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wheel bearing install help

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reece13

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Putting in new wheel bearings in my K5 this week. Its been a while since ive done bearings on an older chevy, but is it as simple as i think?? Pull out the locking hub assemblies and spindle nut/snap rings and the hub comes off?? Is the inner bearing pressed in? fYI this is on a 1989 k5 10bolt front with warn manual hubs on it...thanx
 
sounds easy enough. What about installing new bearings, does the inner one have to be pressed back in the hub, or do they just 'drop in'? Ive done bearings/seals on big 18 wheelers and the inner (bigger) bearing is kinda held in by the wheel seal..or am i way off?!
 
The race for both bearings are pressed in. They hammer out with a long punch. Then grind the old races down to where they slide in easy. Use them to install the new races. Then label them for later use.
 
Outer bearing is held in with the retaining nuts. It'll come out when you slide the hub off. Inner bearing is held in place by the grease seal. You need to destroy the seal to get the inner bearing out so get a new one. I drive out the old races with a brass drift so I don't nick the hub. Then I put the races in the freezer for a few hours to shrink them. Don't know if it helps that much but for ball joints it does. Then I drive the races in evenly with the drift. Install the inner bearing after you pack it with grease. Then install the grease seal. I use a small 2x4 about 6" long that I lay on top of the seal whack it with a hammer. That way you don't press it in too far.
 
ok. thanks for the info guys. this job seems to be like i thought.:D one more thing..what is the torque spec on the inner and outer nuts??
 
reece13 said:
ok. thanks for the info guys. this job seems to be like i thought.:D one more thing..what is the torque spec on the inner and outer nuts??
Click to expand...

ktmoutfront said:
I've always done it by feel. That's the way I was shown as a kid. Never have tourqed a set.
Click to expand...

There is considerable debate on this. Some of the manuals say things like torque the inner to 50 ft-pounds while spinning the wheel anti-clockwise and singing the national anthem and hopping on your left foot. There are lots of Dana 44's (10-bolts have similar or identical outers) out there, GM and Ford and Dodge and IH and Jeep, so there is some variance over the years.

I ended up getting these nuts which are ridiculously spendy but really nice and I believe physically impossible to come loose:

http://www.stage8.com/xlock.html

But I've also done the nuts in the traditional sequence of tighten 'em until the wheel starts to drag, then back off a smidge, and finally do the outer one to the German spec of "gutentight."

-- A
 
sounds similar to the way i've done it. I'll try the inner to 50 and then back off and then outer to nice n tight. thanks for the help
 
Never did it by torque specs but by the link that rampage Put is the correct way if you Have a torque Wrench. I always tighten it til it drags and then back off a lil. Tighten the outer nut as tight as the four prong adapter will allow.
 
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