well, it looks like I have a bearing/hub problem.

theres been a low roar that varies in sound level depending if you turn or apply brakes.

recently, wandering has increased.

road side checking and I hear a click as I turn the steering.

so my thoughts are to replace all of the bearings left right front back which means I think that the front hubs have to go.

I dont want to replace needle bearings then 500 miles axle bearings go.


so in checking, shops like autozone, sell a hub bearing unit with abs for the fronts for about half of what MOOG, WARN, etc sell for. warranties vary from 1 to 3 years.

Im leaning towards the MOOG ones...but am interested in recomendations, gottachas, and watch out for's.

yes, I knw, if the hubs were greased and pampered from day one, they would last a trillion miles...but this truck is used and I bought it with 84k and now it has 89k.

if there are some super duper tripple load hubs and bearings out there, tell me about it.....facts and features.

 

I have had good luck with Timken from Rockauto. Both I have replaced came with studs and yellow o ring.

 

We replaced some at work with the Warn ones and have not had a problem with them, been about a year, only thing I would add is that we did lose the automatic 4wd, they became manual hubs.

 

Go with timken unit bearings AND SKIP WARN LOCKING HUBS!

had them on two 99-04 super duties and they did nothing but clunk when engaged, ones on my 04 now still clunk they are extremely loose and I can't wait to replace them shortly. Their warranty and customer service SUCKS because i bought them from Amazon wsrn wont replace till i send them back and they are gone through by a tech. Them they will either send me mine back or replacement ones...all to a cool three weeks!

 

so I took off from work to start this. figure I can at lest pull the hubs off and verify the parts that are needed as well as look at the spindles.

more news at 10.

 

Do not buy cheap wheel bearings, unless you like the joy of replacing them. The Timken bearings I put on my truck were $188 a side. Do you think the junk that the parts store sell with a 1 year warranty are just as good? You get what you pay for.

 

188 is a low price compared to the MOOG and Warns.....not hearing of any differences.

my question would be do the Timken's actually have tapered Timkin bearings....that would be excellent if they did.

and no one has jumped in making the case for locker type hubs...which surprised me.

 

well I started this today...its got to be over 90 degrees and this is driveway work so progress is slow.

before I started this I pulled the vacum lines of both front hubs and put about 8 ounces of truck hub oil in and after drivng it around the block a few times the front low pitch roar stopped...now its quiet. the turn wandering is still there and the click while turning the steering during park is still there as well...so no not so sure about worn bearings.


front is jacked up

pax side has no play horizontal or vertical

drivers side has play horizontally only and no play vertically. even if I spin the wheels. I would think worn bearings would have play both vertically and horizontally.

pulled the drivers side hub lock **** and there was some of the hub oil I put in .....and no grease at all. I dont think the hub oil being in the lock splines is a good thing since the whole system has 4 seals...so maybe seals are shot.

if I had horizontal play on both the pax and drivers side I would suspect the steering box and or some linkages. may need to get a dial indicator to do some measurements.


since there is hub oil in the hubs, the hubs spin quietly, no noise,

dial indicator is my next step. need to find out where the horizontal play is coming from.

update in a few days...work during the week. to hot to do anymore today.


\

 

Check your ball joints

 

You're not supposed to put any oil in the vacuum nipple. It doesn't reach any of the bearings or anywhere else it needs to go. There is really not supposed to be a lot of grease behind the locking hub either.

 

They all have tapered roller bearings in them, only thing that holds up to the abuse.

I put two Autozone unit bearings on my moms Explorer about two years ago. Needed them quick and that is what was available on a Sunday. They have been ok thus far but I wouldn't trust them on my F-250. If I could have waited for Timkens or SKFs from Rockauto I would have.

 

well the low tone roaring noise stopped when I did. when I pulled the hub lock dial, the oil reached everything....not to say tht migh be a bad thing in that the 4 seals in the system may be shot letting oil go past the seals.


the oil is 600wt, almost grease consistency , but flows.

 

the timken hubs came in today. studs and oring included.

truck goes under the knife saturday morning.

 

I bought my truck and all the u joints were euchre'd maybe thats not what there called behind the front hub but esentially the same thing. I was poor and the passanger side was doing what youre talking about. I took the whole axle shaft out... drove around the roars was gone.. i still need new bearings and lockers so... the axles still in my garage. Cause im still poor lol.. but its comming soon.. after i sort out the tranny issue.

but ya.. sounds like a bad ball joint and the roar during turns could be your lockers locking and turning the axle while turning the vehicle. Get a little vibration in the stearing wheel? Other then normal.. probably hard for you to tell whats normal and whats not... 6k and all. Story short roaring could be that axle shaft.