wear out too fast,even on light FWD cars--trucks with plows chew them right up..I like the good old tapered timken bearings you can change in 10 minutes for hundreds of dollars less..
(the new hub/bearing assembly for the F-350 was a 600+ dollar "dealer only" special too..)..
 
I bought a 3lb sledge and a small propane tank. Still wasn't moving. Had the wife hold a chisel and it finally broke loose about 15 minutes later..

Jeez, what a pain. Now I had to stop reassembly due to lightning. Just need to get the brakes back on
 
https://store.snapon.com/Wheel-Hub-Removal-Adaptors-Adaptor-Removal-Wheel-Hub-Dodge-P646266.aspx

this between bolt head with good 6-8 threads still in hub . then against inner "c" and hold as someone turns wheel running till just hits then let go and have them turn the wheel hard .

and then once out die grinder and or heavy tooth file and remove all the rust from inside the knuckle .

new unit bearing and coat the hell out of inside of knuckle with anti-sieze .

hand torque only the center axle nut to if I recall 260ft lb range . do not use a gun to even run the nut in .

had some in the past I have had to almost cut out . :eek1:
 
I saw a youtube video of someone using a socket and extension to do that . It was the first thing I tried..several times and nothing.

It got the anti-sieze for sure. Not sure how close I got to 264. My torque wrench only goes to 150. I gave it some extra :dunno:
 
I replaced them twice in my 05. First time was at 70K. Used ebay hubs to "save money". Lasted 30K. Replaced again with Timken bearing-ed hubs from O'Reilley's. They were still in it when I sold it with 182K on it.
 
When I had an air cooled VW bug,I had to torque the rear axle nuts to 225 ft.lbs..
I used a 3/4" breaker bar & socket with a length of pipe about 6 feet long as a cheater--I weighed about 140 lbs. then..jumping on it with both feet several times was about the right amount of torque..I checked it at vocational school with a torque wrench (actually the shop teacher did,he didn't trust us with it!)--he said it was at 220 ft.lbs..

My friend uses an air impact to tighten almost all the wheel bearing nuts on his customers cars,even used ones that he just replaced an axle in--despite it being "taboo",he hasn't had too many comebacks..I guess after you've done a few hundred of them,you get a "feel" for the air gun..
The air gun I have cant even break my lugs loose,I usually have to break them free "manually" first,then it struggles to spin them off !..its just a "Buffalo" flea market special I got 30 years ago..time to buy a real one..
 
Stein said:
I replaced them twice in my 05. First time was at 70K. Used ebay hubs to "save money". Lasted 30K. Replaced again with Timken bearing-ed hubs from O'Reilley's. They were still in it when I sold it with 182K on it.
Click to expand...

I heard last week that Moog is buying out Timken...after 100+ years in bussiness..
I wonder if their good reputation will suffer,like their ball joints and tie rod ends have the past several years..Moog used to be the "best",but lately I hear lots of complaints from people I know ,some shops say your better off buying the "cheap crap" because that is what is in many "name brand" boxes now..
 
diesel4me said:
My friend uses an air impact to tighten almost all the wheel bearing nuts on his customers cars,even used ones that he just replaced an axle in--despite it being "taboo",he hasn't had too many comebacks..I guess after you've done a few hundred of them,you get a "feel" for the air gun..
..
Click to expand...

the bearing has specific torque some are small around 100 some are up there like the big dodge stuff.

this is 1/2 of the reason .

the other half is the hardened steel surfaces get beat up with the impact of the gun hammering them down . this shortens the life span by around 50% .

years ago we had a driveline / suspension rep come in from local supply store and give us a 2hr class . this was one of the points .

we got free books with the specs and info on some special ones .

we saw a HUGE reduction in comebacks from defective bearings after this class . it works and we had almost zero warranty bearings after 6 months .

your buddy / anyone can do what they want . but I install by hand and use a torque wrench . :thumb:
 
Yeah,I am not saying its the right way--and I've pointed that out to him too,but he just smirks and says "You want to tighten it up by hand for me" ?...
He's been pretty lucky ,doing things "his way" all these years..
 
My torque wrench only went to 150 ft/lbs. I have a 3/4" drive ratchet set. It has an 18" long ratchet. I weigh 155 lbs. Standing on the end of it, bouncing slightly, gave me what I perceived as 225 ft/lbs. Worked for 82K miles.
 
last time I replaced my unit bearings I torqued it as much as I could and then just limped it over to a shop. down the road and had them torque it to spec.
To get them out I just used heat/penetrating fluid and the socket/ extension trick to get them out.
 
Turns out that not only were the wheel bearings bad but both u-joints on the rear shaft were shot. Back one had lost the needle bearings. Pass side ball joints got replaced
 
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