After seeing several Threads about greasing those "unserviceable" Front Hub Bearings I thought it was time to service the Front Hubs of my 2003 Excursion 4x4. (No need to remove Hub from Vehicle)

I came up with a simple "tool" that I made from my boxes of misc stuff - saved to use sometime. Picture shows the details (below).

1. Remove Wheel/Tire (Jack up and Safely support)

2. Remove Brake Caliper and Bracket and Rotor. (Mark Rotor to stud position)

3. Clean area around ABS sensor. (Bend cover up for access)(Area sprayed with white paint for picture)

4. Remove ABS sensor and lay aside. (No need to remove totally)

5. Insert Greasing Tool and fill cavity. (About 35 pumps of Grease Gun)
(I used Mobil 1 Grease. One tube will do both sides)

6. Wipe off excess grease. (Bend ABS Cover back in place)

7. Assemble in reverse order.

 

Your pumping in grease but are you really greasing anything besides the tone ring.. The hub bearings are sealed did you remove the seals when they were installed. I must be missing something.

 

Here is a cutaway of an automotive unit bearing. If the bearings on the SDs is of similar configuration grease should get into the bearings no problem.


Someone here on FTE made a tool that they use to grease the bearings. I have a dimensioned drawing and a pic somewhere.

 

That's a pretty good setup.

Here's a few good threads on the subject.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...pics-here.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...bearingss.html

I'd like to get one of the custom fittings made one of these days.

 

The bearings are not sealed in the sense that the faces of the bearing are fitted with metal or plastic covering. The bearings are a traditional back to back tapered roller bearing set up locked in place with a flat nut like device. If you take the hub off of the vehicle you cannot see the rollers - let alone grease them. By accessing thru the ABS hole you are injecting grease into space between the two bearings.

I want to give credit to the members that discovered this feature several years ago.

 

great idea.

 

That is awesome. I'll be doing mine this weekend! Thanks man!

 

BE CAREFUL!!

My ABS sensor was "welded" in the hole by corrosion/rust. I ended up ripping it apart trying to remove it

 

Thanks for the crossection picture. Where did you find that picture? I would like to get a better quality to show detail.

Thanks.

 

I wish i kept that hub... When i replace the other one i'll take the angle-grinder to it and disect it with lots of pictures.

 

I am the one that wrote the post; "greasing your main wheel hub bearings" and you went me one better! That is a fantastic idea and for those who are skeptical; if you like shot bearings, don't do it, otherwise do it. I filled mine all the way up and they still don't leak or anything. Reps given!

 

Anybody know if the 2005 and later models use the same setup? (I'm 1500 miles away from mine...)

Noticed after reading through all the links that the 2005 and later (i.e. coil-spring models) aren't represented....

Edit: Note that the HUBS changed in 2005, but this tool is for the WHEEL BEARINGS, not the hubs.

-blaine

 

Thats cool.
I had wondered about that being possible when I did a few cars and my Expedition.
Appreciate that!

 

Thanks. Using the capillary tube allows you to inject the grease at the bottom of the cavity and the air inside the cavity will be expelled out thru the ABS hole. This way you do not pressuriize the cavity and have grease ooze out of the cavity thru the bearing and make a mess on the axle,garage floor or ?

 

OK... so i put the new grease in, but where did the old grease go? Or will it ooze out somewhere?

You know, I'm a stickler for those laws of thermodynamics...can't destroy matter an all...