My truck has a grinding/humming coming from the front left. I took it to a tire place and the guy drove it and told me it wasn't anything metal to metal like brakes. He thinks it might be the hubs or bearings.

Can I do this myself, I am very mechanically inclined and I'm an cerified aircraft mechanic just got my A&P license a few months ago. I've changed trannies, rebuilt a 300 6 ford, and a 350 chevy. I have never touched a front or rearend before, are they totally different animals? Are there major adjustments or expensive tools I will need to change whatever is wrong?

Warn hubs are probably what I will get, but what brand of bearings do I get?

Would it just be better to pay to have it done?

Any help would be nice,

Thanks


P.S. 85 f250 4x4 with 4.11s i think.

 

You will need a tool....... go to this site get info and go to your local AP outlet.....cheaper brands are available.

What hubs do you have manual or auto... if they had them back then.

 

manual hubs

also, my truck wont disengage the 4x4. when the shifter is in the 2x4 position and the hubs are locked, all 4 tires spin. it will go into N and into 4x4 Low Range, but wont get out of 4x4.

Hope it's just linkage.

PLC7.3 what site? Ford-trucks.com?

 

Check the u-joints, had one binding up on me and made an intermittant grinding sound...bearings don't usually wear out if they're well greased. Also the hubs will wear out, there shouldn't be any or much play between the outer and inner gear.

 

The only special tool is a socket to remove the nuts on the axle to let the wheel bearings out.

Advance or Autozone should have one for about 25 dollars.
There is a small possibility that it has double nuts to lock it, but it should have self locking nuts that take a four prong socket to remove and install them.

85 250 regular cab should have a Dana 44 IFS axle.
85 250 extended or crew cab should have a Dana 50 IFS axle.

 

So, all I need is a grease gun to grease the bearings? I am new to the whole greasing u-joints and things like that, all I've owned before this is cars and one old chevy that I beat to death. The cars all got their lubing from where I changed the oil, but I dont want anyone to touch this truck but me so I need to start greasing now.

Will any grease gun work?

Is there a specific axle grease that is better than another?

At what intervals should I grease everything on my truck?

Thanks

 

A lot depends on the U joints that are installed in your truck.
They are usually available in greaseable and non greaseable.
Same with the ball joints.
Tie rod ends are greaseable.

Some of the U joints in the Dana 44 IFS use a needle fitting to grease.
The Dana 50 IFS should have regular zerks on them.
Both drive shafts, the tie rods and ball joints will have regular zerks to grease them if they are greaseable.

First you need to wash the bearing out in solvent and dry and inspect it.

You are looking for pits, blue colored metal, scratches or any other imperfections in both the race and bearings themselves. If the bearing looks good wash your hands off to get rid of any grit you may have on them.

Do the same for the stub axle and the wheel hub inside. There is an inner and outer race in the hub that needs inspected as well.

You will also need a grease seal for each hub that goes in the inside against the steering knuckle.

Clean is good when you are working on any drive line part, you do not want dirt inside any of the components.

Wheel bearings on the front axle have to be done by hand. Put a small pile of grease in the center of the palm of your hand. Hold the bearing in your other hand and push the side of the bearing into the grease like you are trying to push the grease between the race and bearing retainer. Work your way around the entire bearing twice, then turn it over and do the other side the same way.

I would get a book on the truck you have, and read through any repair you are going to do. Then you have an idea of what kind of tools, and any skills you will need to do the job before you rear into it and find you need something you do not have access to. In most books there will be an area that will both tell and show you how to do many things like pack a wheel bearing. It will also give you a rundown of the tools you will need and how to use them. There will also be a section that tells you what kind of fluid you need to fill every part of your truck and how much it will take to fill it.

Another thing is where you will be working. If you are out in blowing wind and it is kicking up dust, it will be hard to keep anything grit free while you work on it. I built my engine outside in my driveway this June. There were days the wind was kicking up dust and I could not even unwrap it. There were days it was raining and it stayed wrapped up. Then there were also days I worked on it for 16 hours.

You can rebuild most of the parts on your truck if you have a place, the tools and the knowledge to do the job. And yes, you will have a lot of satisfaction from doing it yourself. But you have to be realistic about what you can do with what you have to work with.