How much should I pay for replacing front hub?

[ironmine]

Originally Posted by EXv10 ?????? How would it do that? If if wasn't there there would be less friction. It is to widen the support of the bearing area to be more like the earlier spread apart bearings. Did you read this somewhere? It doesn't seem right to me. I had *assumed* that since the hub assy has to rotate around the axle shaft when the truck is in 2WD (which is most of the time), at high speed and load, they wanted to provide a lubricated bearing. This is the perfect application for a needle bearing. Maybe I'm wrong. you can use ball bearing for axle bearings? thanks Not many applications. Though ball bearings work well with forces in both directions, the heavier the load - the less well they work. The small contact area of the ball provides for little friction in light loads, but it can not handle the heavy loads of a roller --- unless you make the bearing massive. Ball bearings are also more forgiving of poor manufacture, but that is not an issue anymore. I'm sure the bearings inside of our hub assy's are tapered roller bearings in a 45 degree mount. Well, I'm pretty sure, anyway. lol

[EXv10]

Originally Posted by ironmine

Did you read this somewhere? It doesn't seem right to me.

I had *assumed* that since the hub assy has to rotate around the axle shaft when the truck is in 2WD (which is most of the time), at high speed and load, they wanted to provide a lubricated bearing. This is the perfect application for a needle bearing. Maybe I'm wrong.

I didn't read it anywhere but it is just common sense. Both bearings rotate around the axle. One (needle) rides directly on the axle and one (roller?) rides on a race which rides on the axle. The hidden roller is not wide enough by itself to resist the horizontal tilting forces of the wheel. It is a unique arrangement I must say. If you remember; the typical inner and outer designed roller wheel bearings were far apart. Mr. Dana must have woken up from a dream to arrive at the design (or is the hub part of the Dana axle?)

[ironmine]

Originally Posted by EXv10

I didn't read it anywhere but it is just common sense. Both bearings rotate around the axle. One (needle) rides directly on the axle and one (roller?) rides on a race which rides on the axle. The hidden roller is not wide enough by itself to resist the horizontal tilting forces of the wheel. It is a unique arrangement I must say. If you remember; the typical inner and outer designed roller wheel bearings were far apart. Mr. Dana must have woken up from a dream to arrive at the design (or is the hub part of the Dana axle?)

No rollers are riding on the axle shaft. Right? The axle is not the "inner race." The inside of the bearing assy is riding on the axle. Solid steal agaisnt solid steal.

In a normal spindle setup, you slide the wheel bearings onto the shaft. It is not press-fit, but it is snug. But, the axle, and the inside surface of the wheel bearing, are not really turning agaisnt each other. It is the rollers within the bearing rotating agaisnt the cups (races). On the other hand, in our trucks, while in 2WD, the hub is rotating at great speed and load about the axle shaft. So, I assumed, they wanted a lubricated bearing between these two surfaces. A needle bearing is perfect for this application. Maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe I'll procrastinate some more at work and see if I could come up with some info on this stuff. Lol.

These hub assy's are becoming much more common... in many different vehicles. I guess that the greasing and adjusting of wheel bearings is becoming "old school."

[Greg B]

That's because it saves the vehicle manufacturers a little bit of $ per unit produced during the assembly process. It's quicker to install a prepackaged sealed bearing than to pack bearings during a sub-assembly process. It is probably Dana that's reaping the biggest savings. They sold Ford, GM, and Chrysler on the idea and the car companies bought into it. In the end, the price of the unit did not go down and the cost to the consumer goes up with more expensive mainteneance costs and the companies' stock holders pocket the cost savings and their upper management is rewarded for the increased profits with huge bonuses. Though jobs are eliminated by the car companies and suppliers, the aftermarket supplier companies and retail parts places create some jobs from doing business this way. And of course the consumer gets greased.

[EXv10]

Originally Posted by ironmine

No rollers are riding on the axle shaft. Right? The axle is not the "inner race." The inside of the bearing assy is riding on the axle. Solid steal agaisnt solid steal.

."

The cast hub housing contains one bearing (needle bearing) that rides directly on the stub axle. The bigger, never seen, roller? bearing rides on it's own inner and outer races and the inner race slides onto and bears on the axle. I believe the main one is taking all the force and the needle bearing is just there to keep the axle aligned and for thrust while in a turn. (vertical tilt load) .......I made that last part up but basically there you have it. Just my 9 cents (inflation).

Yes, the axle is the inner race (metal to metal) but only for the needle bearing and it has it's own outer race.