Since I have the truck up on jack stands and the brakes off I figured now was as good a time as any to service the front hub bearings, rather than wait until it's freezing cold and snowing like crazy. I will use this procedure:

http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/nblube.html

Does anyone have any helpful hints or tips for me while I'm getting into it? One thing I will do is the vacuum check(see next to last step) of the ESOF hubs before I take them apart. That way if I have a leak I'll get the new inner hub seals before starting the job. I also see that there is a sealed bearing below the needle bearing. I take it there is no way to access or check this bearing out, is there?

I plan on using Super Lube synthetic grease for the bearings and caliper slide pins. It has a temperature range of -45 to +450 and lists both wheel bearings and calipers under automotive uses. I already have the Multi-purpose Heavy Duty grease but was wondering if it would be better to use the High Temp/Extreme Pressure grease instead. It's not like these bearings get repacked often. Any input on using this grease or the HT/EP grease is appreciated as always.

http://www.super-lube.com/pdf/Catalog.pdf

 

wow that is a really good step by step on how to do the job, the only thing i do is disconnect the tie rod from the knuckle to make it easier to get to the hub nuts, you don't have to but i like to be able to move the knuckle around for better access. i have always used hi temp bearing grease(what you have). i disconnected my vacuum and installed warn hubs so no info on the vacuum check. the only servicab;e bearing is the needle bearing that the shaft rides on. the internel ones aren't greasable(some people say they can stuff a needle point into the seams and squirt grease in but i have not)

 

I got the left front hub off today. It was a little difficult getting the hub off the knuckle so I used a big three arm puller to put a little tension on it to get it started. I tested both sides for vacuum leaks before starting. The left side held 20"Hg, but the right side leaked down. I am going to try greasing up the locking hub O ring tomorrow and try that side again. I hope it holds a lot better, that inner seal is $59. This is what is said about the knuckle seal in the procedure...

"Behind the race sits the large knuckle seal that would need to be replaced if your ESOF hubs have a vacuum leak as this is the most common point of failure that will cause the hubs to not hold vacuum. Failure of this seal will also allow the vacuum pump to draw in moisture and dirt, wihich will accelerate needle bearing failure."

I have the new yellow O rings already but the dealer I went to didn't have the locking hub kit so I'll try another dealer tomorrow. OEM caliper slide pins were $21 per corner, I'll get a price from Advance tomorrow for AM pins. I plan on cleaning mine up as best I can for now and replacing them when I do the brakes. I'm collecting data on that now and it looks like the concensus opinion is that the premium pads and cryo rotors are worth the money. At least the brakes should be fairly easy to do next time around....

I tried to find a seam like Rusty talked about for that sealed bearing, I have needle tips for grease guns, but it was not obvious in the fading light. I'll look again in the morning. Has anyone out there injected grease into the sealed bearing with a needle and could give me some tips on it?

 

Left side hub is done, I got new slide pins from Advance for $10 for all four front pins so I'll just replace them. I need to clean up the bores in the caliper mounting brackets so the new slide pins don't just rust up like the old ones. I will also service the locking hubs while I'm doing everything else. I have another post asking for tips on replacing the knuckle seal, but any input here is also most welcome.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...ml#post5405275

 

The following is from TheDieselstop.com ;

Like many other guys my driver's side went out at about 70k miles and I sort of knew the cause was water in the bearings. Therefore, I decided to go ahead and replace the other side and have both sides new. My truck is an '02 CC, 4x4, Lariat and the front bearings are the non-serviceable units.
However, I discovered that you can in fact lube these units by removing the ABS sensor which exposes the motion gear inside and it is located between the inside and outside tapered bearings. This provides grease access to both of these bearings.
I simply shoot a few shots of grease in this hole with an adapter on the grease gun, then rotate the bearing several times to distribute the grease; do this several times until you feel a good resistance to the rotation. Then install everything back to original condition. This may not be a 100% cure, but it is better than doing nothing to the bearings.
I tore the bad bearing apart and discovered that this unit has the inside/outside races machined into the housing. Therefore, you cannot replace the races even if you replaced the tapered bearings. I am guessing Ford had these out-sourced.