Crapped out a bearing on the front of the Ex 20 miles out of Hot Springs SD. Looks to be just the roller for the axle shaft through the hub, but she sounds horrible. Can I just push some grease in from the back (seal is toast) every so often til we get home (1500 miles). I don't want to miss out on our vacation to get the truck fixed and get raped in the process. Ideas.....Opinions.....

Thanks.

 

If it's just the needle bearing supporting the axle shaft, manually turn both front hub locks to "Lock" and there will no longer be any movement between the two surfaces. Not ideal, as the front differential gears will now be turning and cut into your gas mileage a little, but you CAN press on.

If it's the wheel bearings inside the hub, you'll still have the noise, and need to fix it ASAP!

Packing the ABS sensor hole full of grease into may help for a bit, but it's already too late to save those bearings if they're making a racket, and will just entice you to have a total break-down even farther into the boonies.

Pop

 

Thanks Pop. I already locked the hubs as soon as it happened. Still sounds the same. I checked the shaft and it's locked. I'm going outside to jack it up and check the wheel bearings, but we just got in the hotel room. Anyone know a good place for help in town here?

 

I just went and jacked it up and I can't get the wheel to wobble at all. Doesn't make noise when I spin it, but there is no weight on it. I also can't get the front shaft to spin free again when I unlock the hub. I relocked it and we'll drive around town here a while tonight and see waht happens. Kids are at the pool and I'm looking for parts. Not what I had in mind for vacation.

 

When it won't spin the axle free again it's the needle bearings, you can try this to get some grease back to them, take the auto lock hub off and the snap ring and the three washers and take a flat piece of wood or something and push grease back on the needle bearing, just try to get as much as you can, turn the unit as you do this. If you don't get some back there it could scar the axle shaft driving 1500 miles, you will see why when you eventually get the unit bearing off, JMOP 1500 miles is to far with out a repair.

 

I trucked across SD for twenty years to the west coast, I would fix it before I leave Rapid City or the rapping will be alot more if it fails out on I-90. If anything I would try to atleast get the parts you would need to fix it.
jmo, good luck!

 

I took the lockout off but couldn't get the snapring out. All I have is a few tools with. I am going to run to get a snapring pliars in the morning. I don't care if I mar the shaft as I am putting a Dynatrackit in anyway. It comes with new shafts. That was actually my plan to pack in grease. If I get in there and I don't find a bad bearing it has to be the wheel bearings.

 

Nothing here in town tonight. Car quest up the road for tomorrow. Dang. That's gonna eat into our time a little more. Anybody know what size socket is needed to remove the hub? I may eat the $ just to insure no trouble. Maybe I could just pull the shaft and tape the end of the axle off if it's the needle bearing. I doubt I'll need 4x4 on 90 to get home. I'll try to post what I find tomorrow.

 

Here is the write up on Bob's site. It has the socket sizes. Good luck.

Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Needle Bearing Maintenance Web Page

 

Its the same size as the lugs, something metric, but my one 13/16 impact sockets fits perfectly. That will take care of the lugs, caliper mounting bracket, and 4 bolts on the back of the hub.

Here's Guzzles writeup on how to lube the needle bearings. It shows you how to pull the hub off. Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Needle Bearing Maintenance Web Page

 

And here's the instructions about packing the main bearings with grease without the custom adapter:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...pics-here.html

Note: Those photos show moly-filled grease being used. I do not recommend that for wheel bearing applications. Non-moly is better, but use the best-grade lithium-complex wheel-bearing grease that you can get.

Just for the record, there's a second bearing that supports the outer-most end of the stub axle, and it's located inside the hub lock. It's serviced according to guzzles fine instructions located here:
Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Autolock Hub Lubrication Maintenance Web Page

Pop

 

There are quite a few different shops here in Rapid if you have to have work done for you. I use Mark's Auto just off 79 before you hit the highway 44 intersection

 

FTE memeber Bfife is a South Dakota RHN member, try sending him a PM. I don't know where he is in relation to where you are just that he's in SD. Also don't know if he's available, but a PM to him would'nt be a bad idea.

 

Thanks to all who posted. Rushmore X I wish I could have checked the posts this afternoon. Nothing in Hot Springs. Bought a snapring pliars and a tube of grease at C quest. packed in what I could and took the kids to Mammoth Dig. That was unreal. Then off to Rapid City. O-Rileys had 2 hubs in stock. Bought one and headed to Milkeys Ford for the back side studs. 1 on hand....nice. I took it and parked in the back lot at Milkey. Put on quite a show for all the shop guys and the body shop across the road. Got the old hub off and it was in rough shape.

Started at 2:00 and finished up around 4:00. Many reps to Rod at the parts counter. He offered to stay and help if we weren't done before he went home for the day. Couldn't help on the clock though.

Before we got too crazy I jacked up the other side figuring it had just as many miles on it. I wasn't impressed. We headed back to O-Rileys and bought the other hub. Changed out the other side too. We already missed out on Crazy Horse this afternoon so I figured $115.00 was cheap insurance for the drive home. This time we put the show on for all the traffic on E North. We got to change it in the rain. Finished up around 7:00. Greasy tools are hard to hold in the rain.

I feel like I let the family down by not finding this when I put the new tires on last Wed. I even went so far as to pull the brakes and check them. There was no noise play or rough feel to the hubs at all. The kids were great in the truck while they waited and I can't say how much it meant to have my wife Lena out there to help me. That felt great. She took pics too.

When we get home, I will become a site sponsor. I also want to put out there if anyone is in NE WI and needs help, I want to be there so you don't have the stress I had today. RHN is in my future.

5 more days until we are home so I hope this was our snafu.

Thanks again folks.

 

I send out a reminder each year about greasing your wheel bearings.

When you see it this fall, it won't be too early to pull your ABS sensors and give them a few "shots".

Congratulations on making the decision to join the supporter ranks. You're in good company here.

'Till then.........

Pop