I'm looking on Rock Auto and it looks like the Motorcraft part is $386 and the Timken part is $546. Is there a significant advantage to the Timken? Are these decent prices?

The symptom is noise from the front end and play in bearings with 125,000 miles so I assume this is the right way to go. Are the youtube videos you see for the older superdutys applicable to the 2011 F350? I searched but didn't find any threads from people with the 2011 and up model years. Thanks.

 

Go with the Motorcraft part as it is better.

 

how much longer are you going to keep the truck? I believe Dynatrac makes a kit to switch the front end over to a conventional spindle/bearing setup instead of the unit bearings, but the kits aren't cheap from what I've heard.

 

Another alternative is SpynTec.

 

WOW, those things aren't cheap! Most recommend the Motorcraft part, although Timken is also a high quality alternative. The instructions for changing them should be very similar to the previous model years.

I was kind of hoping that the newer trucks had improved bearings over the older ones, but perhaps not.

 

info only: timken has been ford oem supplier for a number of years and when I bought My motorcraft superduty replacement hubs I got timken hubs in a motorcraft box.. Dave

 

Tom, one truck is not a representative sample of all trucks.

Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup

 

That's why I used the term "perhaps".

 

2nd the SpynTec upgrade - love mine.

 

Fair enough.

 

$2500 for the Dynatrac kit and you have to pack your wheel bearings. No thanks.

 

Wow, I didn't get anymore email updates so I didn't check back. That was a lot of replies.

I did not put the 125,000 on it so I don't know how it was treated. I will probably keep it to 200,000+ miles. My oldest pickup has over 400,000 on it, but I'm not sure I'm going to make a habit of that.

I did not have time to work on it since I posted, so I kinda put off ordering anything. There is now a HUB212 option which replaces the HUB70 option. It's much cheaper for some reason at $296. I'm ordering 2. I'll post back on whether it fits alright or not and whether they are Timken bearings if I can see them. I've never owned a Ford before so I've never gone through this.

 

I bought Timken at Auto Zone. 30,000 miles later, one had dry bearings. They replaced the hub, no questions asked, but I had to pay for the seal, and O-rings and of course do the work.


A short time later the other hub started the characteristic low-grease moan. I bought the zerk adapter (about $20) from Riff Raff Diesel and greased both. All is good and I don't have my head in the wheel well again. Their fitting allows you to pressurize the grease so it is forced into the bearings.


If I had it to do over, I would just go with Motorcraft or Ford parts for this repair, the ancillary parts and trouble to replace a hub isn't worth the saving. My original hubs lasted well over 100,000 miles.

 

Had a chance to work on the wheel bearings today. I cannot believe how hard it is to get that snap ring out.

I'll try to post some pictures later for anyone else who stumbles upon this thread, but for now, I'm 99% sure the HUB212 on Rock Auto will work. I have the passenger side torn down and will re-install tomorrow but the old hub and new hub look the same.

The new hub came with a new snap ring, three o-rings for the locking hub assembly and four new studs (the ones that hole the hub assembly on to the pickup).

Anyway, I think it was the right choice.

Finally a question. When I go back together, how should I lube the splines? I intend to clean them up, but I imagine there should be some lube on them as well? Grease? Gear oil? Something lighter still? Thanks.

 

sure go ahead and coat the splines and where ever a seal rubs on the axle shaft. Makes things go together easier and prevents corrosion.