Hey guys. If I have a bearing going out can I just replace the bearing or do I have to replace the hub too? Thanks for the input.!

 

Based on your username, if you have a 1999 F-150 you're in the wrong forum. If you have an Explorer, you need to provide some detail on year, sub-model, and 2WD or 4WD.

-Rod

 

oops mobile browser does not do the signature. It' a 2006 xlt 4x4 165k miles 3.55 thanks

 

For the front, since the ABS tone ring is part of the hub and bearing assembly, I'd recommend replacing the entire hub assembly. Pressing out the hub and then the bearing followed by pressing the new bearing in and hub in to bearing has a lot of opportunity to damage something.

For the rear, the bearing is held in with a retaining ring. You will need to use a press to press the hub out of the bearing and you will likely still need to use a press to get the old bearing out and new bearing in, but replacing just the bearing is the way the factory service manual recommends that service.

-Rod

 

if your going to change the rear bearing on an Explorer, you better say what kind of tools you have access to ( 20 ton press, torch or welder, etc)...and you better know what your doing.. Sometimes you press on the INNER race and sometimes you push on the OUTER race.... not a job for a beginner, but not real difficult either.

 

I think its the right rear bearing that is humming. So what you are saying is the bearing and hub are separate and will need to be pressed together.

 

I checked for play on the wheels and they were all tight. Does that mean it' some thing else or could it still be a bearing?

 

If a bearing is in the early stages of failure it could still be a bearing. A bearing that is loose and noisy typically means it was ignored too long.

But, since it's an Explorer and you mention it seems to be humming from the rear, it could be the typical pinion/rear end hum that may be helped with additive and a rear differential oil change. Does it only hum in a rather small speed band around highway speeds?

-Rod

 

It starts humming around 20 mph and gets louder the higher the speed goes.

What type of additives are your referring too ?

 

If the hum starts in around 20 mph then it does seem like you're either looking at a wheel bearing issue or a bad tire.

As for the additive, I don't recall if it is specified in the owner's manual or in a TSB somewhere. I don't have access to my service manuals from here at work but you can probably do some searching on this forum to find info on the additive.

-Rod

 

Can I check the temperature of the hub and compare it with the other hubs? Would that tell me anything? Thanks!

 

Temp check can help assist diagnosis.. I normally put the truck on jacks, take the tire and brake caliper off , put the truck in neutral, then turn the left and right sides by hand and compare. NORMALLY you can feel something. One mode of failure is that the bearing has a low amount of grease and starts to WHINE first... you may not have any radial clearance for a month or more. Eventually you start to get play in the bearing.

The rear bearing requires you to remove the upper and lower ball joints and the axle shaft nut... then slide off the spindle and hub. You put the unit in a 20 ton press and push the spindle and hub apart. Sometimes the bearing outer race is stuck in the bore and hard to remove. I have put a weld bead on the inside of the race to get it to expand/ contract, then beat it out... During assembly you have to take special care to push on the OUTER race when installing in the bore and the INNER race when installing on the spindle shaft.

 

You can try that, but there could be other factors that could come in to play such as a dragging brake that would cause one side to heat up more than the other. Did you try moving tires around to see if the hum changes/moves?

-Rod

 

One thing to check is to block the truck, jack one rear tire off the ground so the driveshaft is not in a bind . Then grab the driveshaft at the axle end and try to wiggle sideways, up and down, etc.... to make sure you don't have a pinion bearing problem.

 

Uptate. At 60 mph the sound goes away. Does that sound like a bearing still?