Hi and thanks in advance for your help!

We've had a beautiful trip, towing our 25ft 1999 Jayco 5th wheel about 1400 miles in the past week with our 93 F-250 4x4 Automatic - until yesterday.

About 40 miles outside of Billings, MT, we became stranded. Thought we had a flat because I felt the steering pull or wobble (hard to describe in the windy conditions in that area). I safely pulled off the road, thankfully.

Long story short, right front hub was HOT - literally scalding to touch.

Some info you need to know: before we left on our journey we had new bearings put on, new brakes and new tires (just bought the truck used a few months ago). Each place we took it said everything looked fantastic underneath. So on all 3 of these (tires, brakes, bearings) we've driven through mountains and hills for 1400 miles without any problem - and we do check hubs on both vehicles when we stop, to be safe.

Towed to a repair shop in the nearest small town - feeling really vulnerable. Mechanic called today and said everything looks really good in there EXCEPT right front hub is damaged - couldn't lock it or unlock it - his guess, given no other damage, is that it was locking/unlocking by itself. I was tired and upset so I can't quote word for word what he said...but he is telling me I need to replace the front hubs ($426.00) and I'm good to go.

We have 141K miles on the truck - can this happen, where one hub breaks down and/or engages and locks on its own? I would think if it was a bad bearing job, brake job or the new tires we wouldn't have made the 1400 miles so smoothly this past week. This happened fast.

Such a rare thing now I'm nervous about driving, wondering if he is diagnosing correctly.

Supposed to hit the road this afternoon...waiting for repair shop to call when fixed. Please respond with any advice.....thanks

 

Is your truck equipped with autolocking hubs or manual locking hubs?

Matt

 

I don't know about them unlocking or locking on their own but the price is a bit steep if all it is, is hub replacement. I think you can get a set of Warn manual locking hubs for a lot less than that.

I'd almost be questioning whether the bearing replacement wasn't done exactly right, the hub heated up to the point it fused itself and that is why you can't lock or unlock it.

 

Thanks for your quick replies...

They are manual locking hubs

We are at the mercy of insurance towing to the nearest town, and out here there isn't much!

The repair shop just called and the total is now $481.00 which, agreed, seems really steep.

They said they took it out on the highway to test and drove 20 miles at high speed, and hub stayed cool. Wish I felt that confident about all of this...

 

I meant to add they repacked bearings today, too

 

Kinekilla has a point. Sounds like bearing fused with internals. Price is high!!! But price always is when you're between a rock and a hard spot. Sorry to hear the bad news. I hope your repairs are done right and make the trip safely back home.

 

I'm going to be optimistic for your sake and say "Well, if they repacked the bearings today and drove it 20 miles you should be fine. Enjoy your vacation and have a blast!"

I'll be realistic for my sake and say: A bearing repack will help remove the old burnt grease but not necessarily remove the problem. I've driven around for days with manual locking hubs engaged and not had a bearing or heat issue but that wasn't at 60+ MPH either. I still think the culprit was most likely the previous bearing install...I would bet the technician tightened the spindle nut too tight and it caused your hub to get so hot it fused your hub pieces, or forgot to put the retaining ring in properly which caused your spindle nut to self tighten over time.

Either way, if they pulled the hub and bearings, did a repack and put it together at the proper torque levels you should be ok.

 

Please bear with this choppy post...we are doing four things at once.

Thanks again for your fast replies...getting the truck now and mentioned your help and advice. He said he saw absolutely no sign of the bearing getting too hot/fusing, etc. He said the grease will often look more burnt, etc. in those conditions and that it looked absolutely normal, though he repacked everything/inspected to be sure, etc. Brakes look perfect as well, so they weren't sticking, etc.

What he did say is that our one hub on the problem side absolutely disintegrated and is in a bunch of pieces. He said something about thinking the collar slipped and locked in the hub on us.

I'm certainly skeptical and nervous, so promise I'm not looking for what I want to hear. What you all are saying makes sense. The only thing that comes to mind, because we are between a rock and a hard place, is that he is in a perfect position to tell us we have tons more damage under there, knowing we are stuck/sunk here, to jack up the rates even more? Really unscientific way to hope that it is indeed fixed, but it does come to mind that we are perfect targets for saying this problem caused more damage.

Fingers crossed...500 miles left to get "home" to Glacier Nat'l Park, Montana. However, we live in this 5th wheel full time, so guess home is truly where we park it!

 

Yes, that definitely seems like a bad bearing install. Manual hubs won't lock-unlock by themselves. But the truck surely is driveable, just keep an eye on that bearing/hub and don't get over 70 MPH and you should be fine.

As everytime I see an issue related: you can check the Front End link in my signature for some info on the TTB 44 hubs, very similar to all the other Dana axles used in the F-250.

 

Thanks again to all of you for jumping in to help so quickly...

So fingers crossed, will take our time and hope for the best.

 

Well we made it to our destination. Heading home to Glacier we were due to arrive at a campground in Billings yesterday when we got stranded. But there is still a problem and now I need even more help, please.

Our trek was only 50 miles. This is a really hilly (some very big/steep) segment of road. We pulled over after the first 20 miles to feel the hubs (the flatter part of the trek) and they were cool.

The last 30 miles were rough. Please keep in mind that we've been rving full time for 4 years and I've driven this way before...my home is in a mountainous area. To my knowledge I'm doing nothing differently towing my 25ft 5th wheel than I have before.

Anyway, we got to the campground and our new mile marker hubs were now BOTH HOT. Not warm to the touch...it was uncomfortable keeping my hand on them. Yesterday our problem area was passenger front right..now both?

There was brake dust on both front wheels. I do have trailer brakes and they work fine...I test their settings on pavement and they respond to my adjustments. I've never had a heating problem going over mountain passes with a camper. I'm not overloaded (this is a modest camper, too, based on my modest budget or lack thereof).

So now my mind is a blur with the following possibilities:

Did hot brakes cause the hub to disintegrate yesterday?
Are my new brakes a problem?
If I'm doing something wrong I don't know what it could be because this isn't a new experience or terrain to me?

I called the guy who just took $481 to put new hubs on - the one who told me everything looks perfect under there. He's offering to "look" at the brakes on the truck and make sure the work he did is ok, the brakes are ok. This would entail my driving 100 miles round trip...and I'm just guessing he's going to eventually want more money for another repair.

What would you do? My brain is fried from these past 24+ hours.

 

Of course these parts will get hot, even more if the brakes are new (which would also explain the excessive brake dust), mine also get uncomfortably hot as you stated, you also said you're on a mountainous region, brakes would get very hot there, that shouldn't affect the hub lockers, specially manual ones.

 

+1 On what Encho said...The new brakes will need a little mileage on them before they 'loosen up'. Seems like everything you've described appears normal.
Roger

 

Thanks to both of you! After unhooking the fifth wheel and letting everything cool down we took a drive and did a test. Around town all stayed cool. Then took some hills and applied brakes frequently and they got super hot again...so at least eliminated trailer brake issues! One question if you dont mind...mechanic suggested we might take a look at rear brakes once more just in case they arent doing their job? The thought being the front are doing too much work? But sounds like you are saying we are "normal" which is the best news we have heard...they dont smell hot or smoke but you know the feeling of coming down a mountain and knowing you are really hot

 

the brake rotors and pads are going to transfer heat to the hub when working them like that down the mountains.you payed a bit much for that much work,but it sounds as if it was done correctly.now with the failure of a hub on your mind,your over worrying i think.it's only natural but you'll get over it and she'll gain your trust back soon.