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front 10 bolt wheel bearing

andyblack

andyblack

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Some people are going to say, "how dumb is this guy", but yesterday I removed the passenger side (short shaft) steering knuckle on my truck to replace the ball joints. '85 GMC half ton, stock 10 bolt axle. After I took off the rotor, I noticed there was a large roller bearing pressed onto the spindle. Not really unusual, but a couple of months ago I had the knuckle off the driver side (long shaft) and there was no spindle bearing on that side. I remember thinking that it was wierd to have only one wheel bearing because it seems like most vehicles I've taken the rotor off of had two roller bearings per wheel. Am I missing something? :confused: Is this setup right? The wheel hasn't locked up or anything yet, and the truck must have been like that the whole time I've owned it. Do I need a spindle bearing on the driver side? I haven't put anything back together yet because I have to go get the ball joints pressed in after work.
 
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Yes, there are two large bearings per wheel, both of them are a slip fit on the spindle, and the inner wheel bearing is usually held in the hub(loosely) by the hub seal. So if your bearing was on the spindle, then you have no seal?

Also, the "spindle bearing" you are referrring too is actually the little needle bearing inside the spindle, for the stub shaft, not one of the wheel bearings.
 
I just went out and looked at both rotors. The driver side still has the bearing inside the back of it. I didn't know it was there before because it stayed in the rotor when I had it off before. The passenger side bearing is definately stuck on the spindle along with the seal. I guess I need to try to gently remove it. I want to get my rotors turned also. Can I remove the bearing and seal from the rotor without tearing them up, or should I just go ahead and buy a new bearing for each side? Thanks for answering so quickly too guys.
 
How difficult was it to remove the hub on the side the bearing is stuck to the spindle? I presume the seal was still tight in the hub and you had to use some force to remove the hub.

As said earlier the inner bearing should stay inside the hub. Depending on how hot it got and how seized the bearing is you may be looking at replacing the spindle.
 
90'K5 said:
How difficult was it to remove the hub on the side the bearing is stuck to the spindle? I presume the seal was still tight in the hub and you had to use some force to remove the hub.

As said earlier the inner bearing should stay inside the hub. Depending on how hot it got and how seized the bearing is you may be looking at replacing the spindle.
Click to expand...

I did have to bang it back and forth quite a few times for it come loose. On the other side it just slid right off.
 
:sign6:

Get us some pics of the bearing and spindle. If it looks like the bearings have been heated and blue you should replace them. Look for blueing on the spindle as well and on the bearing race in the rotor/hub. And, as long as it's apart, clean and repack all the wheel bearings for the front. You will need new grease seals for the back of the hub for reinstallation. Are you familiar with how to repack the bearings?
 
I was planning on re-packing the bearings with grease before I put them back on. I'll take some pics of the bearing after I get home this afternoon if I can get it off of the spindle without breaking it. The brake caliper plate is kind of in the way.
 
Honestly if the bearing is seized to the spindle I wouldnt plan to re-use it - unless you have no other choice.

Does this rig see a lot of road miles?
 
Here's what I saw after I knocked the rotor off:

0914101557-002.jpg


The bearing was stuck to the spindle. It was obviously siezed, so I just had to break it up with a chisel.

This is what the spindle looked like after the bearing was removed:

0914101939-00.jpg


This is after I cleaned it up. That dark area is not grease; it's where the spindle has pitting and corrosion. There's also some marks from my chisel. Do yall think I could smooth that out and just put a new bearing on there, or do I need a new spindle too?
 
emerycloth it and run it, the bearing does not spin on the spindle, it simply sits there, the bearing rides it it's own races.

now if it's totally chewed up, then i would replace it.
 
It's got some pitting. Looks like I can get a used one really cheap from some of the guys on here. We'll see.
 
well of course it's going to have some pitting, it looks like it was rust that was on there? the pic is kinda fuzzy, that's why i say emerycloth it, get the excess stuff off and see how it looks then, alittle pitting is not going to bother it, like i said, the bearing doesn't spin on it.

Now if there is a ton of play when you slide the bearing on it, and that would ususlly only happen with a ton of wear, which you would see, then yeah, i could see replacing it.

on you though, if you feel better about replacing it, then all good, i'm simply saying i'd run it, and actually am right now with one that had pitting and small issues like that, although tht bearing was never stuck on mine, there was some corrosion when i tore it down to clean things out.

This was when i first bought this front axle from the junk yard, BTW. about 3 years ago. :D
 
As said the pic is fuzzy, but it doesnt look too bad. Definetely clean it up with some steel wool or something. If you hit it with a chisel then use a file to nock down any burs and make sure everything is smooth.
 
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