Repacking front bearings.

[Espen88k5]

My front axle's driverside autolock hub gets hot, the other one not. I have been mudding a couple of weeks ago, and when I cleaned upp afterwards I couldnt help thinking this couldn't be doing my brakes, bearings and joints any good. I have been all around greasing every nipple i could find. Couple of things remain though;

1 I asked in the chatroom and was adviced to check, replace and repack the front bearings. Anyone with correct partnumber for the bearing? And a step by step in doing it right the first time?1988 , diesel (if it mathers)
2. Needle nose grease press? Should the driveshafts (front or rear) get a few pumps of grease, where and how?

3. When cleaning upp after mudding, how do you avoid pushing the brakepads full of sand and mud? I was not happy with the way sand was pouring out of the rim while I tried to get it all out. Do you take the wheel's off?

Thanks for any help or advice. Playing in the mud was a new experience for me. I had tears running down my cheeks for laughing so hard, so I would like to get back out there. But not if I'm killing my truck

<font color=red>If it's huge and dirty, do it on all four's</font color=red>

 

[gokartergo]

One recommendation is when you do the bearings use marine bearing grease........Dan

 

[Twiz]

Wheelin's fun! -And the addiction begins.-

Auto hubs are fair at best, (reliability wise) It is not uncommon for auto-hubs to do some gooofy things at one time or another. So my first advise would be to ditch the autos, and install normal locking hubs. Regadless of how often you use 4wd. (I think this boad will agree with that). Also, checking the hubs by "touch" after just one trip is not a very good diagnostic procedure. If it is continusely hotter, after several trips, than that would be cause for concern.

Q-1. I think ,in my opinon. Front wheel bearings are fairly stout, and do not need replacement very often, unless there is visable damage (not likely in you case). Repacking them should take care of any possible problems (Problems are also unlikely, with just one beating) How to repack front wheel bearings, is a fairly lengthy procedure to type out. So maybe someone else can do that? Maybe "cut and past"? -Ohh yeah, almost forgot, You should repack front wheel bearings every year (IMO) with normal use, more oftem with any water crossings, or extream use.

Q-2, you need to crawl under the truck and check the drive shafts and u-joints. If the dirive shafts have a zerk fitting, grease it. Inspect the u-joints for the same fitting, it should be in the middle of cross shafts on the u-joints (I.E.-four possible postions) If the u-joints do have gease zerk fittings (some don't), pump them till they purge the old gease out of the seals and frash grease starts to apprear, this should be done with -every- oil change, more often with any water crossings, lifts, or adnormal use.

Q-3. Disc brake pads are by desgin, self cleaning. As the roters rotate, contaminets are flung away fom the braking surface. Also, the pads tend to "squeege" the roter and knock off most of the sand/mud/rocks. Althow, some junk will pack itself into the brake pads and will usualy be indicated by some kind of noise or brake pull, it is uncommon. Sand/mud pooring out of the rims is a good sighn, it is a indication that you are getting all the crap out of the rims which may cause a imbalance. As stated above, brake pad contamination is unlikely.

I did not notice what kind of truck or blazer you have, but they are very tuff, and can easily take an off-road adventure or two with out troubles.

Twiztid

 

[CV202]

My suggestion to you is to invest in a Haynes and a Chiltons manual (they give different perspectives on a few things) and pick up a bearing packer. It's pretty cheap and really packs the bearing good.

Why do people keep calling it a Bronco!!!!!

 

[Twiz]

CV202-

Even better advise! (chiltons/Haynes)

Twiztid

 

[Espen88k5]

As always great help, thanks. I will take the advice and replace the auto's next. Also I dont think the front bearings have beed attended since the truck where new, so I'l look into that as well.

I have the Haynes book, but it didn't show it as far as I could tell, but then again, I was just thumbing trough it in the bathroom this morning anyways

Thanks again!

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