I previously had a thumping noise coming from the front passenger wheel. Thought it was the tie rods, replaced them, had it aligned, shop told me the bearing nut was "a little loose," and the noise went away. After another 500 miles the noise came back and I decided to replace the wheel bearings. When I did I found the inner bearing stuck to the spindle and two gouges on the bottom of the spindle (pictures attached). It's difficult to see clearly but there is one gouge right in the center at the bottom of the spindle and then one right inside the bearing.

I am traveling and currently working on this in a hotel parking lot that happens to be about 300 feet from an Autozone. I figure that if I really wanted to get that bearing off I can make a perpendicular cut and eventually get it off but am I stuck just replacing this whole spindle with the gouges in it? I can't even find the spindle itself for sale at Autozone or Napa, only the rotors and hub assembly. Many thanks for any help.

 

It would probably be easier to just replace the entire part--should be tons of those in the scrap yards or used market.

 

Yes, replace the knuckle
Put new ball joints in the junkyard one you get
The spindle will be no good even if you do get the bearing race off (diameter too small) (the race will spin on the spindle just like the last one that galled itself on there)

 

Tough to get to the junkyard when I'm on the road with a disabled vehicle but that seems like it will be my only choice because I cannot find the steering knuckle for sale though any parts store. I've checked them all.

I don't know what the previous owner did to this thing but the outer races on both inner and outer and pretty well jammed into the rotor, also. I tried to punch them out with a thin, long screwdriver and big hammer with no luck. I also just found that the rotor seems to have been rubbing into the lower back part of the knuckle.

 

The knuckle is a dealer part so no aftermarket parts stores will have a listing for it
There are a couple of used ones on Ebay. #385877058859 is $80.05 free shipping and #335030919307 is 57.44 free shipping
You could most likely get one in person at the wrecking yard for 35 bucks
In the future
Get the bearings packed every 30k miles and replace the wheel seals

 

Just use the partshotline, it shows you who has the part you need, where they are located and a contact name and sometimes the contact number. https://www.partshotlines.com/

 

I guess I was hoping to find a used one on Craigslist or Facebook but that's not going to happen. I am currently traveling and staying in a hotel in St George, Utah until I fix this thing in the parking lot. No junkyards here are pull you own parts and I called the rest with no luck. One junkyard in Vegas is a 110 minute drive one way and has a matching van but no guarantee that the knuckle is on it and still accessible (not buried in the dirt). Now that's a gamble! Have to rent a car to get there. Four hours north, Orem to Ogden is a great stretch for junkyards. I stopped in all of them on the way down and there are a lot of nice parts to be found but it becomes a day long commitment to traveling. This is my first experience with a part I couldn't just overpay one of the parts stores to sell me.

I assume the knuckle is different on the e150 and others (e250, e350, etc). I know the rotors and calipers are different but that doesn't necessarily mean that the knuckle and spindle have to be different. I assume they are not interchangeable but if they are that would make my life much easier. Looking at one of the ebay listing you linked to for an e250 makes it look different. My e150 does not have a caliper bracket like I see on the e250 and e350. The other link you sent was for a 2 wheel abs unit when I have 4 wheel. Tough part but I'll take my chances with Vegas today.

What's the cause of this? Someone tightening the spindle nut too hard? Both inner and outer bearing spun freely and felt good.

 

It got you that far. You don’t think it’ll get you home if you put it back together?

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 196K miles

 

I dont get people sometimes. Youre paying for a motel room because you cant find a spindle, everyday in that motel adds up, you will have to rent a car to go pickup a spindle if and when you find one. I posted a link to a site that lists at least 15 different places that have this part and will remove it from the vehicle and ship it to you overnight if thats what you ask for. Yet youre still posting as if youre unable to locate one.....

 

van life takes a special type of person
Dealers can get those parts like next day, call around im sure you have. WhY not living out of the van?
even if you have to pay for overnight shipping on rock auto its worth one night of staying in a roach pallace!

 

People do as they do or choose for their own reasons----its not for us to criticize or hassle them after we've offered our best or what we think is the best advice we can. Our "logic" might not make sense to them and if that's the case we need to simply move on and leave them to their own machinations. Giving it more than a second look is wasting time on our part. We're not going to change their minds so why bother?

 

Another good reason to get the bearings packed before a long trip
It would be difficult to reassemble (but doable)
Destroying the cage of a new inner bearing and just using the rollers
Use heavy grease to hold the tapered rollers in place on the inner race while you reassemble with a new outer bearing
The 54 dollar Ebay one is so cheap you can contact the seller and have him overnite it to St George
Start calling junkyards in Nephi or Fillmore and have them fast pitch one to you in St George?
If you were a little old lady, I'd be down personally to take care of it for you
You come up with a little old lady quick and someone down there may bend over backwards for you

 

Ya i suppose so

 

JFC you are a mean SOB troll, go to FB or 4chn, no reason here to make fun of other peoples decisions.

 

One easy way to better discourage people you might consider mean or trolling is to simply ignore them! Reply positively if they contribute something worthwhile and ignore unproductive comments or insults. Too many folks prone to behave like that believe their ideas or "thoughts" are important and seem to thrive on creating tension or minor controversy.

Ignore them----it's no more complicated than that!