I think my front hub bearing is bad. When I lift tire off the ground and spin by hand, it makes a grinding sound. I can hear a intermitten rubbing sound driving down the road, sorta sounds like rubber rubbing rubber or something but can not repeat the sound by turning the wheels by hand. This sound does not go away or come by the use of the brakes...

More symptoms, the ABS light came on today and has remained on since, I wasn't breaking, but making a hard fast trun to the right when the light came on.

Also I have had what I thought was thin pads, it has been making a squeak, squeak, like a squealer tip was touching, but the noise is also not all the time, doesn't go away when touching brakes, or letting off breaks, just seems to do it for a while and then go away....pads have plenty of life left on them...found bottom caliper pin rusty, lubed both...havent driven since...

I've removed the brake pads, caliper, wheel extender (dulley 4x4), auto locking hub, disk and removed the hub from sterring nuckle. When I did all this I was expecting to find a bearing I could replace, but no such luck with me. I did see the timken bearing, but wasn't sure how it came off. There seems to be a thick peice of metal on the back of the bearing that would take a spanner wrench...? Guess maybe then the bearing could be taken off with some kind of puller or something.

When I have this hub in my hand, shouldn't it spin freely when holding the back side?

While all this was off the truck, I grabed the front axle where it comes through the sterring nuckle. It has about 3/4" of play up, down, side to side. No play in or out. Is this normal? Seems on the outer side of the U-Joint there is a seal that has came apart and the same thing on the inner side of the U-Joint.

Any help will be greatly appreciated with either or both or all this mess!!

Sorry for the book. Just wanted to lay all I know out to begin with.

 

If it's 98-newer,250-up,4x4,the hub/bearing assembly are 1 piece unit and non-serviceable.You shouldn't hear ANY NOISE.Since you can hear the bearing and the ABS light is on,I would be 99 % sure it's bad.The bad news is they ain't cheap,the cheapest I've found so far (aftermarket) is like $295.

 

Thanks SRD4X4!!!

Found Hub and bearing at Advance for $280, 1 yr warranty. Any thoughts before I purchase at dealership?

Should there be any grease coming out of the back of the bearing? When I had it off yesterday, there was a substancial (sp) amount of grease on the back side of the bearing. If it's a sealed unit (non-servicable) I would think there should not be any coming out of it...Right???

Also my outer & inner axle seals are broken, they are loose and I can move them around from behind the nuckle and inside of the U-Joint (front axle, same side as I hear the noise described above, same side as hub problem).

 

There should be some grease,inside the knuckle itself,between the inside of the hub and the outside of the outer axle seal.(make sense ? )but this grease is not from the bearing itself.As far as aftermarket,any bearing you get should be okay,it's most likely going to be made by National,Federal,or Bower.Dealer is gonna be probably $400-450.The outer seal,which also acts like support for the stub-axle,is going to be a dealer item (believe wholesale is around $55.00).IMO,if your that far into it and you have anywhere near 80 K miles(or more) I would change the balljoints and the u-joint on that side while your there.Depending on your funds and time schedule,of course.

 

SRD4X4...Thanks for the info, tackled, wresled, fought it this morning. Went OK, but I buggered up the outer seal and had to get another. Paid the bucks for hub at the STEALERSHIP and you hit it on the head $406.00 and 55 for seals. Plus extra 27 for the one I messed up. Sure beats the $850 they wanted to do it!!! Thank you for the information, I'm a day late for a trip, but I feel much better about the situation now that I know what I'm doing.

I did hold off on the U-Joint and balljoints for now. U-Joints and balljoints should only cost me another set of seals, Yellow hub o'ring and inner & outer axle seals, plus parts I would have bought now anyway...right? Except for the teardown time...

 

Now that you know what's involved,you should be able to save the seals if/when you tear it down again.Glad you got it,but it's all nuts-n-bolts.