I just thought I would post my new hub that I got from Napa for 400 bucks (cheaper than stealership) and came with a lifetime warranty.

I was going home from work and the bearing went out on my old hub, here are the before and after pics:







Its like night and day

 

now get rid of that vacumn line I can see is still hooked up and this one will last longer. BTW from what I have been able to tell, the hubs bought from NAPA are exactly the same thing ford sells (contrary to what the ford parts guys will try and tell you) because according to the bearing manufactorer (timken) teh actual bearing can only be sold to Fords supplier for use in that hub.
Another tip for guys having to buy them, if you can get in good with the manager of napa or find out somehow who in your area is listed as a "master bearing installer", they get an even better discount so get the napa store to run it under thier account as a cash sale, the cost is about $285 to them. (kinda tells you how much markup is on them critters)

 

Nice looking hub. I just can't believe that they charge so much for those things. Replacing the hub is a bit easier than servicing the whole thing.

Was it the sealed bearing that went out, or the needle bearings on the inside? I hope it was the sealed bearing, since the needle bearings on the inside are replaceable, at about $12 a piece. I actually just replaced the needle bearings, hub seals, o-ring on the hub (yellow one), and the o-ring on the locker on both sides. Parts were right around $150 for both sides. But, it doesn't replace the sealed bearing on the back side of the hub - the one with the 4 notches in it.

 

When you look at the top picture, and you spin the part with the four bolt holes in it with your hand, that is the bearing that went.

 

ooh look at that pretty new hub! did you remember to put that brake rotor back on by chance?

 

Ha ha, ya.

I thought it might be a good idea.

 

Well, that's the sealed bearing. And, the only fix for that is a new hub, so you did what you had to do.

Did you replace the seals on the axle while you had the whole thing apart, or did they look ok? Mine were completely toased, which is why I tore into everything in the first place.

 

I really don't have many experiences with trucks/cars. Everything I know is stuff I learned because I had to fix it (im only 19), or I wanted to go faster.

I fixed the hub because thats what I knew I had to do ,but I didnt realize there were other things I had to fix lol. I DID take the whole Autolock hub deal apart and cleaned/re-greased it though. Thank you guzzle.

 

When you replace the ESOF hubs with manual lockers, do you still ahve to twist the switch on the dash to 4x4?

I just replaced my OEM's that would not turn with new OEM's (becasue they were free) and I beleive i have a vacuum leak (as evident with long delays in vent changes) and in order for the 4x4 to engage, the hubs have to be placed in LOCK and the dash has to go to 4x4. Simply turning them to lock does NOT engage 4x4.

 

Yes, you still have to twist the switch on the dash to get 4x4. Manual hubs will just lock the hubs and axle together. The switch on the dash is still needed to make the transfer case engage.

However, the OEM autolockers should still lock when you flip the switch on the dash. I fixed my vaccum leak, and my lockers now work, but the leak ended up being from the axle seals that are behind the hub and in the knuckle itself. Ryan, that's why I asked if you replaced the axle seals or not.

 

I guess i should have

 

Don't sweat it Ryan. I'm something over forty, and could have done the same. Is the 4x4 working now?

 

No big deal, especially if the auto lockers are working. If the seals were bad, I'm sure you would have noticed them when you had the hub out.

Edit: If the autolockers aren't working, you might want to check on those seals. They also keep dirt and water away from those new bearings. Once I saw how bad my seals were, I was less concerned about the lockers and more concerned about preserving my bearings.

For future reference, those seals are a shade over $30 a piece. Ford part number: F81Z-3254-CB. And if you choose to replace them, take your axle shafts out and to the dealer and have them install the new seals. They have a special tool that will drive them on straight and easy. I learned this the hard way. I made a tool using some galvinized pipe and a pipe flange. It worked on one side, but on the other side I went through 2 seals (one wouldn't go on straight, the other broke during install) before I finally took it to the dealer and had them install the 3rd one.

On the bright side, at least you now know how to get your hubs out and it should be much easier if you have to do if you have to remove them to replace the seals.

 

Ha ha, thanks tenn. Ya, the 4x4 worked before too!

True that.

 

I see....so then everything is correct (except for the vaccum leak) with my 4x4 operation then having to manual lock and use the dash switch. :-)