Re: Wheel Bearing help needed FAST!
Ya sure it's a wheel bearing? They don't usually spontaneously grenade. First thing to do is get the brake caliper off. On mine it is held on by 2 3/8's allen bolts. Both facing towards the opposite side of the truck. Remove those nnd pry the caliper off the rotor. Set the pads aside. Secure the rotor somewhere using some tie wire, string or zip ties, DO NOT let it hang free. Anyways, if it is the wheel bearing, it's a pretty simple thing to fix. You are gonna need a hub socket. If ya don't need one, You can get them at most any autoparts store, just tell them what ya got and they'll hook ya up. You'll need a set of allen wrenchs to get the outter hub off. A couple small screwdrivers and maybe a set of snap ring pliers too. I never use them. If you've never taken a hub apart, the best thing to do is take everything out in order and place it on a piece of news paper in the order it came out, So you can get it back in the right way. The first thing to come off is the outter hub housing part....Should be 5 or 6 alllen bolts holding it on. When that comes out, the next thing is the snap ring on the end of the axle. You can use a set of snap ring pliers, but I just use a small screwdriver. Next, there is a big ring along the inside of the hub housing that holds the entire hub assembly in. Pry that out with a screwdriver. Then the hub will come out in one big piece. If ya can't pull it out, take a couple of the allen screws that held the outter housing on, and screw them into the hub, so you can pull it out. Next you need the hub socket. If ya look inside the hub, you'll see a big nut with 4 slots in it...the 4 slots in the hub socket fit in those. Take that off. Next is a small washer lookin thing with a bunch of holes in it, sometimes it is tricky to get off.....Sometimes I have to make a pic or something out of a nail or piece of wire to pull it out. After the washer is the inner nut- Just like the outter except for a little tit that fits in the holes in washer ya just removed. Careful when ya start loosening this one, the hub/rotor will start to fall off when it gets loose. After that last nut is out, reach in and grab the outter wheel bearing, then grab the hub/rotor and pull it straight off the spindle. The inner wheel bearing will stay inside the hug becuase the grease seal on the back holds it in. Now, like I said, if it is the wheel bearings, You'll have to replace all the bearings, the races and that grease seal. If you havent done this before, I'd suggest takin it to a machine shop or Napa, and have the old races pressed out and the new ones back in. I always do it myself with a hammer and brass punch. Might want to have them put that grease seal in for ya too. You can pry it out yourself, dont worry about destroying it..Just don't mess up the surfaces were it seals. Putting everything back together is pretty simple...More or less the reverse of removal. Just make sure that when your putting everything back together, that the wheel nut with the tit on it goes in first with the tit facing out. Ask me how I know.lol, I've broken acouple of those little tits. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Pick up a Haynes manual for your truck too...It's pretty cheap and really helps with stuff like that. I still use mine sometimes. One more thing, there are torque specs/procedure for tightening the hub nut things, they set the preload on the wheel bearings, I just do it by feel. I think the specs are in the Haynes manuals, and I'm sure someone will chime in with them here as well. Good luck dude!!! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
