I have a 2000 4x2 Ranger. Ive been hearing occasional popping sounds coming from the front end during low speed driving in hot weather. I already changed my lower ball joints so thats not the problem. I jacked the front up and tried to move the tire and it looks like it has movement at the wheel bearing(i can move the tire in and out along the axis of the axle). So I was thinking about repacking my bearings and i did a search and all i could find is that my 2000's bearings arent serviceable. Is there any truth to this? If its not true, could someone give me a little walkthrough on doing this job. It would be greatly appreciated!

 

If not mistaken, you have the same setup as I do on my 2002. Not serviceable if the factory hardware.

Only options:
Replace with OEM
Replace with aftermarket that have the grease fittings (I think it was MOOG)

 

Check out the install part...



«2000 Ranger Table of Contents»
«Group 2: Chassis»
«Section 206-03: FRONT DISC BRAKE»
«REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION»


Disc

1. Remove the front disc brake caliper anchor plate; for additional information, refer to «Brake Caliper Anchor Plate» in this section.

2. On 4x4 vehicles, remove the brake disc (1125).

µ 3. On 4x2 vehicles, remove the brake disc and hub (1102) as follows:

1 Remove the hub grease cap (1131).

2 Remove the cotter pin.

3 Remove the nut retainer.

4 Remove the spindle nut.

5 Remove the front wheel outer bearing retainer washer (1195).

6 Remove the outer front wheel bearing (1216).

7 Remove the brake disc and hub.

µ 4. If necessary on 4x2 vehicles, resurface the brake disc and hub using a hub-mounted brake lathe. Follow the lathe manufacturer's instructions.

1 Remove the wheel hub grease seal (1190).

2 Remove the front wheel bearing.


Installation

1. On 4x4 vehicles, position the brake disc to the wheel hub.

l Use Metal Brake Parts Cleaner F3AZ-19579-SA or equivalent to clean the brake disc.

µ 2. On 4x2 vehicles, thoroughly clean and inspect the front wheel bearings and the brake disc and hub.

l Use Metal Brake Parts Cleaner F3AZ-19579-SA or equivalent.

3. On 4x2 vehicles, lubricate the front wheel bearings.

l Use Premium Long-Life Grease XG-1-C or -K or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESA-M1C75-B.

µ 4. On 4x2 vehicles, install a new wheel hub grease seal.

1 Install the inner front wheel bearing.

2 Install a new wheel hub grease seal.

µ 5. On 4x2 vehicles, install the brake disc and hub.

1 Position the brake disc and hub.

2 Install the outer front wheel bearing.

3 Install the front wheel outer bearing retainer washer.

4 Install the spindle nut.

µ 6. Tighten the spindle nut while rotating the brake disc and hub.

µ 7. Loosen the spindle nut.

µ 8. Tighten the spindle nut while rotating the brake disc and hub.

µ 9. On 4x2 vehicles, install the following components:

1 Install the nut retainer.

2 Install the cotter pin.

3 Install the hub grease cap.

10. Install the front disc brake caliper anchor plate (2B292); for additional information, refer to «Brake Caliper Anchor Plate» in this section.

 

So im guessing that the play in the bearing is infact a bad sign and the only way to fix it is by replacing the hub assembly, or may I only need to replace the bearing? Thanks for the procedure Ken. How difficult is this job and will i need any special tools? Also, do you recommend the replacement hubs that have grease fittings or sealed? This is a bad time for this to be happenning becuase i am planning on towing my boat 4 hours to my fishing camp this weekend. Thanks for the help though.

 

I just searched over at advance auto parts website and I can only find the hub assemblys for 4wd's, but they do have inner and outer bearings for 2wd's, which is what I have. I am getting confused now becuase some poeple say the bearings arent servicable but on that website I can buy new bearings...??? I sure hope I dont need a new hub assembly now, after seeing the prices of those things!

 

Lets make sure we're talking about wheel bearings and not ball joints, right??

2w drive front ends don't have "hubs" like 4wd does, it will just have an inner and outer bearing that is packed with grease and installed. Always replace the races if you replace the bearings.

 

Ok, thanks ken...that makes sense! I looked at my haynes manual when I got home today and it does have a procedure for repacking the bearings and mentions the inner and outer bearings. I will start on it tommorow when I get home from work. Hopefully I wont have any troubles, or ill be taking off work a day early!

 

If the mileage is under 60K, if I recall correctly, you may not need to repack; just loosen the nut and reseat it per the Haynes procedure. I need to do this to my 99 rwd every few years.

 

looks like ill be doing the repacking...im at 63k

 

In my haynes manual it mentions that a grease seal must be replaced with a new seal. Does anyone have the part number for this seal? I am having trouble locating it. Thanks.

 

On my '99 4 cyl, with manual trans, I used a Chicago Rawhide (CR) 19223 (from Pep Boys).

 

i have had the best luck with BCA/National which is made by Federal Mogul. the part number for your truck is 9150S from Advance Auto.

 

I repack my wheel bearings and replace the grease seals everytime i put pads on which is about every 30k. My 78' silverado has 334,000 miles with the stock wheel bearings and rotors which have never been turned and arent warped and the bearings were repacked everytime pads were put on and it stops on a dime with no shimmys or wobbles.

 

Thanks for the replies...I located the BCAs at advance auto finally after trying a few stores. I only had time to do the right wheel last night so ill have to do the left today. For those of you who have done this job, did you use grease solvent to clean out any old grease or did you just pack with new grease? Also, the new grease I bought was high temperature wheel grease which i assume is the correct type, however, i was suprise to see that the color of the grease was greenish. I expected it to be dark brown/black. Hopefully i am using the correct grease.

When tightening the adjusting nut the final time, it only needs to be tightened to about 1.5-1.6 lbs-ft? That seemed a little low to me. Also, my torque wrench doenst accurately go that low so looks like I will have to rig up a homemade torque wrench...good thing i bought that work-out weight set

 

Clean the bearing an races down to bare metal and then pack them with the new grease. The grease i use is black. The only green grease i've seen was for use on boat trailers, but i'm sure it's fine on your truck. Don't focus on the torque, just snug the nut down while spinning the rotor and loosen it and snug it a couple time to make sure everything seated right. The nut should be about a half a hiar tigher then finger tight, and if the funny looking keep that hold the bearing from moving for some reason doesnt line up with any holes back the nut off a 1/4 of a hair rather then tighten it.