I drove about 5 miles today and then got out to lock my hubs in to go muddin', and man they were hot! Why are they so hot, is it from the brakes? It was some stop and go traffic. Maybe the axle is spinning all the time? Which would mean that when I lock or unlock my hub it doesn't change anything, right?
Please Help,
Thanks
Lars

 

Sounds like a brake caliper sticking, or a wheel bearing in need of some lubrication. Is it pulling to one side when you drive or when you stop?

 

Definately a brake problem.

Was it pulling too?

 

It doent pull to one side. And it was on both hubs!
Thanks for the quick response.
Lars

 

Check your BACK brakes - I bet the autoadjusters are seized.

 

I just took it apart and found that the bearings wear really worn. I put new ones in and re greased everything. But now it is really hard to turn the wheels by hand. Think this is because of all the new grease I packed into the bearings, and it just has to work its way out. I lifted the back off the ground as well and made sure the 4x4 works. All four tires spin when I punch it, but when I let off the gas the left front tire just stops and moves real slow, while the other just keeps on spinning. The LF tire slows and then turns slowly with a jerking motion. Why is this? Is it just because I have an open diff?

The parts store only had two of each brand. I forget the names but one brand is from the USA and twice as much, the other from china. So one side has high grade bearings while the other side has bearings that were made in china. I'll see how they wear down.

 

It sounds like your wheel bearing nut is too tight,you should be able to turn the wheel by hand.

 

You did not post what truck you have, but, BII/Rangers are known for the calipers going south and sticking, which in turn creates a ton of heat and destroys the grease/bearings. Try to get the older metal ones, not the Phelonic (spelling?) ones.

King Kaliper makes a good rebuilt caliper, available at some NAPA stores. I think they have a web page on-line somewhere. Located in Peabody, MA.

If you have a BII/Ranger and you follow factory specs. in torquing the retainers and backing them off the correct way, you will not have wheel bearing problems. You can not put the inner one on by "feel" and not have problems later and the outer one will loosen if not torqued to the 150 (?) pounds.

I have owned three BIIs (85/86/87) and did all their wheel bearings this way without problems.

 

I have a 88 F 150 4x4. Now that I replaced them the hubs still get hot when I travle about 10-20 miles. Do you think my hubs arnt unlocking, so they are just always turning the axle?
Thanks
Lars

 

I checked my hubs and they are unlocking properly. Do you think my brakes could just be draging so much that they produce that much heat? How would I go about adjusting my disk brakes? Can I just loosen the nut for the fluid and pull the pad away from the disk with a screw driver? I need to fix this fast because this is my daily driver.
Thanks
Lars

 

Mine did the same before I replaced all my front brake lines from the proportioning valve down, Calipers, and master cylinder. It stops better and I can drive 800 miles and they are cool to the touch.

 

> draging so much that they produce that much heat?

Yes!

> How would I go about adjusting my disk brakes?

You can not. When the hub is hot, pull the wheel and try turning the rotor by hand. If it sticks badly, remove the caliper. Then try
turning the wheel, if it turns freely, the caliper is bad.

! Make sure your rotors are not warped !

A good caliper should drag a little, but, not enough to prevent you from turning the rotor by hand.

> Can I just loosen the nut for the fluid and pull the pad
> away from the disk with a screw driver?

No. To remove a caliper from a rotor all you have to do is remove the mstr cyl. cover and apply a C clamp to the caliper to force it open.

> I need to fix this fast because this is my daily driver.

Get flarenut wrenches, brake hoses, pads, and new calipers for the front. Bleed the whole system until you get clear fluid at all four wheels and the RABS valve (if you have it).

THEN change the hoses and calipers. Sometimes hoses get old and collapse or flake stuff into the system. If you bleed everything before you put the new parts on you end up better.

This job, if its your first time will take about four hours. Try to have a back up vehicle in case a line or something breaks and you need to get to the parts store. Sometimes a rental car for $20 a day is handy "just in case".

 

It had new brakes put on right before I bought it(about 10,000 miles ago). They put new calipers on, so I don't think that is what it is. I can turn the rotor by hand it dosent keep spinning though. I wathced a mechanic stick a screw drive in between the disk and pad and praiy the pad away from it one time.
Please help
Lars

 

If you pry the pad back it will just move back out again when you apply the brakes. The caliper is a clamp....it clamps on the rotor to stop you.

Your calipers could be bad,even though they were replaced recently.
I have also seen brake hoses get bad and not allow the pressure to back off when you release the pedal.

Is it pulling at all? If there is a brake problem it will pull or at least have a diminished stopping ability.

 

myne pulls to the right all the time. doesnt change with breaking though. my brakes dont get hot and my weels turn freely but my tires are bad. bald on the right and only hold 30 lb of air. wanna guess my prob